By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Substack
SDNY COURT, Dec 8 – Venezuelan indicted narco-trafficker Carlos Orense Azocar was presented in Magistrates Court in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on June 23, 2023 and Inner City Press was (the only media) there.
Orense had just been extradited in from Italy and the indictment against him unsealed.
The case was wheeled out and assigned to District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.
On November 30, more names on direct - and 3500 material on cross. Thread.
When the trial resumed on December 4 in the afternoon, Inner City Press was there. Thread.
On December 5, another cooperator was on the stand, this one in detention. He testified about trafficking cocaine from Maracaibo, Venezuela to Europe and said of a meeting, "Carlos [Orense] was there.... He was fat, fat all over, el Senor Carlos. He spoke 15 minutes with Ramon Quintero and Wilber Varela."
On December 6, a pilot was on the stand about flying cash for Carlos from Mexico, thread
On December 7, after firearms were shown to the jurors and they left for the day, the defense put on the stand a proposed witness. It was cooperator Arvelaiz' aunt. Thread:
Officer Miller on the stand explaining to jurors the ins and outs of Glocks and RPGs.AUSA: What is a destructive device? Miller: A wider-bore gun, for example. A rifle grenade. No cross examination. Shopping cart of machine guns is wheeled out.
With jury gone, defense is proffering a witness who says cooperator Arvelaiz told her, "I am going to f*ck Carlos" Orense, and that Arvelaiz was put up in the Marriott Marquis by the FBI and DEA. She is Arvelaiz' aunt - his mother is her sister.
The US opposed her testimony, dropping the F bomb in its motion in limine opposition. Judge Broderick on December 8 conducted the charging conference, and denied the defenses request for an instruction about implicit bias.
More (October 7) on Substack here
Inner City Press will continue to cover the trial.
The case is US v. Azocar, 21-cr-379 (Broderick)
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