An MS-13 gang member who became an informant and then was convicted of lying about murders he committed in his native Honduras won an order from a federal judge in San Francisco today for a new trial.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that prosecutors hadn’t proved that Roberto Acosta’s alleged lie was material, or relevant, to actions by his handlers in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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The most controversial name in law enforcement is Commissioner José Ricardo Ramírez del Cid, the newly named director of the National Police.
In a hierarchal institution, two senior classes of police administrators were oddly passed over when Ramírez was named to his post. U.S. embassy officials, Honduran government authorities and prosecutors acknowledge that even in a nation rife with nasty rumors, the allegations whispered against Ramírez are worse than most.
“That’s the first I hear of that,” Ramírez said when asked about his reputation in the department. “If they named us to our posts, it’s because they trust us. There’s a lot of common talk. Show proof.”
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Extradition from Honduras will be allowed as of February 1, 2012. The Honduran National Congress voted this week to approve the new law.
The United States is pleased with the passing of the measure, as it will allow the northern ally to bring Hondurans to the U.S. for prosecution. Shortly after the news, the United States agreed to send personnel to help Honduras implement plans to combat drug trafficking and organized crime.
The new law overturns the extradition policy that has been in place in Honduras since 1982.
