Cartel infiltration of Public Ministry case to trial

The former head of Human Resources of the Public Ministry Eva Lorentz; Former drug prosecutor Milagros Valdés and lawyer José Alcibiades Ballesteros will go to trial for corruption of public servants and violation of public seals in a case involving drug cartel infiltration of the Public Ministry.

The Supreme Court has  confirmed  a decision taken on October 26, 2020 by the First Superior Court  

The  scandal led to the dismissal of Attorney General Giussepe Bonissi,  who resigned in December 2010 after the officials under his command freed alleged drug traffickers detained in Los Santos.

Bonissi was replaced by the then prosecutor against Organized Crime and today magistrate José Ayú Prado.

The case had its genesis on December 6, 2010, based on a report in which the then third drug prosecutor, Nathaniel Murgas, warned of a series of irregularities in the release of four people allegedly involved in drug trafficking with a plane that was found at the La Hondita de Santa Ana farm in Los Santos.

During the investigation, anomalies were discovered in Valdés’ appointment as Los Santos drug prosecutor, an appointment that would have been managed by Lorentz, then head of human resources at the Public Ministry.

Valdés was fired after lifting the precautionary measure of preventive detention imposed on the four investigated, and this fact gave rise to an investigation into the alleged penetration of drug cartels in security and justice administration establishments.

The group of alleged drug traffickers released by Valdés was linked to a plane used to transport drugs from Azuero.

The aircraft was found on August 21, 2010, in an operation at the Los Santos farm. It had traces of drugs. Firearms were also located at the site.

These movements were alerted to the authorities by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency

The reports revealed the use of the Azuero beaches for the movement of drugs, for which boats and the plane were used to transport the merchandise, which arrived by sea to the coasts and from there was taken to Central America and the United States by air.