JACINTO JOSE TORRES (protect identity) was interviewed
March 19, 1992 at the United States Attorney's Office, 312 North
Spring Street, Los Angeles, California. Present during the
interview was EDGAR TORRES, brother of JACINTO TORRES. Also
present during the interview was Special Agent (SA) CHARLES JONES
of the Drug Enforcement Administration, ANNE T. LUNA, Internal
Revenue Service, and Detective RONALD E. HODGES of the Los
Angeles Police Department. TORRES voluntarily provided the
following information:
TORRES advised that he knew DANILO BLANDON, a
Nicaraguan male, residing in the San Diego, California area, to
be heavily involved in cocaine trafficking activities.
TORRES advised that in approximately 1980, he and his
brother EDGAR, doing business as Torres Used Cars, 444 South
Atlantic Boulevard, East Los Angeles, California, hired BLANDON
to work at their car lot. BLANDON left Nicaragua shortly after
the 1979 fall of the Somoza regime. BLANDON and his wife,
Ci-LAPITA (phonetic), had moved to Los Angeles from Miami, Florida,
in early 1980. TORRES stated that BLANDON only worked at Torres
Used Cars for about a two week period. TORRES stated that
shortly after BLANDON moved to the Los Angeles area BLANDON was
introduced to NORWIN MENESIS in the San Francisco, California
area, by DONALD BARRIOS. In approximately 1980 DANILO BLANDON,
FRANK VIGAL, and DOUGLAS DIAZ travelled to the San Francisco area
where they obtained two kilograms of cocaine from MENESIS.
BLANDON, VIGAL, and DIAZ returned to the Los Angeles area where
they had thirty days to sell the cocaine. TORRES stated that
BLANDON and the others only sold a few ounces of the two
kilograms to someone in the San Diego area. They gave the rest
of the unsold cocaine to RAUL VEGA.
TORRES advised that BLANDON continued to work with
VEGA, VIGAL and DIAZ through 1983, however, their cocaine
dealings wer'e small due to the fact that they did not have many
customers.
As of approximately 1984 BLANDON was involved in
cocaine sales in the Glendale, California area. BLANDON'S
supplier as of 1984 continued to be NORWIN MENESIS. One of
BLANDON's "runners", who used to deliver the cocaine from San
Francisco was RAFAEL ESPINAL. As of 1984, BLANDON'S cocaine
business dramatically increased. NORWIN MENESIS, BLANDON'S
supplier, as of 1983 and 1984 routinely flew quantities of 300 to
400 kilograms from Miami to the west coast. BLANDON eventually
"separated" from MENESIS and obtained other
sources of supply.
TOREES estimated that between 1980 and 1991 BLANDON
moved over 5,000 kilograms of cocaine.
TORRES advised that in approximately October of 1991,
he flew from the Los Angeles area to the San Francisco Airport.
He was picked up at the San Francisco Airport by DANILO BLANDON
who drove a small white Ford Tempo. After leaving the airport
BLANDON drove him to a storage house which was located approxl-
mately fifteen minutes south of the San Francisco Airport. On
arrival at the house TORRES met DON SANTIAGO. TORRES stayed at
the house for approximately three days with BLANDON, DON
SANTIAGO, and MAURICIO GONZALEZ-LANZAS. On the second day of his
stay, TORRES, BLANDON and SANTIAGO went to a bar owned by JOSE
TORRES on El Camino Real. While at the bar BLANDON met a Mexican
male by the name of JOSE MARIA, also known as DON CHEMA. DON
CHEMA was accompanied by three other Mexican males. During the
meeting BLANDON and CHEMA talked about a cocaine deal. The
discussion pertained to money owed by CHEMA who had previously
been provided with 86 kilograms. TORRES stated that as a
"pretext" he was introduced as the owner
of the cocaine.
TORRES further advised that he knew DON CHEMA to be the
head of a Mexican group in the San Jose area that regularly
obtained cocaine from DANILO BLANDON.
TORRES recalled that at the meeting DON CHEMA indicated
to BLANDON that he would be getting a loan on a house to pay the
balance owed on the 86 kilogram deal.
TORRES stated that he knew RAFAEL CORNEJO to have been
in the business (cocaine) with DANILO BLANDON for a long time.
TORRES advised that based on conversations that he has had with
BLANDON he believed that over the past year CORNEJO obtained at
least 100 kilograms of cocaine per month from BLANDON.
TORRES stated that as of the end of 1991 he resided at
7806 Teesdale Avenue, in North Hollywood, California. He stated
that in approximately September or October of 1991, CORNEJO and
his half brother, SALVADOR AVILES, drove from the San Francisco
area to his North Hollywood residence, 7806 Teesdale Avenue. He
recalled that CORNEJO and AVILES stayed at his residence for a
two day period during which time CORNEJO negotiated with BLANDON
regarding the purchase of a multi-kilogram quantity of cocaine.
As of September and October, 1991, BLANDON resided with TORRES at
7806 Teesdale, telephone number (818) 765-5200. TORRES recalled
that CORNEJO and AVILES drove to the Hollywood area in an older
model vehicle (make and year unknown to TORRES). During the stay
AVILES frequently "snorted" cocaine. CORNEJO mentioned to TORRES
that he lived in a "beautiful" home which was about a forty-five
minute drive from the storage house south of the San Francisco
Airport. TORRES also stated that CORNEJO told him that he once
had a problem with the "IRS" and had done
time.
TORRES further stated that CORNEJO and AVILES came to
the North Hollywood area with $300,000. After waiting for two
days, CORNEJO and AVILES departed North Hollywood and drove back
to the San Francisco area without having obtained the cocaine
from BLANDON. TORRES advised that CORNEJO left the $300,000 at
7806 Teesdale, for BLANDON.
TORRES advised that approximately one day after CORNEJO
and AVILES departed North Hollywood, California, BLANDON sent
twenty-seven (27) kilograms of cocaine to CORNEJO in the San
Francisco area. The 27 kilogram shipment was followed within
about two weeks by two additional and separate 27 kilogram
shipments.
Each of the three separate shipments of 27 kilograms
were transported from North Hollywood, California, to the San
Francisco area in a blue Nissan station wagon which has a hidden
compartment large enough to hold 27 kilograms built into the
driver's side rear wheel well area.
One of the 27 kilogram shipments was driven to the San
Francisco area by MAURICIO GONZALEZ, a "runner" for BLANDON. The
other two 27 kilogram shipments were delivered to the San
Francisco are by "runner" ARMANDO REYES.
TORRES recalled that on REYES' first delivery REYES
called him at about 6:00 in the morning, at which time REYES
indicated that he was in the Burlingame area and advised that he
was having trouble getting a hold of MAURICIO and/or anybody in
the San Francisco area. TORRES advised that REYES eventually
hooked up with MAURICIO who gave the 27 kilograms
to CORNEJO.
TORRES stated that he believed that the three 27
kilogram shipments sent to CORNEJO were in fact sent to the
storage house that he (TORRES) had previously visited south of
the San Francisco Airpert. TORRES further advised that when
DANILO BLANDON stayed at his house during the latter part of
1991, BLANDON received telephone calls from Colombia. BLANDON
also used TORRES' cellular telephone to call Colombia as well as
to call numbers in the San Francisco area. DANILO BLANDON
frequently called MAURICIO GONZALEZ' pager number and would
instruct MAURICIO to get a hold of CORNEJO.
TORRES stated that during the late summer of 1991,
DANILO BLANDON sent a 200 kilogram shipment of cocaine to the
storage house south of San Francisco. The 200 kilogram shipment
was split between DON CHEMA, CORNEJO, and a third individual
(identity unknown to TORRES).
BLANDON's buyers have remote controlled garage door
openers for the storage house.
TORRES further advised that he witnessed the loading of
the three 27 kilogram shipments into the blue Nissan station
wagon which was parked in his driveway. On each of the three
occasions MAURICIO GONZALEZ and ARMANDO REYES unloaded cocaine
from a gold/brown Jeep Cherokee and placed the cocaine into the
hidden compartment of the Nissan.
A photograph of MAURICIO ANTONIO GONZALEZ, also known
as Mauricio Gonzalez-Lanzas, was displayed to TORRES. After
viewing the photograph, TORRES positively identified GONZALEZ as
the runner who drove the 27 kilogram shipment of cocaine to the
San Francisco area.