Posted on 04/24/2008 12:38:48 PM PDT by pissant
You are not going to believe this story. It is really something else. The White House, I predict, will look the other way at the flagrant law-breaking by a Mexican official caught on tape by the Secret Service filching U.S. government property. After all, looking the other way at systemic law-breaking by Mexico is the official Bush policy. Fox News has the scoop:
Whether he was up to no good or simply desperate to play BrickBreaker, a Mexican press attaché was caught on camera by Secret Service pocketing several White House BlackBerries during a recent meeting in New Orleans, FOX News has learned.
Sources with knowledge of the incident said the official, Rafael Quintero Curiel, served as the lead press advance person for the Mexican Delegation and was responsible for handling logistics and guiding the Mexican media around at the conference. He took six or seven of the handheld devices from a table outside a special room in the hotel where the Mexican delegation was meeting with President Bush earlier this week.
Everyone entering the room was required to leave his or her cell phone, BlackBerry and other such devices on the table, a common practice when high-level meetings are held. American officials discovered their missing belongings when they were leaving the session.
It didn’t take long before Secret Service officials reviewed videotape taken by a surveillance camera and found footage showing Quintero Curiel absconding with the BlackBerries.
At first, Quintero Curiel denied the criminal acts. But when confronted with the tape, he chalked it up to an “accident”–then promptly invoked diplomatic immunity:
He initially denied taking the devices, but after agents showed him the DVD, Quintero Curiel said it was purely accidental, gave them back, claimed diplomatic immunity and left New Orleans with the Mexican delegation.
It is unclear what disciplinary measures, if any, await him in Mexico. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino refused to discuss the incident, telling FOX News, “We are aware of the situation, but as it’s under investigation by law enforcement officials, we will decline to comment.”
Just looting the White House electronic devices Americans won’t loot…
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Now, imagine if it were an American government official caught south of the border stealing Mexican government property.
Or, 3) he’s a thief and was looking to sell them for a hundred bucks each or give them out as gifts to friends/relatives.
Possible explanation, but what’s the point? They let the guy go; another guy will replace him. Seems silly.
Nothing will be done because diplomatic immunity works both ways, not just one.
This is common at classified meetings. Everyone leaves cell phones, iPods, Blackberrys, PDAs, and so forth on a table at the door.
Sometimes you put a yellow sticky on it with your name, sometimes you get a Ziplock and you put your device inside with your business card.
It is unusual to leave them unattended, but that may have been intentional.
This POS is no different than the slugs that inhabit the U.N. building.
“Oh! THOSE blackberries!”
lol, I was picturing the guy suspiciously wandering around the White House gardens and the SS confronting him and turning over the palms of his hands. ;-)
The bastard thought he was still in Mexico...
For a minute I thought they were talking about the blackberries you make pies out of.
***
Me too I could really go for some Raspberries right now!
Thanks. Real-life info always appreciated by me.
I own a Blackberry device, and still thought they were talking about fruit!
I think it might be a Mexican word association problem.
Bush will order the secret service so bury the incident and then hold a press conference to defend those he really serves.
Naa, Mexicans don’t have to obey American laws.
Declare him persona non grata and never let him back in the country.
Oh please--- McCain will probably hire him to handle communications for the Aztlan giveaway McC is planning with his Hispanic outreach director (and former Mexican Cabiner Aztlan planner) Juan Hernandez.
This, of course, is after Bush spent years telling everyone how they were the best of friends.
This headline really should have read, “Cell phone”. As it stands, I almost didn’t read the story, because it seemed petty to jump some poor guy for filching a handful of juicy berries that I imagined were on some buffet table.
We should also consider-—those WhHouse BlacBerries assuredly hold classifed top-secret info.
Could be this bandidto was acting on orders from the Mexican government to gain access to classified info.......in preparation for the Aztlan takeover.
The wow is that they would HAVE to gaurd the table. But then again we have learned over and over again, people in authority are not always moral.
My guess is, this isn’t theft at all, it’s spying.
I remember years ago a policewoman was shot from the windows of the Iranian Embassy in London. I don’t think anything was ever done. Diplomatic immunity seems to be sacrosanct.
If a diplomat got caught spying, isn’t the worst penalty expulsion?
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