Judge Slams Mexico, Puts Off Extradition

A federal magistrate said Tuesday that Mexico’s law enforcement Establishment appears to be infected by “massive corruption,” as evidenced by a scandal involving Mario Ruiz Massieu, that nation’s former top anti-drug official.

While harshly criticizing the system itself, U.S. Magistrate Ronald Hedges made no immediate ruling on the Mexican government’s request for extradition of Ruiz Massieu, held in U.S. custody since his arrest at Newark International Airport in March on federal currency violations.

Hedges’ criticism of Mexican law enforcement, one of the harshest to date by a member of the U.S. judiciary, came after Assistant U.S. Atty. Alberto Rivas reviewed the evidence against Ruiz Massieu that has been compiled by Mexican prosecutors.

Rivas told a daylong hearing that Mexico is still probing “the depth and the level of the corruption” that has come to light since Ruiz Massieu left his country, where he now faces charges of obstruction of justice for allegedly hiding the role of the former Salinas ruling family in the September assassination of Ruiz Massieu’s own brother.

Hedges said it seemed that “a number of law enforcement officials participated in the cover-up of this assassination,” including “police officers, prosecutors and one of the top-ranking law enforcement officials,” referring to Ruiz Massieu.

But Rivas cautioned that “we should not tar the entire office of the Mexican attorney general,” which he said is trying to learn the full truth.

Ruiz Massieu was the No. 2 official in that office and enjoyed a reputation as a crusading reformer until he abruptly resigned in November.

Cooperating with Mexican investigators, the U.S. Customs Service has since discovered more than $9 million stashed in Texas bank accounts in the name of Ruiz Massieu, which Mexican officials have said may represent payoffs to the now-disgraced former official from Massieu-appointed police officials, who, in turn, received payoffs from drug lords to protect cocaine trafficking.

Hedges said his criticism was not directed at all Mexican law officers, adding: “I’m not putting the Mexican government on trial.”

Ruiz Massieu, wearing a blue business suit but shackled with leg irons, conferred in whispered tones with his attorney, Cathy Fleming.

Rivas said evidence suggests that the dapper-looking defendant was in close contact with Raul Salinas de Gortari, the elder brother of former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

Raul Salinas allegedly paid $1 million for the slaying of Francisco Ruiz Massieu, a top political figure. The former president has not been implicated.

Rivas said Mario Ruiz Massieu apparently asked to be put in charge of the investigation into his brother’s assassination so he could keep Raul Salinas from being implicated.

Fleming argued that much of the evidence collected by Mexican authorities was based on hearsay and that no verbatim statements from witnesses against Ruiz Massieu have been submitted.