US govt calls DEA special agent, several others; may rests case today

The U.S. government yesterday called several witnesses and may rest its case today, Thursday, in the trial of Zhaopeng Chen, who is one of three defendants charged over the shipment from China of 4.9 lbs of methamphetamine or “ice.”

Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe called the U.S. government witnesses—Customs Officer Meynard Reyes, Drug Enforcement Task Force Officer John Henry Sablan, Drug Enforcement Task Force Officer Raymond M. Renguul, Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Kirk F. Johns, and some Customs and Drug Enforcement Task Force officers.

DETF Officer Sablan was the last witness yesterday after Backe recalled him to the witness stand.

After Sablan completed his testimony, Backe informed the court that they will call more witnesses and may rests its case today, Thursday.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona ordered a recess before 5pm and instructed the jurors to come back at 8am today, Thursday, for the continuation of the trial.

Customs Officer Reyes testified how he found the contraband hidden inside one of nine paint buckets during his routine inspection of a shipping container at the seaport in Puerto Rico on Dec. 2, 2015.

Reyes said other investigators then assisted him in the opening of each of the nine buckets for further inspection.

He said the first paint bucket he opened smelled bad like rotten milk, while the other bucket smelled worse.

Reyes said he could not see the bottom, but noticed there’s something in it.

Reyes said he passed the bucket to other Customs officers.

Reyes agreed with defense counsel David G. Banes, counsel for Chen, on cross-examination that he does not know who put the drugs in the paint.

Reyes said he does not know what it was in the paint, but he knows there something in it.

Reyes agreed with Banes that Chen was not present when they opened the paint containers. He also stated he is not aware if Chen’s name was in the paint buckets.

Upon searching one of the buckets, investigators discovered three plastic wrapped bundles that weighed 4.89 lbs that were later tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.

Reyes said he was with DEA special agent Johns during a surveillance of persons relating to the contraband at different places on Dec. 4, 2015.

Reyes said he was present when DETF agents arrested Chen on Dec. 4, 2015.

DETF Officer Sablan testified that he met with Customs officers and that his responsibility was to process the seized contraband that was found inside the paint container.

Sablan said he conducted a field test on the substance and found it presumptive positive with methamphetamine.

Sablan said they then decided to conduct controlled delivery by replacing the “ice” with sham or sugar.

He said there were nine paint buckets in that container, but only one had “ice” in it.

In response to Banes’ questions, Sablan admitted he does not know who put the drugs in the paint bucket and did not know at the time who shipped them to Saipan.

Sablan said he is not aware if the bucket and the package were tested for DNA.

Customs and DETF Officer Renguul testified that they conducted the controlled delivery on Dec. 3, 2015 at the Sunleader warehouse in As Terlaje Hill.

Renguul said on that day, Dec. 3, nobody picked up the package at Sunleader warehouse.

He said they found out that shipment of paint buckets, which came from Guangdong China, was consigned to “Cai Shi Cheng,” who never came to Saipan and set to arrive on Dec. 4, 2015.

Renguul said they conducted surveillance on Cai at the airport.

He said Cai arrived with Xi Huang at 1 or 2am at the airport on Dec. 4.

He said a Toyota Rav 4 came to pick up Cai and Huang so they followed them to Garapan.

He said the Rav 4 and another vehicle later proceeded to Summer Holiday in Garapan.

Renguul said Chen arrived on Saipan from China on Dec. 1, 2015.

Rengul agreed with Banes that Chen was not at the airport on Dec. 4 and that he was also not at Summer Holiday as he stayed at that time at Sunshine Garden Hotel in Susupe.

After Renguul, the prosecution called again Sablan, who testified about their surveillance on Huang and Cai.

DEA special agent Johns, who is the lead investigator in the case, also testified the circumstances about their investigation that led to the arrest of Chen, Cai, and Huang.

Johns testified, among other things, that investigators observed Huang in the driver’s seat of the Toyota FJ Cruiser with Chen on the passenger seat when the paint buckets were picked up at the Sunleader’s warehouse.

Johns said investigators later found Chen driving the Cruiser and Huang was the passenger and Cai was the one driving the Toyota Rav 4.

Investigators observed that it was Cai who removed one paint bucket that contained the sham “ice” from RAV 4 and transferred it to a rented green Mazda 2 that was parked at Stanford Hotel in San Vicente.

The indictment charged Chen, Huang, and Cai with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine over the shipment of 4.9 lbs of “ice” worth $850,000 in 2015.

Huang and Cai both pleaded guilty. Huang was recently slapped with 188 months imprisonment. Cai has yet to be sentenced.