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Ally of Hugo Chávez jailed for links to Colombian drugs cartels
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/06/hug-chavez-colombian-drugs-cartels-jude-jail-venezuelaIt was meant to be a relaxing holiday at Disney World for Benny Palmeri-Bacchi, a senior Venezuelan judge, and his family. A chance to unwind at the Florida fantasy land from the stresses of the job. But the fairytale vacation quickly became a nightmare when his plane from Caracas was greeted by federal agents at Miami airport and he found himself carted off to jail.
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Prosecutors had accused Palmeri of taking bribes to ease shipments of cocaine through Venezuela to Mexico and the Caribbean for distribution in the US, and his admission of guilt in a federal court in Miami this week – on money laundering, conspiracy and extortion charges – marks the first time an ally of the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has been tied to the Colombian drugs trade.
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According to Gregorie, Palmeri frequently took bribes to help Venezuelan-based cartel members continue their activities, and used “force, violence and fear” to extract money or ensure silence.
In one instance, the indictment alleged, Palmeri threatened an estate agent by emailing photographs of a man being murdered and videos of prisoners being sodomised in Venezuelan prisons.