U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela Denies U.S. Anti-Drug (DEA) Agents Were Spies

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBFI5Q79CE.html

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Washington's ambassador to Venezuela on Thursday rejected President Hugo Chavez's allegations that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration used its agents for espionage in Venezuela.

William Brownfield told the local Union Radio broadcaster the "DEA only has the task of fighting illegal drugs," and that the United States regrets Venezuela's decision to suspend cooperation with the agency.

Chavez accused the DEA of espionage on Sunday and suspended anti-drug cooperation with the U.S. agency. Last month, prosecutors opened an investigation into the DEA's activities in Venezuela.

Brownfield also denied allegations made by Venezuela's interior ministers that U.S. anti-drug agents would not give access to Venezuelan officials at the agency's offices in Caracas.

[Tempest]

1. Brownfield is not credible

Especially when you consider how the U.S. sent spies into Iraq disguised as weapons inspectors.

[Minstrel Boy]

2. Read what DEA Special Agents say, anonymously,

on DEA Watch.

For instance, there's a DEA-shenanigans-in-Venezuela angle to Special Agent Timothy Markey, who was recently murdered in Honduras. Here's the buzz among the good guys at the DEA:


"As I recall Timothy had a running gun battle with HQ over his getting the boot out of Venezuela some years back. Constantine reportedly forced Tim to see a shrink because Tim filed complaints about some of the others in the DEA office were crooks. I would take a close look at all those Tim worked with in Venezuela. If any can be found to have lots of money and/or property they can't account for that would mean Tim was right and one or more of them might have arranged Tim's murder to look like a street robbery."

And

"There is a major international incident now going on in Venezuela involving DEA. The top people in VZ want nothing to do with DEA because they say our people are part of the problem and not part of the solution. There was talk that Markey was to be interviewd by certain members of Congress to find out what Markey could tell them about the shenanigans in the VZ DEA office. Hmmmm."

And

"Not surprised to hear that of all the people walking the streets in that town at that particular hour Tim was the only one singled out for what appears to be a murder and not a robbery gone bad. Back in 2001 Tim reported on U.S. State Department narcotics ventures. He was sent to the shrinks in Chicago under the SRP (Suitability Review Protocal) who diagnosed him with "Axis II, Personality Disorder with Borderline Dependent and Self Defeating Features". Crap!!!

"I for one would not be at all surprised to see Tandy come up with a laughable report accusing Tim of arranging for his own murder.

"Be careful what you learn about when working with State and CIA. If you learn too much, and try making a public report, you will be marked for death. If you want to report, do it anonymously on DEA Watch."

And

"When I talked to Tim just a few days ago he told me he would be meeting with a congressman about what went down in Venezuela a few years ago. Apparently the Bush-Cheney oil people are stirring up a lot of trouble in Venezuela to topple the government so that Halliburton and other companies can move in to take over the oil fields. Apparently Tim knew about some of what was going on just after Bush and Cheney first came to office. Everyone the Bush people didn't consider safe -- or had too much information -- was forced out of Venezuela. There is far more to this incident than meets the eye. Fortunately for Bush he has Tandy who will sweep Tim's death under the rug as nothing more than a case of robbery. Tim died for oil. Another casualty of the Bush-Cheney Oil Wars."

And

"It seems far too convenient timing for the one person with the honesty and courage to report {DEA} wrongdoing in Caracas to suddenly get shot by "kids" attempting to rob an American man when there were tons of women with large purses to snatch. With US-Venezuelan relations currently at a boiling point and military action not unthinkable, along with Congress digging into Markey's reports about DEA corruption in Venezuela, the obvious answer is Markey knew too much."

[mom cat]

3. Did anyone think that he would admit it?