(1) When the author strays from "known reality", explanatory footnotes furnish the actual series of events or provide relevant data.

(2) This was Gabriel Aguirre's brother, Eleno, ostensibly a simple school janitor in Deming; yet, his fortune amounted to a considerable portion of the overall $84.2 million generated by the Organization. He, along with Jesus "Chuy" Martinez, as will be shown, were key figures in the distribution and marketing of "product."

(3) Marion Barry is currently, once again, Mayor of the Nation's Capital. This is clearly, however, not to cast aspersions upon Black Mayors. On the contrary, Wellington Webb, for example, of Denver is a model Mayor.

(4) Remember that Santa Cruz County, California has legalized the cultivation of marijuana.

(5) Such statistics are readily available in most professional Journals of Education and Counseling. These specific figures were derived from an amalgam of periodicals, many appearing in the Bibliography of this volume. See, among others: Boissier, Fort, McGlothlin, Murphree and Schoenfeld.

(6) Border Spanglish for "Peasants, Indians, Mexicans of American Birth, Traffickers, Migrant Farm Workers, Merchants and Bosses..."

(7) See Figure Five for a detailed inset of Southern Hidalgo County.

(8) One such aerostat was positioned roughly above the Columbus / Deming axis, with theoretical detection capabilities extending out over a hundred miles in each direction. However, with poor visibility, heat diffusion patterns in the desert, and other complications related to high velocity winds, these electronic miracles were far from efficient, often producing more artifact than useful data. Narco-trafficantes are, of course, aware of the technical limitations of the aerostatic blimps.

(9) By referring once again to the upper right hand corner of the Hidalgo County Inset on Figure 5, the ranch in question can be pinpointed in the vicinity of Wamels Drive.

(10) A fictitious name representing one of many individuals at Gabriel's disposal. Other names in this specific sequence are also randomly chosen.

(11) Naturally, Garza and the other D.E.A. agents demanded a substantial percentage to be deducted from the overall "request" of $100,000. Needless to state, Garza was also obtaining regular carnal favors from Christina, and additional opportunities for graft and participatory collusion in the Organization's multifaceted operations.

(12) Garza was eventually exposed by the Manager of the Blue Moon in exchange for immunity from prosecution on, in his case, artificially inflated charges of laundering. This is more thoroughly explained in Chapters to follow.

(13) October 1992 after, at least, a four year investigation.

(14) "We must significantly increase production to reach our target. Failure to achieve the $470 million projection would expose the Department's forfeiture program to criticism and undermine confidence in our budget projections. Every effort must be made to increase forfeiture income during the remaining three months of fiscal 1990." Executive Office for United States Attorneys, U.S. Department of Justice. 38 U.S. Attorneys' Bulletin 180 (1990).

(15) New York Times, December 14, 1993.

(16) This sequence is predicated on press releases, trial transcripts, recorded conversations and reconstructed testimony involving Salt Lake City. The Mormon Connection, as such, was only alluded to in the press; yet, it can be substantiated on the basis of informal source material emanating from Casas Grandes and Las Cruces.

(17) As confirmed in the previous Note, this scenario is based on F.B.I. wire-tapped phone conversations which the Aguirre organization had with highly placed officials in Salt Lake City during the pre-trial investigation period.

(18) The Albuquerque Journal, for example, in its January 19, 1994 edition displayed a dramatic map indicating Salt Lake City as a major focal point of activity. This map centered on Deming and Palomas as definite sources of the cannabis seized by authorities, failing, however, to note that the crop was probably harvested in either Sinaloa or Casas Grandes.

(19) The economics of Aguirre trading patterns, inclusive of presumed price structure, profit projections and operating costs , will be presented textually in Chapters to come, and graphically at the conclusion of this volume.

(20) Even today, evidence points to helicopter spraying of these fields, paid for by U.S. Government funds under special bilateral accords between Washington and Mexico City, being not only sporadic, but totally infiltrated by corruption, bribery and under-the-table arrangements. No monitoring by U.S. Agents seems to take place. Indeed, the helicopters seldom fly, and when they do, it has been alleged, seldom spray areas where cannabis is cultivated.

(21) If the Church of Latter Day Saints seems to be targeted unduly in these pages, reference will be made in the final portion of this book to other Church groups whose activities are equally suspect. The indulgent reader will, of course, grasp that this is by no means an unmitigated attack on God, just on some of His humble servants.

(22) This may have, in fact occurred; although there is no substantive evidence that Morales was involved. He was a messenger for Gabriel, and a minor figure. Contrary to Government allegations, his race horse, for example, "Royal Quick Dash", was purchased with salary earned at NASA, for the modest sum of $12,000.

(23) Lawrence Hart's Investigative Report, actually an Affidavit (see Bibliography), documents most of these transactions. Hart, a D.E.A. Agent whose personal integrity had apparently not been questioned at any time during these proceedings, was found by the Albuquerque jury to be lacking in thoroughness, however, and, in the eyes of this same jury, his conclusions were flawed, as was much of the Federal Government's case, incidentally.

(24) This material, which actually relates to alleged events occurring in the February 1990 time frame, was derived from D.E.A. reports, many of which proved later to be inaccurate in content and substance.

(25) Government Exhibits Nos. 706 and 703, respectively, are comprised of two letters on State Senate Letterhead attesting to transactions dated March 21, 1988 and May 28, 1988. They are appended in photostatic reproduction as "Figure 8". The author is uncertain as to whether the two letters, although authentic, were ultimately admitted as evidence or not.

(26) It has been tentatively suggested that even former U.S. Senator Montoya went fishing with a number of individuals known to own property obtained with questionable funds. These precursors of the Armendariz family, another alleged trafficking organization, had access, as early as the l950s and l960s, to persons of authority, integrity and unquestioned dignity. Albuquerque Journal, Jan. 19, 1994.

(27) Not far from the Hotel Roma, a small establishment of ill-repute in the Mariscal District of Juarez, there is a well-attended German Night Club, featuring a thick chain-lock on its metallic doors, when closed. However, when open, particularly on Wednesday nights, it provides young Mexican girls for German soldiers on assignment to a variety of technical training programs at Fort Bliss. Here, intelligence is exchanged on a regular basis with agents of foreign governments who have penetrated porous Mexican borders to slip up into the El Paso/Juarez area for just such purposes. The same is true of Tijuana, incidentally, where a "particular" club on Avenida de los Ninos Heroes serves similar functions for naval officers, technical personnel and trainees stationed at San Diego's Pacific Fleet Operations.

(28) Carl Icahn, Michael Milken, Robert Vesco, Bebe Rebozo, and Max Orovitz, among many others, were "arbitrageurs", in the broad sense, who frequently traded in "paper", transferring, for profit, hundreds of millions of dollars in non-productive wealth from the coffers of the privileged elite to the roulette wheels of Monte Carlo, Macau and Santo Domingo.

(29) Drawn from a series of articles written by Scott Sandlin, Staff Writer for the Albuquerque Journal, seven months into the trial phase.

(30) Understandably, the Zapatista Movement in Chiapas, pressured by virtual starvation and deeply entrenched suffering, may be deriving some of its revenue from cannabis sales. There, and in parts of Oaxaca, this commodity is known to be cultivated.

(31) A name chosen at random from among several at Emerson College in Boston, where "docu-fiction" in the postmodernist vein seems a popular genre.

(32) Basic data for this scenario were gleaned from Lawrence Hart's D.E.A. Report, but have been distorted for purposes of this narrative. Actually, the Racing Association referred to belonged to Gabriel Aguirre, whose alleged alias was "Refugio Rodriguez." The Association's curious name actually bears the first three letters of each of Mr. Aguirre's grandchildren, and was never associated with the Koreans or Chinese as the names "Kim" or "Joh" might suggest. A link among Messrs. Bianco, Patriarcha and Rodriguez was, to the author's knowledge, never established in reality, although similar linkages were documented in Hart's Report.

(33) While corruption such as that of John Garza was not an issue in the McMartin Trial, overly-zealous and ill-intentioned social workers, psychologists and child workers, each with demonstrable ulterior motivations, cast serious doubt on the entire proceedings. In the case of O.J. Simpson, Detective Mark Furman's unprincipled actions and distortions, plus his unprofesional comportment during the investigatory phase seemed quite evident to both the jurors and the public.

(34) Whether or not there is socio-cultural distance between these two regions, linkage joining the Aguierre Organization with Boston was documented journalistically in The Albuquerque Journal, January 19, 1994, among other articles.

(35) This respected firm is actually headquartered in Connecticut, but has a manufacturing branch in Pointe Noire (the Former French Congo), where anti-corrosion chemicals are utilized to treat wood products, some of which are exported to France, Canada and the U.S. The founder, a lawyer, borrowed a million dollars, created the company and is doing well, at last report. The author met him briefly on a flight to Brazzaville in the early 1980s. As for this company, there is no taint of dishonety implied in reality, of course. Nonetheless, another company, operating in Sainte Foy in 1988, Helioconcept, might well fall into the category of "suspicious" in terms of possessing at least the infrastruture to transport controlled substances from, for example, Bolivia to Quebec and it is the latter firm which the author is using as a model for Tom's questionable dealings in Quebec City.

(36) Jay Miller's article cites more than 100,000 pounds of marijuana being involved in the Aguierre operation over an extended period of time, producing the $70 Million referred to in The Las Cruces Sun-News of July 26, 1994.

(37) It suffices to examine news articles appearing in nationwide dailies to determine massive discrepancies, such as the 1.5, or was it 1.7, million dollars unearthed in Eleno Aguirre's backyard. Where, in this small example, might the two hundred thousand dollars have gone? See Figure 6.

(38) Las Cruces Sun-News Editorial, July 25, 1993.

(39) Las Cruces Sun-News, January 19, 1995, p. A-1.

(40) Actually, Mr. Jake Evans, the Attorney in question, was not associated with Bates in business, but was, in point of fact, disbarred for unethical conduct with respect to a series of real estate swindles. Documented elsewhere in these pages.

(41) The State Senator in question allegedly owns a private landing strip in La Tuna where, independent observers report, he has been seen to off-load sacks of "questionable cargo." There is some doubt as to the veracity of this account, of course, because the Federal Correctional Facility is located in this locality, an area well staffed to monitor events of this nature.

(42) Las Cruces Sun-News, Vol. 114, No. 106, page 1.

(43) Although there have been recent reports of a "shift" in trafficking activity along the Californian Border from San Diego County toward Imperial County, following discovery of a blatantly constructed tunnel leading from one warehouse in Tijuana to another in San Ysidro, the volume involved seems somewhat less significant in the Calexico-Mexicali corridor than in the Palomas-Columbus zone. Needless to state, there has been massive and well-documented corruption involved in all of these locations.

(44) This is public knowledge documented in Albuquerque, Las Cruces and El Paso newspapers.

(45) When one recalls the McCarthy Era, however, and a disturbingly high number of similar social phenomena in this country, it becomes easier to grasp the true nature and fiber of the United States, which, while paying lip-service to lofty ideals, is actually immersed in scurrilous immorality on all fronts.

(46) Church culpability will be alluded to once again in the Epilogue section of this volume, although it is fitting to note that former offenders, now "reformed in Christ", are in control of entire organizations in the United States. Under close scrutiny, for example, is the Christian Home, Inc. of El Paso, Tx. and its interaction with the House of Cornelius, an orphange for destitute children.

(47) Associated Press Release, September 15, 1994, published in the Las Cruces Sun-News, p. A-7.

(48) Radium Springs had one dramatic case of bone cancer last year, widely publicized in a local campaign seeking transplantable marrow. Otherwise, there are, in reality, no scientific findings available suggesting an unduly high incidence of carcinoma.

(49) This establishment was among several dozen properties targeted in government raids, as was, ultimately, the Blue Moon.

(50) Many of the Blue Moon's customers spent their "entire paychecks" on fun and frolic, building their social lives around this oasis of recreation in the midst of virtual desolation, according to the Manager/Operator.

(51) Although taxes were properly remitted, according to the Manager/Operator, with records being kept as proof of payment, pilferage at the till was of such a magnitude as to throw tax calculations into disequilibrium. Ultimately, the manager's wife, empowered by her husband, terminated the unscrupulous, but fun-loving Chief Bartender and his Associates, took matters sternly under control and made a valiant attempt to turn around the fiscal situation at the Blue Moon. In the October 1992 raid, tax records were strewn about the floor, destroyed or impounded by undisciplined and short-sighted U.S. Marshals. Later, a break-in documented in police records led to disappearance of any remaining records that might have been ultimately salvaged.

(52) Christina's information relayed through clandestine channels enabled Humberto Denogean, a central figure in the amassing of marijuana-generated funds, to elude authorities and relocate to an unknown destination with more than $30 million Dollars, it has been estimated, using "mules", i.e. Mexican laborers, to transport hundreds of sacks of currency, in the initial phase of his escape, across the New Mexican border. This is a phenomenal feat, in view of the complexities involved logistically and socio-politically.

(53) This may appear to prove a somewhat naive assessment of the situation, since the IRS is technically empowered to launch fairly thorough inquiries under existing law. But no reliable figures as to customer turnover or attendance rates can be validly reconstructed for this period. Hearsay and speculation have no part in the practice of Tax Law. Actually, the principal figures in this trial, who were acquitted or exonerated, have been experiencing endless harassment by the IRS which claims hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes or laundered funds from individuals who may have handled money. but did so on behalf of third parties.

(54) Scott Sandlin's series of articles published throughout the Trial period in the Albuquerque Journal shed substantial light on the unreliability of witnesses, both those called for real estate transaction testimony, and those more directly concerned with the actual criminal charges.

(55) U.S. Supreme Court decisions in this regard will be discussed briefly in the final pages of October Raids.

(56) An observation which will prove germane in the pages ahead.

(57) See the Las Cruces Sun-News, specifically Steve Sexton's series of articles published prominently the week of the raid, October 21 through 23, 1992. More thoroughbreds, incidentally, were seized in Deming two days after the initial raids.

(58) Paris Match, September 14, 1995, pp. 3-6.

(59) The impressive number of books on narcodollar trading patterns, and the well-documented data available in such texts as Deep Cover (see Bibliography), speak eloquently of the connections, linkages and complicity of U.S. Government Officials and the Cartels. This was the case with the Aguirre Organization, as well, the most obvious link being, for our purposes, the D.E.A.'s man, John Garza.

(60) John Sununu, former Governor of New Hampshire, has been alleged to have permitted certain Syndicate-related activities to operate on N.H. soil during his tenure, well beyond the traditional "sin-taxes" of this State. However, he has often been a contentious figure in the eyes of the public, and volumes have been written about him. Similarly, Former U.S. Congressman from Santa Cruz County (California), Leon Panetta, although widely respected on the surface, may be shielding, directly or indirectly, a number of criminal operations in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south and west of San Francisco. He is a product of the highly regarded University of Santa Clara, a Jesuit Institution.

(61) See Figure 1 for a hierarchical representation of the Aguirre Operation, with appendages reaching into government and the professional sector.

(62) The U.S. Circuit Court in Denver ruled that it was egregiously unconstitutional to detain Mr. Martinez for more than a year in the pre-trial phase. Garza's direct linkage to the Aguirre Operation caused significant delay and consternation in preparation of the Federal Case. Ultimately compelled to release him, the Justice Department outfitted Chuy with an "electronic homing device" buckled and bolted to his leg. He tore it off, cursed the U.S. Government, and high-tailed it to the Mexican Border. He is thought to be in possession of more than $10 Million.

(63) A prominent Pro-Cathedral in El Paso sponsored, for example, a "summer camp experience" for New Mexican children of incarcerated parents just this year.

(64) Referring to the Aguirre Hierarchical Pyramid (Figure 1), it is crucial to note several major patterns whereby drug-trafficking activity transpired, money-laundering strategies were hatched or judicial intelligence was exchanged. Indeed, clandestine information virtually saturated the professional, white-collar legal and business sectors: (a) John Garza was informing not only Christina, but Sonia directly; (b) Daniel Maynes was receiving information, and was compelled to relay it to Sonia, under penalty of losing his job, which was always the "bottom line"; (c) Billy Blackburn and Carmen Garza (both attorneys) were romantically involved, and, hence, exchanging intelligence prolifically; (d) Carmen and Sonia were extremely close friends, a proverbial sewing circle of intrigue; (e) when John Garza was identified as the source of leaks, he went immediately to Carmen Garza (because she owed him "favors"), but Justice refused to allow her to represent him...as pointed out in the text above; (f) John Garza, a man who cost the country countless tens of millions, never went to prison, because there was a "tie-up", an "agreement" between Defense Attorneys and the Justice Department. John knew too much, and U.S. Attorney Svet could not risk exposure of overt scandal penetrating deep into the D.E.A.

(65) What "one knows" at a given point in time is always crucial in legal proceedings and in the issuance of indictments. The whole crux of Nixon's Watergate crisis, of course, turned on the central issue of what "he knew" and "when". Ms. Garza was privy to volumes of inculpatory intelligence, through Sonia.

(66) It has been reported that John Garza is currently employed by a Texas Law Enforcement Agency, in violation of his pledge not to affiliate with government or police-related services in any capacity. Throughout his checkered career, former D.E.A. Agent Garza's testimony, falsified and distorted, has helped put dozens of innocent individuals behind bars, while, today, he still wears the badge of authority in the Lone Star State.

(67) Sonia was the owner of Amador Realty in El Paso where she managed daily operations, occasionally requiring "above-board" legal assistance. These types of transactions led her into increasingly close relationships with attorneys and the legal community.

(68) One of the first rumors which, in the aftermath of the indictments, seemed to be circulating was that the formerly dominant New Mexico drug dynasty, The Armendariz Family, tipped the balance against Gabriel. In particular, it may have been his former mistress, Alicia Armendariz, who was instrumental in providing "information" to Federal Agents. That these Agents should have found her "credible" is somewhat astonishing, perhaps, in view of her own dubious roots and personal background. More on Alicia a bit later.

(69) Actually, he was incarcerated on perhaps contrived charges of transporting controlled substances at this juncture; however, his "network" provided shielding for Sonia.

(70) The young man in question, now 15 years old as this book is being reviewed for final editing, rejects portions of this scenario related to his T.V. viewing tastes; yet readily acknowledges that U.S. Marshals treated him quite brutally, as described in the pages ahead.

Bibliography and Remaining Footnotes