Opinion ID: 783167
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Conversations of May 11, 2000

Text: 18 On May 11, 2000, while Mercado was away on vacation, he received numerous voice mail messages from Gonzalez. When he reached Gonzalez, Gonzalez said he was under a tremendous amount of pressure from his supplier to pay the rest of the money owed for the kilogram of heroin delivered on March 22. Gonzalez wanted to bring more aliens for green cards in order to raise the cash to pay his supplier; Mercado responded that he was out of town on business and could not have any aliens processed or get any money to Gonzalez before the following week. Gonzalez then asked Mercado to call and talk to this guy directly and explain to him it's not me, I'm not trying to not pay him the money, it's that ... we haven't been able to raise money so I can pay the source. (Tr. at 351). Mercado agreed to talk to the supplier, instructing Gonzalez to have him call Mercado. 19 Mercado, whose undercover name was Danilo, testified that he received the supplier's call no more than two minutes later. On direct examination by the government, he described the ensuing conversation as follows: 20 I said hello, and I go you probably don't know who I am, I'm Danilo, a good friend of Pedro's, he wanted you to call me. He said yes, that's why I'm calling. I told him, I would like to explain to you a little bit about our business. We have a little business that we do, we process people for certain items, you know, these invitations; that's the word I used. Right now I'm in South Carolina on business, you know, some business, I can't get to him until next week, I'm asking as a favor to me, not to Pedro, to me, if you can give him until next week until I get back, saying I promise you — I told him, I will give you my word, I will have that money, or he will have some money for you next week. He says I don't know if I can wait that long, I don't know if I can wait that long. I said well, just understand that it's not him, it's actually my fault. So I started to accept responsibility on behalf of Pedro. He's ready to go, he's got the people ready to go, I am not ready to go. Can we wait until next week? He said well, let me see, let me talk to Pedro, but I'm not going to promise anything, because they're on my back and I'm on his back, and that's the way it is. I said well, do me that favor, if you can. I would appreciate it. And I hung up. 21 (Tr. 352-53.) On redirect examination, Mercado also described that May 11 conversation with Ceballos — whose first name the agents did not learn until May 19, and whose full name they did not learn until late June — as follows: 22 I engaged with the defendant Gabriel Ceballos about that Pedro and I have a business that has to do with some invitations and people that come up to see me. I didn't get into the details. He understood that. He acknowledged that he was aware of that and, because of that, we were going to raise some money. The problem we have is I can't meet with him until next week because I'm down here on business. As soon as I get back, he'll bring some people up, process them, and he'll be able to get some money to you. That's how I was trying to buy the time for him. But the defendant Gabriel Ceballos understood what I was talking about. His issue was the time factor. 23 (Tr. 480-81.) 24 Immediately following his conversation with Ceballos, Mercado received a call from Gonzalez, asking whether Ceballos had called. Mercado responded that he had and that Mercado had perhaps bought Gonzalez a week to pay the debt. Mercado testified that this conversation with Gonzalez was interrupted when Gonzalez received a call from Ceballos, who acknowledged having spoken to Mercado. Gonzalez later informed Mercado that [Ceballos] did give him time, but next week was all he was going to give him — but next week was going to be it. (Tr. 354.) 25 After learning Ceballos's identity, the agents obtained his telephone records. At trial, records were introduced showing nearly two hundred telephonic contacts between Gonzalez and Ceballos between April 2 and June 14, 2000. No wiretaps had been placed on the telephones of targets of the Operation, however, and the government presented no evidence as to the contents of any of the conversations.