Opinion ID: 201767
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Alleged Lack of Agreement

Text: 27 This argument (which is addressed only to the conspiracy charge, since attempt does not require an agreement) also fails. First, a rational jury could conclude from the evidence at trial that, despite initial disagreements about the logistics of the transaction, the group eventually reached an agreement during the second meeting. Rafa and Toro testified that Pinillos and Campusano, in communication with Rodriguez, agreed with them to a detailed and somewhat complicated protocol involving two cars, a hostage, and opportunities to inspect both money and drugs before the final exchange. 28 But even if that evidence were somehow insufficient, the jury could have convicted based on an agreement among the defendants themselves. The jury could have found an agreement among the three defendants (or even two separate interlocking agreements between pairs of defendants) even if defendants never reached any agreement with the government agents. The testimony of the government witnesses regarding the conduct of the defendants at the various meetings was a sufficient basis for the jury to conclude that the defendants had agreed amongst themselves to obtain at least five kilograms of cocaine. See, e.g., United States v. Martinez-Medina, 279 F.3d 105, 113-14 (1st Cir.2002) (The jury may infer an agreement circumstantially by evidence of, inter alia, a common purpose (such as a purpose to sell illicit drugs), overlap of participants, and interdependence of various elements in the overall plan.).