United States v. Serafin Alfonso, Humberto Rayo, Fabian Mora, Primo Antonio Serrano-Tellez

Good Law

759 F.2d 728·18 Fed. R. Serv. 1398·1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 30539

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitMay 1, 198583-5164 to 83-5167California8,057 words

Opinion

Poole, J.

Appellants Serafín Alfonso, Humberto Rayo, Fabian Mora and Primo Antonio Serrano-Tellez appeal their convictions of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 , and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 (a)(1). Serrano-Tellez also appeals his conviction of importation of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 952 (a). The district court denied motions to suppress evidence by Rayo, Mora, and Serrano-Tellez. Alfonso objects to the admission of a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent’s testimony concerning a conversation between the agent and Alfonso in 1978.

For reasons set forth below, we affirm the convictions of Rayo, Mora and SerranoTellez. We reverse Alfonso’s conviction.

I. Facts

In late January, 1983, a confidential informant told Los Angeles Police Department detectives that the vessel Ciudad de Santa Marta [“Santa Marta”] of the Gran Colombian Shipping Lines would soon arrive in Los Angeles Harbor carrying a large quantity of cocaine, which would be offloaded by Colombian nationals. The informant added that an organization which had smuggled cocaine from a Gran Colombian freighter in San…

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Parties

UNITED STATES of America-
Plaintiff
Serafin ALFONSO, Humberto Rayo, Fabian Mora, Primo Antonio Serrano-Tellez-
Defendant

Judges

Tuttle
Hug
Poole

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