Thread by @innercitypress

Honduras trial in #SDNY, live tweeted by Inner City Press: Government's first witness in Miguel Reynoso, drug investigator; he's being asked about a vehicle search. innercitypress.com/sdny1hondurast… thread

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Reynoso identifies a Volkswagen he was ordered to search for drugs. Photo is admitted as Exhibit 351. AUSA: What are you doing in this picture?
Reynoso: I am examining the motor of the Volkswagen.
AUSA: I'd like to enter a stipulation of fact.
Judge Castel: OK

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Stipulation read in as Exh 1005: On June 6, 2018, police lawfully stopped 2 vehicles in Cortez, Honduras: a Toyota and a Volkswagen. The Honduran anti-drug directorate searched the vehicles and lawfully detained the occupants. One had false ID, of a dead man.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: "Detective Reynoso, did you find any hidden compartments?"
Yes, under the rear seat. We cut through a recent weld. And we found two grenades.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: "Detective Reynoso, did you have the opportunity to count the US currency found in the compartment?"
Yes - it was $193,200. And there were 9 spiral notebooks.
AUSA: We'll come back to those later.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: "Is there is fair and accurate depiction of cell phones and weapons you found?"
Reynoso: Yes.
AUSA: Where were they located?
Reynoso: There were under the airbag in the dashboard.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: Focusing on the middle of these three firearms that you found, what did it have?
Reynoso: Apparently, a silencer.

AUSA: And where did you first encounter this 2 way radio?
Reynoso: it was under the driver's side floor

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: Did they come a time when you reviewed the ledgers that you found?
Reynoso: Yes.
AUSA: Can you please highlight "Tony Hernandez" on the page?
[He's the brother of Honduras' president: innercitypress.com/sdny1hondurast…]

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Now the cross-examination of Detective Reynoso.
"My name is Mike Tein and I speak for Tony Hernandez... You said it was 90% $20 bills. Now do you think it was less?
Reynoso: Most were 20s.
Tein: Did you write down the breakdown, of 20s and other denominations?

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Tein (insisting) did you put the count by denomination in your report?
Reynoso: Yes.
Tein: Who did you count it with?
AUSA: Objection - asked and answered.
Now a sidebar with the white noise turned up.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio After the lawyers' sidebar with Judge Castel, Tein's cross examination is still choppy.
Tein: You're saying it was your colleague who counted the money and wrote the report, Official Seizure Record?
Reynoso: Yes... in Honduras, both of us participated and signed

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: We'll stipulate to the admission of this into evidence.
Tein: OK, it's Defendant Exhibit 1. May I ask a few more questions?
Judge Castel: Yes.
Tein (to Reynoso) Where were you when you wrote this report?
Reynoso: In the public office.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Reynoso: Specifically, we were in the office against narco-traffico in San Pedro Sula.
Tein: Were the suspects with you there?
Reynoso: In the same building.
Tein: Have you received any training in writing reports? You make sure what you're signing is true?

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Tony Hernandez' lawyer Tein is hammering away at a seeming 12 hour discrepancy on the signing of Detective Reynoso's report of the cash and guns and ledgers listing... Tony Hernandez. "So you signed it at 3:55 in the morning?"
Reynoso: Yes.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Judge Castel declares a break for the jurors. Then he too walks off the bench. Apparently no lawyers' arguments during this break. [Inner City Press heading out to check #6ix9ine deliberations] This Honduras / Chapo thread will continue soon

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio And we're back, with Tony H's lawyer Tein still digging into Detective Reynoso's report.
Tein: you write it at the time so you don't have to worry about remembering?
[Note: Judge Castel faced just this, on Tuesday in a child porn case: innercitypress.com/sdny1castelpiv…

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Tein: You're saying there's a report that lists out the denominations of the bills?
Reynoso: Yes. It must be part of the records.
Tein: You don't mean in this case, do you?
Reynoso: No, back in Honduras.
Tein: so you gave some to SDNY, and some not?

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Tein: Do you know how the prosecutors from this District came into possession of some of your reports about the seizure of the Volkswagen?
Reynoso: No.
Tein: Have you seen a report in this case that actually lists the denominations of the money you seized?

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Tein is still at it. To Reynoso: Did you put the evidence out of the table like this, bit by bit, or did someone else do it? Why are there armed guards taking a picture?
Reynoso: I don't know. I don't remember.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Tein: Who brought with them the tools to cut into these compartments?
Reynoso: We did [nosotros].
Tein: Did you yourself bring the tools? Did you arrive in one car or two? Who did you drive with? I'm not asking you to name him.
Reynoso: I drove with my colleague.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA cuts in, asking to shut down Tony Hernandez' cross examination: "The direct was 30 minutes and you've been on this topic for almost two hours."
Tein: I have more questions.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Tein gets to the point: So the ledgers weren't logged in for 13 days after their were seized?
Reynoso: Right.
Re-direct by AUSA: Did the name Tony Hernandez stand out to you during your review?
Reynoso: Yes. The case of Tony Hernandez was well known.
No further Qs

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Now Judge Castel calls the lunch break for the jury. Then as with morning break he leaves the bench, no lawyers' arguments. This threat will resume in afternooon. Story soon on InnerCityPress.com and patreon.com/MatthewRussell…

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio And we're back. US calls its second witness, a DEA agent. He began as a translator then stationed in Imperial, California focusing on Mexican drug cartels. Chapo echo. Here's lunchtime story: patreon.com/posts/30470755

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio [Back into Honduras trial, as despite requests specific info on each of 8 counts in #6ix9ine trial not yet provided or put in docket. On Honduras:]
Witness says Tony H urged him to give $40,000 to brother Orlando's campaign in order get info on trafficking coke

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: Have you see the Tommy Hilfiger logo before?
Witness: Yes.
AUSA: Please publish it for the jury. Sir, have you ever seen a kilo of cocaine marked with the "T.H." stamp?
Witness: Si

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio Photo introduced into evidence in #Honduras / Hernandez trial. AUSA, pointing: Who is that?
Witness: It is the Guatemalan Jose Manuel [a/k/a] Che.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: Between 2007 and 2010, did the defendant provide you information about naval operations?
Witness: Yes.
AUSA: How much did you pay?
Witness: $5000.

@MatthewLeeICP @Mundo_PN @ElMundoSV @CTVNews @my234Radio AUSA: Turning your attention to Government Exhibit 500...
Witness: There is a Honduran military base.
AUSA: Did you pay them bribes?
Witness: Yes. So they would keep me informed whether I could bring my cocaine shipment in.