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Colombia Angry Over 'Ridiculous' U.S. Sentence
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's chief prosecutor accused U.S. courts Friday of double standards for handing down a ''ridiculous'' five-month jail term to a senior U.S. Army officer who covered up his wife's heroin smuggling activities at the U.S. embassy in Bogota.
Col. James Hiett, former U.S. Military Group commander responsible for U.S. Army and anti-drug operations in Colombia, was sentenced by a New York court Thursday after pleading guilty to concealing knowledge of a felony.
His wife Laurie Anne Hiett was convicted by a Brooklyn court in May of smuggling some $700,000 of heroin to New York via the diplomatic postal service at the U.S. embassy in Bogota between May and June 1999.
Col. Hiett was given five months in prison and five months home detention for concealing knowledge that his wife was laundering the proceeds of the heroin sales.
The scandal has caused huge embarrassment for the U.S. embassy in Bogota, on the frontline of the drug war in Latin America. Earlier this month the U.S. Congress approved a record $1.3 billion package of mostly military aid to help Colombia fight narco-trafficking and Marxist rebels.
``This is a ridiculous sentence ... Seeing that they apply such low sentences to U.S. citizens in the United States this would seem to vindicate those who say there's different treatment (for Colombians),'' the Colombian government's chief prosecutor Alfonso Gomez told reporters.
``The international community demands a lot from Colombia but they do very little,'' he added.
Late Thursday, Colombia's new National Police chief Gen. Luis Ernesto Gilibert angrily described Col. Hiett's punishment as ``derisory'' and ``a joke''.
U.S. officials have frequently criticized Colombian prison terms for narco-trafficking and money laundering offenses as too lenient.
Colombia, source of some 80 percent of the world's cocaine and 60 percent of the heroin sold in the United States, has since mid-1997 toughened up punishments for drug-related crimes, including an end to a six-year ban on extradition.
Hiett's former chauffeur and personal bodyguard Jorge Ayala, who worked with the U.S. Military group for 15 years, is currently in a Bogota high security prison awaiting extradition.
U.S. authorities have accused him of participating in Laurie Anne Hiett's scheme to smuggle heroin to the United States.
In an interview with Reuters last week, however, Ayala denied the charges and said he was being used as a scapegoat by U.S. officials who tried to cover up the scam, which he said also involved a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official.
The DEA carried out an internal inquiry into the official, who allegedly mailed one parcel packed with heroin and asked Ayala to lie on behalf of Col. Hiett's wife. No action was taken against the official.
The U.S. Department of the Army, however, said there was an ''ongoing investigation'' into the heroin smuggling ring that operated from the bunker-like embassy.
plus how many died ? in my state if anyone dies you go to jail for A very long time
some $700,000 of heroin to New York via the diplomatic postal service,, seem like quite a bit to me.
"This is a ridiculous sentence ... Seeing that they apply such low sentences to U.S. citizens in the United States this would seem to vindicate those who say there's different treatment (for Colombians),'' the Colombian government's chief prosecutor Alfonso Gomez told reporters.
Mr. Gomez is quite mistaken. This is not the type of sentence U.S. citizens receive. It IS the type of sentence that politically connected U.S. citizens receive (such as high-ranking military officials and Senator's/Congressmen's children).
Outrageous.
This is not the type of sentence U.S. citizens receive. It IS the type of sentence that politically connected U.S. citizens receive (such as high-ranking military officials and Senator's/Congressmen's children).
you got that right!
Outrageous
The war on drugs is just used to keep blacks and poor people in their place!
fake war folks.
Any other schmuck would have had to plead to at least a conspiracy charge. What a ****-ing hypocrite; this colonel should be in prison at least a decade by his own perverse standards.
Any other schmuck would have had to plead to at least a conspiracy charge. What a ****-ing hypocrite; this colonel should be in prison at least a decade by his own perverse standards.
The two tear system. one for them and one for joe citizen.
Not only is it a 2 tiered system, but any enlisted would be crucified for a fraction of that, much less be allowed to retire. There has been a recent slew of senior officer misconduct cases lately, has added much to the problems of the military. Senior officers=untouchable, no matter what; enlisted=expendable
You only alerted me, so all of you pathetic, creeps could have someone to rail against. Good ! I'll make your day. Keep ALL stupid dopers in their place. I wish that all dopers, sellers, anyone involved at all could be executed. Stick THAT in your pipe and smoke it. That statement should keep you high for a long time. NEVER give me another heads up. Leave me alone. If I get any more unasked for messages from you, I shall take it as harassment, and report you , or anyone else of your ilk, to Jim Rob.
report me , for all i was doing is showing you how out of whack the system is .
PS anyone reading your statement would think you attack me ,not the other way around .
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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