<i>"The Name of Our Country is América" - Simon Bolivar</i> The Narco News Bulletin<br><small>Reporting on the War on Drugs and Democracy from Latin America
 English | Español August 15, 2018 | Issue #67

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Narco News Issue #66
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The Other Journalism with the Other Campaign

[EN] The Other Campaign

[ES] La Otra Campaña

[PT-BR] A Outra Campanha

[IT] L’Altra Campagna

[DE] Die Andere Kampagne

[FR] L’Autre Campagne

[FR] De Andere Campagne

[FR] «کارزاری ديگر» Farsi

Dark Alliance: The Story Behind the Crack Explosion

The Bogotá Connection: Narco News Investigates DEA Corruption and Cover-Up in Colombia

The House of Death: U.S. Law Enforcement Complicity with Murder in Ciudad Juárez

Narco News is supported by The Fund for Authentic Journalism

Contact:

Publisher: Al Giordano

Newsroom Coordinator:
Chris Fee

Webmaster:
David B. Briones

Opening Statement, April 18, 2000
¡Bienvenidos en Español!
Bem Vindos em Português!

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Narco News is supported by:
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Banamex vs. Narco News: The Drug War on Trial

Editorial Policy and Disclosures

Site Design: Dan Feder

All contents, unless otherwise noted, © 2000-2009 Al Giordano

The trademarks "Narco News," "The Narco News Bulletin," and "School of Authentic Journalism" © 2000-2009 Al Giordano

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Narco-Bankers Sue The Free Press

The Drug War on Trial

The Facts of Banco Nacional de Mexico vs. Narco News et al.

Narco News Beats Banamex!

Scroll down for full history of the case


Don't Mess With Freedom of Speech!

Read the Court's Historic Decision


It will be in Law School Textbooks
for Generations to Come

"Narco News, its website, and the writers who post information, are entitled to all the First Amendment protections accorded a newspaper-magazine or journalist... Furthermore, the nature of the articles printed on the website and Mr. Giordano's statements at Columbia University constitute matters of public concern because the information disseminated relates to the drug trade and its affect on people living in this hemisphere..."

-- Supreme Court of the State of New York
December 5, 2001




"Traffic" is
Not a Movie


Previous Articles about
this Drug War Reality:
Clinton and his Narco-Pals
By Al Giordano, The Boston Phoenix
May 17, 1999

Mexican Editor Battles Director of Mexico's Largest Bank
AP, Wall Street Journal
September 9, 1999

Davidow's Borderline Behavior
By Al Giordano, The Boston Phoenix
December 20, 1999

The Ambassador's Non-Response
31 Questions to Jeffrey Davidow

Mario Menéndez vs. the Drug War
He's the Voice of the Mexican People
By Cynthia Cotts, The Village Voice
Feb 23, 2000

Hot Muckraker
By Mim Udovitch, Rolling Stone
August 30, 2001

The Case



The Exhibits attached to the Banamex (now Citigroup) Lawsuit:
  1. Village Voice: Menéndez v. the Drug War (February 23, 2000)
  2. Narco News: Menéndez, Hero of the Month (May, 2000)
  3. Dare to Legalize by Mario Menéndez (May 22, 2000)
  4. Consolidation of Narco Power by Al Giordano (June 15, 2000)
  5. NYT's Dillon Responds on Way Out the Door (June 8, 2000)
  6. Times Dumps Dillon (May 28, 2000)
  7. Vicente Fox on the Cocaine Peninsula (July 9, 2000; includes chronology of the trafficking story)
  8. Citibank Implicated in Fox Money Trail (June 24, 2000)
  9. Roberto Hernández Elected? by Isabel Arvide (July 11, 2000)
Listen to the entire WBAI Radio Show cited in the Lawsuit (Let Em Talk with Paul and Joanie)


Read the Lawsuit:



Strange Events Prior to the Case:

Part I: Narco Spies v. Por Esto! and Narco News (September 14, 2000)

Narco Spies Part II: The Empire Strikes Back


About The Plaintiffs:

Two Banamex Officials Snared for Money Laundering in "Operation Casablanca"

More Info at Money Laundering Alert

UNESCO Report on "Operation Casablanca"

Federal Reserve Board's "Cease and Desist" Order vs. Banamex and other Banks

1998 Order Stayed in Place until 2000

Andrés Oppenheimer on the $750 million dinner

PBS Frontline: Murder, Money and Mexico


The Bank's Attorneys - Akin, Gump, Straus, Hauer & Feld:


Washington Post: Narco Lobbyists on the Hill

Arianna Huffington: Plan Colombia's Lobbyists


About The Defendants:

Por Esto!

Mario Menendez:
Interview by José Martinez

Narco News
Backround on Narco News by Howard Kurtz in Washington Post

Al Giordano:
Audio Interview by Steve Rendall and Janice Jackson, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
Interview by Dan Kennedy, Boston Phoenix
Interview by Preston Peet, Disinfo.com
Interview by Beatriz Fregoso, La Crisis

Examples of Defendant's Defense of Free Speech of Others:
Abbie's Road (April 24, 1989)
Ohio Seven, Not Guilty (December 4, 1989)
Under the Persian Rug (February 7, 1991)


The Free Speech Legal Team:



Motions to Dismiss Banamex Lawsuit:

Memorandum by Council for Narco News (April 25, 2001)

Pro Se Memorandum by Al Giordano (April 24, 2001)


The Big Apple Bites Back - More Documents Submitted by the Defense:

Affidavit of Karen Thatcher (April 14, 2001)

Affidavit of Al Giordano (April 14, 2001)

Affidavit of Al Giordano with respect to The Narco News Bulletin (April 14, 2001)

Narco News Legal Memorandum in Reply to Banamex (July 17, 2001)

Giordano submits Mexico Papers with Sworn Affidavit (July 17, 2001)

Electronic Frontier Foundation Amicus Brief in Support of Narco News (July 17, 2001)


In Defense of Narco News:

A Letter From Gary Webb (March 16, 2001)
"Make no mistake. This court fight isn't about any particular story NarcoNews has done. It's about ALL of them, and all of the ones yet to come. And it's a battle over the continued independence of Internet journalism as well. The silencing of Al Giordano and NarcoNews isn't a theoretical possibility that might happen a couple years from now. It's already happening. Al and his volunteer lawyers are hip-deep in it right now. And they need our help."
- Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Gary Webb

A Letter From Peter Gorman (June 14, 2001)
"Sean launched into a story about how Al had helped put his boss, a regional DEA chief who trafficked cocaine, behind bars. Sean also said Al had called him 'The dirtiest DEA agent in the US' on his radio show - a claim Sean said was off base. But instead of being angry at Al, Sean had the utmost respect for him."
- Peter Gorman
Iquitos, Peru Correspondent

A Letter From Cynthia McKinney (September 6, 2001)
"A respected journalist telling the truth, at risk to his own safety, should not be facing a lawsuit meant to silence him."
- U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia)


Dec. 5, 2001: CASE DISMISSED!

Read the NY Supreme Court Decision on EFF's website.

Sign and Read our Victory Guestbook on NYC Indymedia.

 

Press Coverage


Drug War Goes on Trial
Mexican Banker Sues Narco News
By Cynthia Cotts, The Village Voice
December 20, 2000

Lawyers, Drugs and Money
By Larry Goodwin, Metroland
December 22, 2000

Banamex to US Court for Narco
By Carlos Ramírez, El Universal
January 8, 2001

The Banker and Freedom of the Press
By Alvaro Cepeda Neri, syndicated columnist
January 12, 2001

Roberto Hernández, Economic Power, and Narco-Politics
The Dirty War Against Por Esto!
By José Martínez M., El Boletín Mexicano de La Crisis
January 15, 2001

The Banamex-Press Case
Narco-Politics on Trial
By Beatriz Fregoso, El Boletín Mexicano de La Crisis
January 16, 2001

President Fox Guarding Narco-Hen House?
By Tom Flocco, WorldNetDaily
February 15, 2001

Billionaires Against the Press
By Fred Rosen, NACLA Report on the Americas
April 1, 2001

Libel Suit Threatens Future Of Online Drug-War Publication
"One of the Most Riveting Cases"
By Mark Jurkowitz, The Boston Globe
April 4, 2001

The Internet on Trial
Plus: A Conversation with Al Giordano
By Dan Kennedy, The Boston Phoenix
April 12, 2001

Authentic Journalism
The disinformation Interview with Al Giordano
By Preston Peet, disinfo.com
April 18, 2001

A Case of Free Speech Boundaries
By Mark K. Anderson, Wired News
May 8, 2001

Memory of Journalism: The Narco & The Press
By Carlos Ramírez, El Universal
May 22, 2001

Citibank-Banamex, Smells Like Narco
By José Martínez M., Domingo Político
June 7, 2001

Forum Shopping by Banamex
By Sean Dodson, The Guardian
June 25, 2001

Does Mexican Suit Fit in N.Y.?
By Mark K. Anderson, Wired News
June 25, 2001

Media Trial of the Summer
Narco News Ready for Libel Suit in New York
By Cynthia Cotts, The Village Voice
June 27, 2001

A David v. Goliath Drug War Story
The Razor Wire
July 1, 2001

Net Reporting at Stake
By Mark K. Anderson, Wired News
July 23, 2001

"A Precedent-setting Case"
Libel suit raises questions about accountability online
By Alexandra Marks, The Christian Science Monitor
July 24, 2001

Cross-Fire in the Drug War
Narco News Publisher Warns of Chill to Free Speech; with Sidebar: Mexican Bank, Mexican Website, New York Court
By Amy Langfield, Online Journalism Review
July 29, 2001

Libel, Pan-American Style
How did Al Giordano land in the middle of the hottest First Amendment case in years?
By JoAnn DiLorenzo, The Valley Advocate
July 29, 2001

"We Knew We Had Something Special on Our Hands..."
Narco News and the International Media
The Boston Phoenix
Auguest 16, 2001

"Banamex was not narco-pleased"
Narco News Faces Dubious Lawsuit
By Ben Winters, In These Times
August 20, 2001

From Nukes to Narcos
Former Greenfield Man A Muckraker To Be Reckoned With
By Richie Davis, The Recorder
August 22, 2001

Drug War on Trial
Narco-Bankers Respond to Allegations by Suing the Messengers
By Terry Liittschwager, The Nation
September 17, 2001

Historic Decision Protects Online Free Speech
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
December 10, 2001

Victory Interview With Indymedia
By Mike Burke, IMC New York
December 10, 2001

Landmark Ruling
Online Scribes Protected
By Mark K. Anderson, Wired News
December 11, 2001

Victory, Precedent... and a Counter-Suit
By Dan Kennedy, The Boston Phoenix
December 12, 2001

Web News Outlet Wins Libel Ruling
By Mark Jurkowitz, The Boston Globe
December 13, 2001

Entérense de la Historia de la Derrota de Banamex-Citigroup
Por Esto!
December 17, 2001

Free Speech On The Internet
Freedom Newspapers Inc.
December 20, 2001

Media Ignores Precedent-Setting Court Decision
By Tom Regan, The Christian Science Monitor
December 20, 2001