U.S. Representative
Spencer Bachus

_______________________________________________Alabama 6^th District

BACHUS TO INTRODUCE RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING U.S. CUSTOMS AGENTS INVOLVED
IN OPERATION CASABLANCA

(WASHINGTON) Today, Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), chairman of the House Banking Oversight Subcommittee, announced that he will introduce a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that U.S. Customs agents not be extradited for participating in Operation Casablanca. Operation Casablanca, the largest money laundering investigation in U.S. history, resulted in over 100 arrests and indictments of three of Mexico’s largest banks. Mexico has reportedly notified the United States that it will prosecute U.S. agents for allegedly operating on Mexican soil in carrying out Operation Casablanca.

"This is an outrage," Bachus stated. "U.S. law enforcement agents from the Customs Service and other agencies placed their lives on the line to curtail the drug trafficking that has ruined countless lives – both in the United States and in Mexico. They should be commended – not prosecuted – for their efforts."

Mexico has complained that it was not notified of Operation Casablanca until shortly before the Treasury and Justice Departments held a press conference last month announcing arrests. In a press conference last Thursday, Presidential spokesman Mike McCurry refused to rule out the possibility that the United States would allow U.S. law enforcement agents involved in Operation Casablanca to be extradited to Mexico. Bachus continued: "The bottom line is that we can’t do these investigations if we have to inform Mexican law enforcement – we know from experience that simply puts at risk the lives of American agents. The war on drugs will always be stymied if we put diplomatic concerns first and let drug dealers continuously hide behind national borders."

As chairman of the House Banking Oversight Subcommittee, Bachus has held six hearings dealing with the effort to combat money laundering, including a hearing focusing specifically on efforts to stem money laundering associated with the Mexican narcotics trade. "It is clear that much of the effort in the United States to fight money laundering is made useless by the ease with which drug traffickers can launder drug proceeds in Mexico," Bachus said.

The Bachus Resolution expresses the support of the U.S. House of Representatives for undercover money laundering investigations and expresses the opposition of the House to extradition of U.S. agents involved in Operation Casablanca.

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