First Lady’s Maid Charged in Smuggling of Munitions

Nancy Reagan’s personal White House maid was arrested last week and charged with aiding the smuggling of munitions to her native Paraguay, the White House announced Wednesday.

Anita Castelo, 45, who has been the First Lady’s wardrobe assistant for five years, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Richmond last Friday and was released on $50,000 personal bond. If convicted, she faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of $1 million.

Nancy Reagan placed Castelo on administrative leave last Thursday, a day before she voluntarily surrendered to authorities. Castelo, who became a naturalized American citizen in 1967, will continue to receive her $17,430-a-year salary.

Castelo’s attorney, Michael Morchower, said that Castelo acted as an interpreter for a Paraguayan friend, ship captain Julio Acosta, in the purchase of 10,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition from a Richmond, Va., department store. Morchower said Castelo “assumed (it) was an innocent purchase.”

“She never asked what it was for and was never told,” Morchower said in an interview. “There was some conversation about game hunting.”

Federal authorities last week boarded Acosta’s freighter, the Mariscal Jose Felix Estigarribia, in Richmond before it was to depart for Paraguay, seized 350,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition and arrested Acosta on a charge of exporting munitions without a license. Another acquaintance of Castelo’s, Eugenio Silva of Richmond, was arrested and charged with dealing in ammunition without a license.

Nancy Reagan had no comment on the matter, according to her press secretary, Elaine Crispen. “It’s in the hands of the courts, and we’ll let them decide,” Crispen said.

White House spokesman Larry Speakes said that Castelo’s duties--primarily packing, cleaning and ironing Mrs. Reagan’s clothes--did not involve any responsibility for classified information.

“As a precautionary measure,” Speakes said, “she was debriefed by the U.S. Secret Service to ensure that her activities did not entail any breach of national security. The Secret Service has concluded that there was no evidence of a breach of security.”

A White House official, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified, said Castelo was subjected when she was hired in 1981 to the usual “full field investigation by the FBI,” which is required before an employee can work inside the White House compound.

“There was no information developed which foreshadowed the alleged conduct,” the official said.

Travels With Mrs. Reagan

Castelo accompanied Nancy Reagan last May to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan. She was one of just 15 people the First Lady took with her to meet Pope John Paul II during her visit to Rome last year.

Castelo often flew on President Reagan’s jet, Air Force One, or in Nancy Reagan’s Air Force plane on separate trips. While security officials check the luggage and personal belongings of reporters traveling with the President or his wife, White House staffers are waved through the security checks.

Before joining the White House staff, Castelo was employed for 13 years as a part-time maid at Blair House, the President’s guest house across the street from the White House. Mrs. Reagan met Castelo when the Reagans were staying there, awaiting the 1981 inauguration. Castelo’s husband, Manuel Castelo, a naturalized citizen from Portugal, also worked at Blair House.

Morchower said that Castelo has no previous criminal record and is not a member of any political organization.

‘Clean as a Whistle’

“She’s clean as a whistle,” said Morchower, a former FBI agent who said he had never acted as her attorney before. “She is introverted and highly trusted. She does not own a gun. She has nothing to do with firearms. She’s apolitical.

“She was shocked by the arrest. She went shopping at a discount store with four or five people and they bought many things, including toys. She’s upset and hopeful of getting her job back.”

Morchower said Castelo had met Acosta and Silva at Paraguayan gatherings in Richmond.