Quirino Paulino

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Quirino Paulino Castillo (known as Quirino or the Don) is an ex-captain of the army of the Dominican Republic, and alleged boss of drug-trafficking organization responsible for importing tons of cocaine into the United States since at least September 2003. Castillo's personal fortune was estimated at RD$2 billion.

Contents 1 Background of the Quirino Organization 2 Arrest and Controversy 2.1 Political and Military Links 3 Trial Complications 4 See also 5 Notes

[edit] Background of the Quirino Organization

Castillo was raised in the Elías Piña province of the Dominican Republic. He began his military career in the army in 1978 and soon after discovered the profits to be made in illegal trading over the border with Haiti. Under the civilian and military protection, Castillo increased his wealth and assets, and immersed himself in politics, commerce, banking, agriculture, and military activities. Since at least September of 2003, Castillo headed a cocaine trafficking organization that transferred cocaine from South America (primarily from Colombia and Venezuela) via the Dominican Republic enroute to the United States. The organization used a variety of routes to send the cocaine from the Dominican Republic and/or Haiti towards Puerto Rico and the American mainland, including New York. After the drug was received and distributed in the United States, the proceeds were repatriated to several banking accounts in the Dominican Republic.^[1]

[edit] Arrest and Controversy

Castillo was arrested following the confiscation of a 1,387 kilo cargo of cocaine linked to him on December 19, 2004. The confiscated cocaine had an estimated value of RD$900 million. Paulino was extradited to the United States for hearings of a drug smuggling case pending in New Jersey. Castillo's extradition is the first under a newly adopted criminal code in the Dominican Republic, and was the result of a joint investigation involving cooperation between the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Dominican Government's National Directorate for Drug Control (Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas, or DNCD). The investigation was sponsored by the US Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

[edit] Political and Military Links

The depth of Castillo's links to the highest levels of Dominican political parties and military have been of primary concern to law enforcement. Castillo entered the army with the rank of mayor sergeant on March 9, 2002. Five months later, former Army chief General Manuel Ernesto Polanco Salvador cancelled him on August 1, 2002. One year later, on September 10, 2003, after Zorrilla Ozuna replaced Polanco Salvador, Quirino was reinstated to the army, being promoted to first lieutenant of the army by memorandum 32070 signed by Minister Soto Jimenez following instructions from President Hipólito Mejía. Castillo's army record indicates that Zorrilla Ozuna recommended that he be readmitted to the army and promoted. Soto Jimenez has since told the prosecutors that he did not personally know Castillo.^[2]

The Dominican newspaper Listín Diario publishes a report in which it claimed that in addition to the RD$2 million Castillo donated to the PRD for the construction of the gate of the school and high school in Comendador, capital of Elias Pina province, he also donated a vehicle to the municipal committee of the PLD and also is known to have made donations to PRSC politicians in the area. The report points out that Castillo employed engineer Henry Duval, a PLD director, who was director of the INDRHI in San Juan de la Maguana during the 1996-2000 Fernandez administration as chief of irrigation in one of his farms in 2000 when the latter was fired from his government post with the change of government. Duval, after working four years for Castillo, was appointed again to his previous government post by the present government. The newspaper also mentions that Castillo appointed as chief of his veterinarian staff Esvelti Edmond, another PLD activist and former director of cattle ranching for the government in San Juan de la Maguana, once he was fired with the change of government in 2000. Edmond was reinstated in his former post when Fernandez returned to government.

In April 2004, Major General Furcy Castellanos, chief of Army Intelligence (J2) revealed that the armed forces alerted President Mejía that the US Drug Enforcement Administration was on Paulino Castillo's trail. He explained that Mejía did not adhere to the recommendations of removing him reportedly because of the proximity of the May election.

[edit] Trial Complications

During February 2005, District Attorney Jose Manuel Hernandez Peguero said that Doris Pujols Ortiz, the judge in charge of the Castillo case in the Dominican Republic has extended the investigative process term given the complexity of the case.^[3] The trial against Castillo and other 20 defendants charged with drug trafficking in New York, could begin in September of 2006.

After Castillo's arrest, more than 60 other Dominicans considered an important part of the network were arrested and later extradited, including Lidio Nin Terrero, Eduardo Rodriguez (Eduardito), Jose Ramon Ortega, Cesar Bueno, and Tirso Cuevas Nin. Most of the group is in prison, some have not contracted attorneys and a few have been released on bail, although with severe restrictions. The U.S. vs Castillo criminal case is being heard in New York’s South District Court by judge Kimba Wood. Among the reasons why the judges have denied releasing the majority of the suspects on bail is that these do not have properties in United States which can be presented as guarantee, that they have guarantees in other countries or their country of origin, and that they could possibly escape and become fugitives.^[4]

[edit] See also

• Military of the Dominican Republic
• Vladimir Pujols
• Los Zayayines
• Baninter

[edit] Notes

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