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A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Friday, May 8, 2015,
Vol.
15, No. 90
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Rain and
motorcycles called a bad mix
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Motorcycles have proved fatal to 43 persons already this year, and traffic officials said that the situation will only get worse with the arrival of the rainy season. Motorcycles are more vulnerable to imperfections in the highway, of which there are many. The Policía de Tránsito listed oil on the highways, train tracks and open manholes as external dangers to the motorcycle driver. But they also listed conditions like bad brakes, the lack of required reflective clothing and failure to keep headlights on as problems that motorcyclists caused themselves. The agency noted that operators of motorcycles are supposed to keep lights on all the time to increase visibility. Motorcyclists and their passengers represented 32 percent of the highway deaths in the first four months of the year, the traffic police said. Cameron's party wins in Britain By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Britain's Conservative Party, headed by Prime Minister David Cameron, enjoyed a resounding victory in Thursday's nationwide vote. Early Friday, British media predicted the Conservatives would win an overall parliamentary majority, but the vote count is not yet final. The Scottish National Party was one of the biggest surprises of the night as it soundly defeated the Labor Party and won more than 50 seats, making Scotland a near one-party state. Meanwhile, the Labor Party failed also to make headway in England and Wales. Labor Party leader Ed Miliband called Thursday's vote "a very disappointing and difficult night for the Labor Party" and said the loss in Scotland was due to a surge of nationalism that had overwhelmed Labor. Prime Minister Cameron campaigned on a promise to hold a referendum on whether Britain, the world's fifth largest economy, should stay in the 28-nation European Union trade bloc. Some British media analysts speculated that a Conservative win could place such a referendum before British voters within two years. Analysts also say the Conservative government will have to find common ground with Scotland and its demands for greater independence. Cameron, Britain's leader since 2010, and Miliband have both cast the election as a referendum on the country's economy, the world's fifth largest. "People really want to think carefully before casting their vote," Cameron said at a campaign stop at a farm, "but I believe when the crunch comes, when they ask themselves the question: Do I trust Ed Miliband with the economy or do I want to stick with a plan and a team that's turning the country round? I think we can do very well on Thursday and cross that line." Miliband had attempted to characterize Cameron's Tories as the party of the wealthy. "This is the clearest choice that has been put before the British people for a generation," Miliband said, "between a Tory government that works only for the privileged few or a Labor government that will put working families first." The campaign has been mainly about the economy. The Conservatives accused Labor of borrowing and spending too much when it was in power and contributing to the recession of 2008. Labor said Conservative policies during the past five years have cut too many public services. Simon Hix of the London School of Economics says the two parties presented a real choice for voters. “The big difference in this election is economics, I mean really big difference," Hix noted. "I think we are seeing a choice for the Conservatives of a policy of more cuts in spending and meeting Britain’s deficit reduction within a five-year parliament. And Labor is saying 'No, much slower deficit reduction, committing more money to spend . . . and other areas of public spending.' That is quite a stark economic difference.” It will likely be well into today before the official results are known, and possibly several more days before party leaders can negotiate the formation of a new government. Concurrent with the general election is a poll to decide Britain’s national bird. Tens of thousands have voted in the online poll for their favorite from a list of 10, including the barn owl, blackbird, blue tit, hen harrier, kingfisher, mute swan, puffin, red kite, robin and wren. The winner is expected to be named today around the time official results from the parliamentary election appear.  Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud
photo
In front of the liquor factory there used
to be a lake
Liquor factory
photos move to Heredia
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Casa de Cultura in Heredia will feature the collection of old photographs of the Fábrica Nacional de Licores until May 21. This is the collection of 20 antique photos. They have been displayed at the former liquor factory, which is now the headquarters of the Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud in San José. Construction of the factory was in 1853. The production of alcohol was a state monopoly, The oldest photo in the collection was taken in 1919. The Casa de la Cultura in Heredia is opposite the northeast corner of Parque Central. It is the former home of Alfredo González Flores, who was president from 1914 to 1917. Sunday is for Mom in the United States By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Expat mothers have a great deal in Costa Rica. There are two Mother's Day. And one is even a legal holiday. U.S. Mother's Day is Sunday. Expats still have time to plan a cheerful telephone call or even arrange for some flower deliveries. The United States always celebrates the day on the second Sunday of May. Throughout the world, however, there are many different dates for other countries. Día de la Madre is Aug. 15 in Costa Rica. This is the Roman Catholic Día de la Asunción, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, appropriately the mother of Jesus. The day falls on a Saturday this year, but it still is a legal holiday. The U.S. Embassy takes off the Friday before. Mothers usually get a substantial gift here, so anyone in the market for a washer, dryer, microwave or other major appliance ought not wait until August. Merchants jack up the prices. Festivities to mark WWII anniversary By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Today is the 70th anniversary of what is known as Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, marking the day in 1945 when Nazi troops finally laid down their arms, ending World War II on the continent. In Britain, hundreds of remembrance ceremonies are taking place today, while concerts and street parties are being held across the country in an effort to re-create the spirit of the day. A large concert is scheduled for London's Saint James Park where there will also be a reception for 2,000 veterans. Sunday, Queen Elizabeth will attend a VE thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey. In France, President Francois Hollande will place a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will take part in the ceremony. Russia will mark the day with a parade on Moscow's Red Square. In the United States, a large array of World War II aircraft will fly over Washington in honor of the veterans of the war in town for a ceremony at the World War II memorial.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, May 8, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 90 | |
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| President's leadership being questioned by lawmakers and
pundits |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The executive branch is facing more criticism now that Luis Guillermo Solís has been in office for a year. Opposition Lawmakers reviewed his state of the nation speech this week and concluded that the president has failed to carry out promises that he made to reduce unemployment and boost the economy. Business leaders are saying the same thing, and one commercial news source, Central American Data, said that the inability of the Solis administration to chart a clear course for the country and the economy is worrying entrepreneurs whose economic prospects are deteriorating rapidly. It blamed notorious political inexperience. The takeover of the legislature by an opposition coalition is not what Solís wanted. His administration is trying to pass a number of tax bills, and that was one of the reasons that a solid opposition front coalesced May 1. The current leadership vows that there will be no new taxes even as the government moves deeper and deeper into deficit. The same votes that elected an opposition leadership can defeat any bill. The legislative members of the Partido Liberación Nacional are among the most vocal. |
Silvia
Sánchez Venegas told her colleagues this week that Solís
in his speech took credit for attracting 39 new firms to
Costa Rica and that these generated 10,200 more jobs. However, the
unemployment figure in December was 9.7 percent, one point higher than
the same time in the previous year, said the lawmaker. The lawmaker blamed a lack of clarity of a strategy of production. Karla Prendas Matarrita of the same party said the president's first year was a step backwards. Many business operators have been waiting for the president's tax package. The uncertainty among the business sector has been obvious for the last four months while the Ministerio de Hacienda issued drafts of proposed tax legislation. The uncertainty seems to reduce investments and hiring, business leaders have noted. In addition, exporters have been facing an artificially low exchange rate between the colon and the U.S. dollar. Many exporters are paid in dollars but must pay their own bills in colons. The administration's plan appears to be to hold down the value of the dollar to encourage exports and to prevent an exchange rate spike that would affect repayment of the country's growing debt. |
| A Saturday afternoon of football planned for tomorrow in San
José |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An American football gathering Saturday is more than just a game of all stars. Organizers said they have set up a late morning and afternoon full of other attractions, including a women's contact football exhibition at 1 p.m. That match features the San Jose Olympian Goddesses and the Pérez Zeledón Angels. There also is a peewee exhibition by 3 to 10 year olds from 1:30 to 2 p.m. There also is a youth and women's training clinic for an hour starting at 11 a.m. The climax is the Tropic Bowl V at 2:30 between the Costa |
Rican all
stars and the semi-pro North East USA All*Stars. The location is the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo field near El Pueblo commercial center in Calle Blancos, San Jose. More information is on the Web site. An organizer, Athletes Without Borders, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of initiatives that cultivate youth empowerment. The organization says it strives to create programs that reinforce the importance of young people making healthy decisions for today and for their tomorrows. The Federación de Fútbol Americano de Costa Rica is the co-organizer of the all day events. |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, May 8, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 90 | |||||
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| Massive Tricare study links statin
drug with onset of diabetes |
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By the Veterans Affairs Research
Communications.
In a database study of nearly 26,000 beneficiaries of Tricare, the military health system, those taking statin drugs to control their cholesterol were 87 percent more likely to develop diabetes. The study, reported online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, confirms past findings on the link between the widely prescribed drugs and diabetes risk. But it is among the first to show the connection in a relatively healthy group of people. The study included only people who at baseline were free of heart disease, diabetes, and other severe chronic diseases. "In our study, statin use was associated with a significantly higher risk of new-onset diabetes, even in a very healthy population," says lead author Ishak Mansi. "The risk of diabetes with statins has been known, but up until now it was thought that this might be due to the fact that people who were prescribed statins had greater medical risks to begin with." Mansi is a physician-researcher with the Veterans Administration North Texas Health System and the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. In the study, statin use was also associated with a very high risk of diabetes complications, says Mansi. "This was never shown before."Among 3,351 pairs of similar patients, part of the overall study group, those patients on statins were 250 percent more likely than their non-statin-using counterparts to develop diabetes with complications. Statin users were also 14 percent more likely to become overweight or obese after being on the drugs. Mansi points out that other studies have arrived at a similar finding through different research methods. The study also found that the higher the dose of any of the statins, the greater the risk of diabetes, diabetes complications, and obesity. A key strength of Mansi's study was the use of a research method known as propensity score matching. Out of the total study population, the researchers chose 3,351 statin users and paired them with non-users who were very similar, at baseline, based on array of 42 health and demographic factors. The only substantial difference, from a research standpoint, was the use of statins. This helped the researchers isolate the effects of the drugs. |
 Veterans Affairs Research Communications
photo
A pharmacist scans a
prescription at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst pharmacy, serving
Tricare customers."This approach helps us to make comparisons that are fair and balanced," says Mansi. The study examined records from 2003 to 2012. On a wider scale, looking at the overall comparison between the study's roughly 22,000 nonusers and 4,000 users, and statistically adjusting for certain factors, the researchers found a similar outcome: Users of statins were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes. About three-quarters of the statin prescriptions in Mansi's data were for simvastatin, sold as Zocor. Mansi stresses that the study doesn't definitively show that statins cause diabetes or does it mean people should stop using the drugs, which are widely prescribed to help people lower their cardiac risk factors. "No patient should stop taking their statins based on our study, since statin therapy is a cornerstone in treatment of cardiovascular diseases and has been clearly shown to lower mortality and disease progression,"he says. "Rather, this study should alert researchers, guideline writers, and policy makers that short-term clinical trials might not fully describe the risks and benefits of long-term statin use for primary prevention." |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth
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| San José, Costa Rica, Friday, May 8, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 90 | |||||||
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| Appeals court says NSA lacked authority for metadata By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A U.S. appeals court in New York ruled Thursday that the clandestine National Security Agency's massive collection of phone records of Americans is illegal, far exceeding the scope of what Congress authorized. "Congress cannot reasonably be said to have ratified a program of which many members of Congress and all members of the public were not aware," a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 97-page opinion. The decision came in a suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union contesting the NSA's collection of what the spy agency calls metadata, millions of records of phone calls, including the numbers called and the times the calls were made, although not the content of the calls. The surveillance was unknown to almost all Americans until two years ago when former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked a trove of documents about NSA spying before he fled overseas, eventually to asylum in Russia. A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan stopped short of ruling on the constitutionality of NSA's phone data collection, but it said the spying went far beyond what Congress authorized. It said the laws used by the government to justify the spying have never been interpreted to authorize anything approaching the breadth of the sweeping surveillance the NSA conducted. "In light of the asserted national security interests at stake, we deem it prudent to pause to allow an opportunity for debate in Congress that may (or may not) profoundly alter the legal landscape,'' the opinion written by Circuit Judge Gerald Lynch said. "If Congress decides to authorize the collection of the data desired by the government under conditions identical to those now in place, the program will continue in the future under that authorization,'' the ruling said. "If Congress decides to institute a substantially modified program, the constitutional issues will certainly differ considerably from those currently raised.'' The ruling said the government does not even claim that the records it collected are relevant to any specific ongoing terrorism investigation, only that "there might at some future point be a need or desire to search them in connection with a hypothetical future inquiry." The decision overturned a lower court ruling saying the surveillance is legal. But the appellate court declined to issue an injunction to halt the NSA surveillance, saying it would have little effect. "This appellate court ruling is a historic breakthrough, because it shows the FISA court got it wrong, disastrously wrong, and will continue to get it wrong unless it is fundamentally reformed," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said "For the FISA court to make such a serious, dangerous error shows the need for fundamental, far-reaching reform in the entire FISA system, including an advocate to protect constitutional liberties that were harmed and endangered by the FISA court," he added. He was referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that meets in secret. Sen. Dan Coats, an Indiana Republican, disagrees, saying "Coupled with this is the proclamation by ISIS that they have a significant number of people embedded in America, and there are more terrorist attacks to come. So, watch out. This program helps us thwart those terrorist attacks. It has done so and we need to have it continue to do so." He referred to the islamic State by the acronym. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, expects the high court to reverse the decision. "I think the Supreme Court will reverse that," he said. "Our ability to protect ourselves is to be able to have immediate access, without having a delay to go through the court proceedings to get the phone records to see who has been talking to whom." Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Thursday that the Department of Justice is reviewing that decision. Ms. Lynch made the comment at a Senate budget hearing, adding that the collection was a vital tool in our national security and that she was not aware of any privacy violations under the revised program. Summit seeks public backing for human mission to Mars By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
"We need to stimulate the public to be supportive” of a U.S. mission to Mars, Buzz Aldrin told the Human to Mars Summit 2015 this week. The veteran astronaut, who became the second man to walk on the Moon in 1969, said it was unlikely that simply announcing a space program that is going to go to Mars could work, saying the program needs to evolve in a series of stages over the course of several years. According to NASA engineer Bret Drake, that is more or less the approach offered by several industry partners. Lockheed Martin, for example, has proposed a Stepping Stones plan. It calls for initial flights to the International Space Station using today’s launch vehicles and Orion spacecraft that build increasingly towards America’s long term goal of exploring Mars. Drake explained Lockheed Martin envisions the first landing on Deimos, the closer of the Red Planet's two moons. We know that at one time Mars had conditions suitable for life and what we learn about the Red Planet may tell us more about our own home planet’s history and future. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Mars “just might help us to unravel the age old mystery about whether life exists beyond Earth.” Bolden added NASA is on pace to reach the goal President Barack Obama articulated five years ago at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida: To land American astronauts on Mars in the 2030s. And he said believes a new consensus is emerging around this timetable and around this goal. Over the past four years, the agency has been implementing the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, enacted with broad bipartisan support and reflecting agreement between the Congress and the Obama administration on the nation’s next steps into space. The act calls on NASA to develop and evolve the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew vehicle and to expand human exploration beyond low Earth orbit to space destinations as far away as the Earth’s moon, leading eventually to the international exploration of Mars. That pioneering exploration is already underway. The Mars rovers Curiosity and Opportunity are moving across the Martian surface, sending photos and data back to Earth. They have shown the planet exhibits conditions that could have supported microbial life in the past. Curiosity’s sensors measured the radiation environment both in transit to Mars and on the surface. The Mars Reconnaissance orbiter and Mars Odyssey orbiter are examining the planet's surface and climate in great detail, and their imagery may one day identify the first human landing sites. The MAVEN and InSight missions will study Mars’ atmosphere and interior, respectively, allowing scientists to peer into Mars’ past and its future. Measles said to damage immune system for years By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A new study says measles can continue to weaken the body's immune system for up to three years, much longer than previously known. Researchers in the journal Science say measles plays havoc with what they call immune amnesia, a phenomenon that destroys the immune system's ability to remember how to fight off other illnesses, including pneumonia and meningitis. A Princeton University professor, Jessica Metcalf, a co-author of the study, said that "in other words, if you get measles, three years down the road, you could die from something that you would not die from had you not been infected with measles." But the researchers did have some good news: They found that vaccinating children against measles led to a drop in deaths from other potentially deadly infections. They encourage parents to give children a measles shot, calling it one of the most cost-effective interventions for global health. Legal experts differ on case against six Baltimore cops By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Last week, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby engineered the indictment of six police officers on charges including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, criminal negligence and police misconduct in the case of Freddie Gray, a black man who died while in police custody last month. The announcement by the 35-year-old prosecutor at least temporarily restored stability to a city torn apart by rioting, looting and clashes between protesters and police, and it opened the door for legal experts to weigh in on the legitimacy of those charges. Some experts say Ms. Mosby faces a stiff challenge in getting convictions against the officers, while others argue she has a strong case with reasonable charges. Ms. Mosby announced the charges a week ago, hours after receiving the medical examiner's report on Gray. She said he suffered a severe neck injury while being transported in a police van April 12, adding that he was not secured by a seat belt as he should have been, and that officers did not seek or render medical aid, even when he said he needed it. Ms. Mosby also said the police did not have probable cause to arrest Gray because a knife found on him was legal in Maryland. A police investigation has described the knife as illegal under Baltimore city code. The driver of the police van, Caesar Goodson, is facing the most serious charge of second-degree depraved-heart murder, or willfully doing a dangerous and reckless act with wanton indifference to the consequences and perils involved. Goodson and two of the other officers are charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree assault. All six face charges of police misconduct. Three of the officers are white and three are black. The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police has accused Ms. Mosby of engaging in an apparent rush to judgment, and said none of the officers involved is responsible for Gray's death. According to law professor Alan Dershowitz, Ms. Mosby seemingly overcharged the officers in her hope of ending the riots. He voiced concern about her remark that she heard calls of "no justice, no peace" from the demonstrators in Baltimore and across the country. Dershowitz noted that prosecutors should not be influenced by mobs and crowds, only by evidence and the law. He said any threats of more riots if the officers are not convicted could impact the jury. "If you have jurors from Baltimore saying to themselves, `My God, if we acquit, even if the evidence requires that we acquit, are we really risking our businesses, our homes, our safety?’ " he said. "Jurors should not have to worry about that. They should have no stake in the outcome of the case other than doing justice based on the evidence.” George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf also thinks Ms. Mosby overreached with the charges. He said prosecutors sometimes do that, hoping officers will break what is known as the blue wall of silence and testify against each other. But that breach is less likely today, he noted, because officers are not as scared by excessive criminal charges and have excellent attorneys. Banzhaf said if one or two of the officers testify against the others, the prosecution may gain convictions. "If that does not happen," he said, "I think it’s clear that many of these counts will be thrown out by a judge, because the judge will say to the prosecutor there simply is no way that you can prove that element beyond any reasonable doubt. Those that remain to trial, there will either be a plea bargain or the prosecution will lose on many of the charges. They may get one or two of the smaller charges, clearly disobedience of directives and that kind of thing. But I don’t think they're going to get any of the homicide charges.” However, Philip Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green State University and a former police officer, said Ms. Mosby has a solid case. He based that on his belief that the officers deliberately gave Gray a rough ride in the van, saying his injuries are consistent with ones that he saw in his days as a police officer in the 1980s. "It’s a common occurrence in many police departments that if somebody gives you a hard time, makes you chase them down, resists arrest, breaks your cruiser window, things like that, that some officers will engage in what I call street justice, and punish that person or teach them a lesson," Stinson said. "So if he’s handcuffed with his hands behind his back and not secured in the back of that van and the driver takes him on a wild ride with a lot of accelerating and slamming on the brakes, going around the corner and things like that, those injuries are consistent with street justice and a rough ride," he said. "So assuming that’s what happened — and that’s what I felt happened all along — I think it is appropriate based on that theory to bring charges against all six officers.” Stinson's research on police misconduct shows there is a good chance that the officers will be convicted of the more serious charges. He found a 61 percent conviction rate in on-duty police incidents resulting in a murder or manslaughter charge against the officer when the suspect was not shot, compared with a 46 percent rate in cases involving an on-duty shooting. "Juries and even judges in bench trials are very reluctant to second-guess police officers in those split-second life-or-death decisions when they shoot somebody," Stinson said. Because Gray's death appears linked to his time in custody and was not a split-second case, Mosby will have greater leeway in proving gross negligence and depraved murder, according to Baltimore-based defense attorney A. Dwight Pettit, who said he believes the charges are reasonable. "I think some of the charges will stick," Pettit said. "There is evidence to support the second-degree murder charge. The officer was aware of the dangerous situation and continued to ignore it." White House fence to get spike to deter intruders By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. officials say steel spikes will be added to the White House fence, in an effort to beef up security in the wake of a series of fence jumping security breaches on its grounds. The proposal was approved by unanimous vote Thursday of the National Capitol Planning Commission, giving the U.S. Secret Service the approval to move ahead with installation. The steel spikes will measure 18 centimeters tall, with a 1 centimeter steel pencil point at the top, sticking out multiple inches to create an acute angle, and a second layer of spikes with the existing iron picket fence tops. The move comes after a string of high-profile security breaches at the White House. In September, a disturbed Army veteran jumped the White House fence, sprinted across the lawn and entered the building with a knife in his pocket. In April, Secret Service agents arrested an intruder who scaled the fence on the south side of the presidential mansion. |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's sixth news page |
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N.Y. ring got coke
from here, feds say
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Someone in Coast Rica appears to have been shipping out cocaine hidden in boxes of what Costa Ricans call yuca. Three Queens, New York, family members and an Italian citizen have been charged with conspiring to import and importing more than 50 kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. from Costa Rica. The charges detailed in a Brooklyn indictment are the product of a lengthy investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI that involved the use of court-authorized wiretaps and physical surveillance, and revealed that between October and December 2014 alone, the defendants imported over 55 kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Costa Rica, which was recovered by law enforcement, said the U. S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. A six-count indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn federal court charging husband and wife defendants Gregorio and Eleonora Gigliotti, their son Angelo Gigliotti, and a relative who is an Italian citizen, Franco Fazio, with conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, importation of cocaine, and attempted possession of cocaine. The indictment says that the accused managed to travel into Costa Rica with large sums of money without being detected. The elder Gigliottis owned and operated several businesses in New York City that were used to facilitate their narcotics-trafficking operation, including Cucino Amodo Mio, an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Corona, Queens, and Fresh Farms Export Corp., an import/export company, said officials. In October 2014, law enforcement intercepted a shipment of what they called cassava, a starchy root, that was shipped to the United States from Costa Rica and bound for Farm Fresh Export Corp. in New York. The shipment was found to contain approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine secreted inside cardboard boxes of what is known here as yuca. Earlier, Eleonora Gigliotti traveled to Costa Rica with approximately $400,000 in cash that she delivered to the sources of supply, said the indictment. In September 2014, Fazio traveled from Italy to New York and then to Costa Rica to deliver another $170,000 in cash to the sources of supply, said the indictment. In December 2014, law enforcement intercepted a second shipment bound for Fresh Farms Export Corp. that had also been shipped from Costa Rica and seized approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine secreted within the cardboard boxes of produce, the indictment said. Prior to the arrival of this shipment of cocaine, defendant Fazio made two additional trips to Costa Rica to meet with the sources of supply, said officials. Federal agents did not give details on the Costa Rican cocaine source, and they did not mention any joint work with Costa Rican law enforcement. However, the U.S. Attorney's Office credited a number of Italian law enforcement agencies for help in the investigation. Some 16 persons, including Fazio, also have been detained in Italy. The charges in Italy relate to the defendants’ narcotics trafficking distribution ring in that country because a quantity of the cocaine imported into the United States was destined for exportation to and distribution in Italy, said the U.S. Attorney's Office. Based in part upon the U.S. investigation, Italian law enforcement disabled a narcotics distribution ring allegedly operating in Calabria on behalf of the U.S.-based defendants, said law officers in New York. |
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| From Page7: Cooking gas problem seems to be resolved By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The country's gas crisis appears to be solved. The Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía has approved a third vendor to enter the market. In addition, the Tribunal Contencioso has authorized both of a feuding couple who operate Gas Zeta to each market the product, said the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo, which provides the gas. The Gas Zeta couple are in the midst of a divorce. Refinadora Costarricense also said it would increase its distribution hours at its Moín facility to accommodate distributors. The liquid petroleum gas is used by many Costa Ricans for cooking and heating water. The refinery is the only source. |
