Text 7: Agencies and their Personnel

The Organized Crime Control Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs acts on economic crimes based on the gravity and scope of the investigation and, in some cases, will conduct joint investigations with the Economic Crimes Control Department. The Federal Service of the Tax Police initiates investigations as they relate to tax offenses. The Russian Customs Service has responsibility to prosecute violations of customs and other commercial fraud. Any of these agencies can request the participation of any of the others in a joint investigation when investigatory interests coincide.

Access to bank records and information without a prosecutor's order is given to the courts, arbitrary courts, tax inspection and tax police units, and customs, in cases stipulated by legislation. Any investigative, operational, or law enforcement unit that has a prosecutor's order may inspect bank records and information. The law enforcement units compel banks and NBFIs to give evidence in financial investigations by means of ajudicial order.

Under the proposed anti-money laundering bill, the agencies responsible for combating money laundering and their areas of responsibilities are specified. The State Tax Police Department and the Ministry of Finance are empowered to oversee the activities of all business enterprises, institutions, and organizations. The Bank of Russia is responsible for oversight of all banking transactions. A clause is included that also lists other ministries, departments, and executive bodies, as responsible for combating money laundering within the limits of their competence.

The proposed draft law names the General Prosecutor's Office as a central authority for coordinating overall policy and resolving any disputes between the agencies responsible for combating money laundering.

Training for law enforcement personnel that deal with financial crime is active and ongoing. Personnel are recruited for their positions based on their financial or economic backgrounds and previous positions with experience in investigations, prosecutions, and seizures. Russian law enforcement agencies are associated with financial training institutes and academies, where initial training programs and refresher training range from several months to five years in length.

 

§ Vocabulary notes
arbitrary	['a:bItr@rI]	произвольный, дискреционный
arbitrary court		зд. арбитражный суд
syn. arbitration	[,a:bI'treISn]
to compel smb to do smth		заставлять, принуждать кого-либо делать что- либо
to train		подготавливать (персонал),
		тренировать, воспитывать
background		1) задний план, фон;
		2) предпосылка, происхождение; 3) подготовка,
		квалификация
refresher training		повторительный курс, курс повышения квалификации
length		длина, продолжительность

 

§ Suggested activities

 

a Discuss the following questions in pairs:

 

• the authorities involved in combating money laundering in Russia

• joint investigations

• cases when the legislation allows access to bank records and information even without a prosecutor's order

• power of a prosecutor's order

• the idea of a judicial order

b Draw a diagram showing all the organizations involved and their responsibilities, according to the text.

 

с Write a short essay on training of law enforcement personnel, the text states. Give your assessment. State your proposals.

 

In conclusion

 

d Look through all the 7 texts on money laundering and make a list of the most important terms and expressions relating to this subject.

e Say what is being done at the present time to combat these offenses and what legislation is in force.

f Act out a press conference on anti-money laundering legislation in Russia at present.

g Have a look at the picture and answer the following questions:

 

 

1 Why do you think this man is masked and armed?

2 Where was the picture taken, to your mind?

3 Is alcoholic drinks trade to be licensed in Russia?

4 When does this trade involve illegal proceeds?

5 What steps do state and local authorities take to prevent crimes in this trade?

 

Part D. Drug Wars and Law

Section 1: Asia and Panama

Section 2: Colombia

 

Section 1: Asia and Panama

Text 1

 

Crime is crime, after all-armed robbery, bank embezzlement, drug dealing. It's been around a long time, not too hard to live with. But then something happened. Something had endangered America's economic base. Where was all this drug money going? Could it be used to alter balances of power?

In Washington power centers, including the White House, telephones were lifted in alarm, panic buttons pressed, emegrency meetings convened. What is the meaning of this? What is going on here?

No one knew.

The CIA and DEA, embarassed by their ignorance, rushed to beat each other to the answers.

 

FM DEA HQS WASHDC

TO DEA WORLWIDE

CONFIDENTIAL

EMBASSIES/CONSULS FOR DEA

SUBJECT: OPERATION CASHFLOW

 

THE OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE IS INVOLVED IN AN ON-GOING PROJECT DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY THE MAGNITUDE AND SPECIFIC RAMIFICATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FLOW OF DRUG RELATED CURRENCY. ESTIMATES BY VARIUOS AGENCIES REFLECT THAT DOLLARS LEAVING THE U.S. FROM ILLICIT DRUG PROFITS AND PAYMENTS MAY WELL BE A SIGNIFICANT UNMEASURED PORTION OF THIS COUNTRY'S GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT AND CREATES SERIOUS INACCURACIES IN U.S. DATA ON INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY FLOW (BALANCE OF PAYMENTS). MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY DEA IS BEING ASKED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION IN THIS SUBJECT AREA AND TO DATE, INFORMATION IN OUR POSSESSION HAS BEEN EXTREMELY LIMITED.

 

DEA offices from Songhkla, Thailand, to Lahore, Pakistan, were ordered to «conduct a study and submit results» within six weeks. The CIA sent similar instructions to its stations. But no one waited for foreign-based agents to check in. Hardly two weeks after the cable went out, a senior agent from DEA's office of strategic intelligence was on his way around the world, conducting the first inclusive intelligence operation (it was code-named Operation Cashflow) ever directed at the multibillion-dollar profits of the international narcotics industry.

 

Vocabulary notes

alarm in alarm false alarm to take alarm the CIA (the Central Intelligence Agency)	[@'lа:m]	тревога с тревогой ложная тревога встревожиться ЦРУ (США)
intelligence	[In'telI³@ns]	1) разведывательная служба, разведка; 2) сведения, информация; 3) быстрое
the DEA (the Department of Economic Affairs) to embarass	[Im'b{r@s]	понимание, понятливость Департамент экономики, Министерство экономики (США)   1) затруднять, стеснять; 2) запутывать, обременять
ignorance	['gn@r@ns]	1) невежество; 2) неведение, незнание
to rush		бросаться, мчаться, нестись, устремляться
fm = from
hqs = headquarters
washdc = Washington, District of Columbia
flow cashflow ramification estimate (s) to reflect significant to create inaccuracy	[flou]     ['estIm@t(s)] [rI'flekt] [sI'gnIfIk@nt] [krI'eIt] [m'{kjur@sI]	течение, поток поток денег (наличных) разветвление, ответвление, отросток оценка, смета, наметка 1) отражать, изображать; 2) размышлять   значительный, важный, существенный творить, создавать неточность, ошибка

 

§ Words and Grammar

 

a Write down the words from which the following ones are formed:

 

robbery –.. to rob...............

embezzlement........................ ignorance.....................................

dealing.................................... unmeasured..................................

to endanger ............................ inaccuracy....................................

meaning.................................. multibillion...................................

 

b Encircle attributes, write down by what parts of speech they are expressed and translate the following into Russian:

 

armed robbery... Past Participle..................................... .............. вооруженное ограбление..............................	balances of power......................................................... power centers.................................................................
bank embezzlement.......................................................	on-going project.............................................................
drue dealine...................................................................	foreign-base agents........................................................
drug related currency....................................................	America's economic base...............................................
narcotics industry...........................................................	DEA offices...................................................................

 

с Match the English and Russian equivalents and write down sentences with them, on the basis of the text:

 

 

d Underline the predicates, write down in what forms the verbs are used and translate the following sentences into Russian:

 

1 It has been around a longtime, not too hard to live with.... Pr. Perfect, act...................................................

2 Something had endangered America's economic base...................................................................................

3 Where was all this money going?..................................................................................................................

4 More and more frequently the DEA is being asked to provide this-information...........................................

5 DEA offices were ordered to conduct a study................................................................................................

 

e Write down a few sentences with the following words on the basis of the text:

 

• money

• information

• intelligence

• drugs

 

Suggested activities

 

f Explain the meaning of the following sentences in English:

 

1 The light dawned.

2 The CIA and DEA rushed to beat each other to the answers.

3 It creates serious inaccuracies in US data on international currency flow.

4 Information in our possession has been extremely limited.

5 But no one waited for foreign-based agents to check in.

6Write out the words or sentences from the text which mean that:

1 The US had ignored drug dealing for rather a long time.

2 Once the US became aware of this problem they took urgent measures.

3 It was an unprecedented operation.

 

h Sum up what instructions were sent from the DEA.

 

i Answer the following questions:

 

Skim and scan:

Read the text quickly and answer the following question:

Does the text speak on the responses of the agents or of the senior agent?

Text 2

Arriving in Hong Kong after a first stop in Thailand, the agent wrote that he had found Bangkok «indeed interesting – in terms of drug money ending up there (as was the conclusion of Schoolboy) it really becomes a black hole». He was referring to Operation Schoolboy, the DEA intelligence program aimed at the Hong Kong-based Chinese banking system. The agent found that DEA's Bangkok office, «with nearly 20 agents and their CIs, has done zero» to study the movement of drug money and «where it goes once it's transferred there from Hong Kong and Singapore».

Much of Asia's drug profits were generated, he said, by marijuana. «When the Thais seize marijuana, they store it in military bases. Major American brokers are actually now residing in Bangkok, and a lot of the stuff is coming right out of these military bases».

The DEA intelligence agent said, «The European connection, especially France and the Netherlands in the financial-drug network, is most interesting. Might even warrant a trip there.» Referring to the CIA, he said «the current race going on between us and our cousins over at Langley to produce a report on this subject does not allow a lot of time».

What he had seen so far in Asia convinced the agent «there's a 'big picture' here involving all the major banking havens. There are so many more answers to how the money moves and where it ends up in the cocaine and marijuana traffic using Panama and the Caymans, etc., than will ever be available here».

 

Vocabulary notes

 

to aim		целиться, прицеливаться
to aim at smth
to store		хранить на складе
to reside		1) проживать, жить, пребывать; 2) принадлежать (о правах и т.п.)
stuff		1) материал, вещество; 2) имущество; 3) лекарство; 4) хлам, чепуха
to warrant	['wor@nt]	оправдывать, гарантировать
race		состязание, гонка
to convince	[k@n'vIns]	убеждать, уверять
traffic	['tr{fIk]	1) движение; 2) торговля; 3) грузы
the Caymans = the Cayman Islands		Каймановы острова (группа островов Вест-Индии, часть Ямайки)

 

Suggested activities

 

a Write down the answers, using the text:

 

1 What was Operation Schoolboy?.......................................................

2 What conclusion had that Op-......................................................

eration made about Bangkok?.......................................................

3 Did the DEA agent agree with.......................................................

that conclusion?........................................................

4 What was the DEA agent's........................................................

opinion about the efficiency of.......................................................

DEA's Bangkok office?........................................................

5 From what places did the drug........................................................

money come to Bangkok?.......................................................

6 What drug was mostly traf-.......................................................

ficked there?.......................................................

7 Where was it stored?

 

b Say what the agent meant by the following words, to your mind:

 

1 Major American brokers are actually now residing in Bangkok.

2 The European connection is most interesting.

3 Might even warrant a trip there.

4 The current race between us and our cousins does not allow a lot of time.

5 There's a big picture here involving all the major banking havens.

6 There are many more answers than will ever be available here.

 

с Write down the questions for the following answers:

 

 

d Imagine you are the senior agent. Write a report on your investigation, using the text. You may start like this:

 

When I came to Hong Kong I first ....................................................... ......................................................

Say what you remember about the Operation Cashflow described in the previous two texts.

Skim and scan:

Read this text quickly and say what countries involved in drug trafficking it mentions.

Text3

As the Operation Cashflow studies continued, couriers hurried several times a day between DEA and CIA headquarters in Washington and Langley, Virginia. Reports reaching Washington from CIA and DEA agents in Latin America were startling.

A secret CIA cable from Bolivia told of a major trafficker in La Paz promising a representative of President Herman Siles-Zuazo to pay off 25 to 35 per cent of the country's $4.4 billion foreign debt in return for exclusive rights to the coca traffic. According to the CIA, the offer was refused.

Another secret cable, four pages in length, from the CIA's Bahamas station reported government corruption with astonishing precision, detailing not only the names of a half-dozen bribe-taking officials but the exact amount of the bribes ($50,000 to over $100,000) and specifically what favors they bought. At least one DEA official expressed shock, not so much at the revelations as at the thoroughness with which they were known. It was almost as if the CIA had been involved in some way.

The secret Bahamian cable recalled a similar, though far more extensive document, classified TOP SECRET, which had earlier detailed corruption among officials in the Cayman Islands. That bound report included not only evidence of extensive involvement of government officials with traffickers, but photographs of specific banks and individuals. Though a later CIA report went on to call the Cayman Islands «the supermarket of money-laundering centers», the effect of both reports on the American government had evidently been minimal for, as one agent pointed out, «They're still going strong». Despite a 1984 U.S.-British agreement promising American officials access to Cayman drug accounts, few investigators were claiming victory.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

courier	['kurI@]	курьер, нарочный, посыльный
startling		потрясающий, поразительный
cable		1) телеграмма; 2) кабель
debt	[det]	долг, задолженность
to get into debts		влезть в долги
a bad debt		безнадежный долг
precision	[рr@'sIZ@n]	точность, четкость, аккуратность
favor (Am.) = favour (Br.)		1) благосклонность, любезность;
		2) польза, интерес, помощь
revelation	[,rev@'leIS@n]	откровение, открытие, раскрытие
to recall	[rI'ko:l]	отзывать
to recall a deputy/an ambassador/a document		отзывать депутата/посла/ документ
similar	['sImIl@]	подобный, сходный, похожий
to point out		указывать, показывать
victory	['vIkt@rI]	победа
to win a victory		одержать победу

 

Words and Grammar

 

a Write the English equivalents, using the text:

 

крупнейший наркоделец... a major trafficker................................................................

высший долг......................................................................................................................

монопольное право..........................................................................................................

официальные лица, берущие взятки..............................................................................

связь государственных чиновников с наркодельцами...............................................

телеграмма на четырех страницах более пространный документ.............................

 

b Underline the suffixes with the help of which the following nouns are formed and translate the nouns into Russian:

thoroughness........................ corruption..............................

involvement........................... precision................................

trafficker.............................. investigator...........................

representative........................ agreement............................

 

с Form nouns from the following verbs:

 

 

d Translate the following into Russian paying attention to the ing-forms:

 

reports reaching Washington..... сообщения, поступавшие в Вашингтон..............

reports were startling........................................................................................................

a trafficker promising to pay............................................................................................

with astonishing precision...............................................................................................

reports detailing the exact amount of the bribes.............................................................

money laundering centers..............................................................................................

an agreement promising access to drug accounts..........................................................

 

e Write down in what forms the verbs are used in the following sentences and translate them into Russian:

 

1 The offer was refused.... (Past Indefinite, Passive).... Предложение было отклонено...............................

2It was almost as if the CIA had been involved.................................................................................................

3 It recalled another document which had earlier detailed corruption among officials in the Cayman Islands.......................................................................................................................................................................

4 It went on to call these Islands «the supermarket of money-laundering centers»............................................

5 The effect of both reports had evidently been minimal....................................................................................

6 Few investigators were claiming victory.........................................................................................................

 

Suggested activities

 

f. Write out the sentences or parts of them from the text which prove that:

 

1 DEA and CIA agents were very active in carrying out the Operation Cashflow.

2 Their reports made their bosses surprised.

3 The agent in Bolivia sent very concrete information.

4 The agent in the Bahamas gave very precise information.

5 The previous report on the Cayman Islands was very detailed and substantiated.

6 Great Britain promised the US some cooperation.

7 The investigations did not result in any concrete steps.

g Say which title you like and why:

 

• Startling reports

• They are still going strong

• DEA and CIA agents make revelations

 

h Write down a title of your own.

 

i Discussion in class.

 

• The geographical position and the political systems of the countries mentioned in the text.

 

Say how close Panama is to the USA geographically.

Skim and scan:

Read the text quickly and answer the following question: What new profession has emerged in drug trafficking?

Text 4

After Asia, DEA's Operation Cashflow agent traveled to Panama. A few South Florida bankers had been indicted for accepting huge amounts of so-called suitcase cash without filing legally required reports, and traffickers had returned to moving the currency out of the United States physically... But paper is heavy – the proceeds of a heroine or cocaine sale generally weigh five times more than the drugs themselves. The traffickers' biggest problem had become the sheer bulk of their profits. Moving the money was harder than moving the drugs, and a cottage industry of currency relocation specialists had emerged to handle the problem.

One of these, a sharp-witted young entrepreneur named Ramon Rodriguez bought a Learjet and regularly flew from Fort Lauder-dale to Panama with half-ton loads of currency. Identified by DEA's man in Panama City, Rodriguez was allowed to import several multimillion-dollar shipments so he could be followed around the streets of Panama City delivering bushels of cash to various banks. What happened to the money? Was it wire-transferred to Colombia? Did it go on to Switzerland? Did it just stay in Panama? Where is it going? What happens after?

Rodriguez was eventually arrested with $5.4 million in cash. His accounts, computerized on floppy disks, showed he had flown nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to Panama in the previous twelve months. He said he was only one of a crowd, that there were several other airborne money-freight operators he knew of and no doubt some he didn't. To government analysts he looked like the tip of an underground multibillion-dollar «Air Cash» service industry.

 

§ Vocabulary notes

 

huge	[hju:³]	огромный, громадный, гигантский
proceeds	[pr@'sI:dz]	доход, вырученная сумма
sheer	[SI@]	сущий, явный, полный, полнейший
wit (s)		ум, разум
He has quick (sharp) wits.		Он очень сообразителен.
currency	['kör@nsI]	1) валюта, деньги; 2) денежное обращение
bushel	[buSl]	бушель (мера емкости = 36.3 л)
eventually	[I'ventSu@lI]	в конечном счете, в конце концов, со временем
floppy disk		дискета
crowd	[kraud]	толпа, множество, масса, группа людей
freight	[freIt]	груз
analyst	['{n@lIst]	1) аналитик; 2) комментатор
tip		1) кончик; 2) наконечник; 3) верхушка

 

Words and Grammar

 

a Choose the synonyms from the box and write down a few word combinations with them:

complete, profit, big, in the end, usually, various, clever, freight, systematically

proceeds – profit -

huge......................................... generally.................................

sheer....................................... regularly................................

eventually............................... load.........................................

sharp-witted.......................... different.................................

 

b Choose the antonyms from the box:

light, easy, to export, foolish, small to sell, to refuse, to disappear

hard ... easy.............................. to accept....................................

heavy....................................... to emerge...................................

sharp-witted........................... to buy.........................................

to import................................. big..............................................

 

с Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations in English and give Russian equivalents:

 

suitcase cash..........................................................................................................................................

to move currency physically.................................................................................................................

to move drugs........................................................................................................................................

a cottage industry of currency relocation specialists.............................................................................

airborne money-freight operators..........................................................................................................

the tip of an underground service industry.............................................................................................

 

d Make sentences of your own with the following phrases:

 

to be indicated for accepting huge amounts

to accept money without filing legally required reports

to return to moving the currency out of the USA physically

to import several multimillion-dollar shipments

 

e Find the English equivalents in the text:

 

самая большая проблема для наркодельцов............................................

общий объем их доходов...........................................................................

чтобы разрешить эту проблему................................................................

смышленый предприимчивый делец.......................................................

ящики с валютой весом по полтонны......................................................

сдавать огромные количества...................................................................

наличных денег в банки............................................................................

 

f Encircle the predicates, write down in what forms the verbs are used and complete the sentences:

 

1 Identified by DEA’s man in Panama City, Rodriguez was allowed to import several shipments.................

...................... (Past Indefinite, Passive)..............................................................................................................

2 He was followed around the streets of Panama City delivering bushels of cash to various..........................

.............................................................................................................................................................................

3 His accounts, computerized on floppy disks, showed he had flown nearly a quarter of.................................

..............................................................................................................................................................................

4 He said he was only one...................................................................................................................................

 

Suggested activities

 

g Write out the sentences from the text which mean that:

 

1 Rodriguez did not know all the money-freight operators in Panama.

2 Money-freight operations made a big industry in Panama.

3 Some American bankers had been arrested for cooperation with drug dealers.

 

h Sum up what the text said about Rodriguez and Air Cash service industry.

 

i Agree or disagree and support your point of view:

 

If Rodriguez had not been arrested these money-freight operations would not have been revealed.

 

j Use your imagination and write a short account of how Rodriguez was arrested.

 

k Write down a summary of the four texts on the drug wars in Asia and Panama.

 

Section 2: Colombia

Pre-reading questions:

1. Where is Colombia located?

2. Is this country associated with drugs?

3. Have you heard anything about the Cali cartel?

Text 1

So the Cali cartel, once the world's most powerful criminal organisation, is dead, is it? The cartel's top bosses, most famously the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers, are now behind bars.

Until now, the biggest Cali bosses appeared to be safely behind bars. Too safe, complained American officials, who alleged that they have been running their drugs businesses from the comfort of their prison cells. The brutal slayings inside jail of two of Colombia's most notorious traffickers this month have silenced such talk. Now, the fear is that an all-out war might break out between the Cali has-beens and their putative successors.

On November 5th, a well-dressed man posing as a lawyer strolled on to the football pitch inside the Palmira maximum security prison near Cali. He warmly embraced Helmer «Pacho» Herrera – a top dog in the Cali mob – and, in front of Herrera's teammates, shot him six times in the head. Eight days later, Orlando Henao Montoya – the head of the Valle cartel. Call's one-time ally – was gunned down in another maximum-security prison. This time, it was Pacho's paraplegic brother who fired the shots from his electric wheelchair.

When the Cali leaders were rounded up in 1995 and 1996, Colombian and American authorities declared the mob shattered. But recent events suggest that, like the Valle mob, it remains a force to be reckoned with. The murders may be a sign that the mutual respect that once existed between the gangs is giving way to a power struggle. Equally worrying, say intelligence men, are signs that the biggest of the traffickers still at large are regrouping their operations.

 

Vocabulary notes

 

to allege	[@'le³]	утверждать (особ, без основании)
brutal	['brut@l]	жестокий, зверский
to slay (slew, slain)		(книжн.) убивать
putative	['pju:t@tiv]	предполагаемый, мнимый
to pose as		принимать позу, вид (кого-либо)
to stroll		прогуливаться, бродить
pitch		1) обычное место; 2) партия товара; 3) бросок, подача; 4) часть спортивного поля между линиями подающих
mob		1) толпа, сборище; 2) (сленг) воровская шайка
mobster		член воровской шайки
top dog		хозяин (положения)
team-mate		1) игрок/член той же команды; 2) член той же воровской шайки
to shoot (shot, shot)		стрелять, застрелить
shot		выстрел
ally	['{laI]	союзник
ally of moment		временный союзник
paraplegic	[,p{r@'plI:³Ik]	больной параплегией
		(параплегия – паралич обеих нижних или верхних конечностей)
wheelchair		коляска (для инвалидов) в форме кресла на колесах
to shatter		1) разбить (ся), раздробить; 2) расстраивать (здоровье), разрушать (надежды)
event	[I'vent]	событие
to suggest	[s@'³est]	предполагать
to reckon with	['rek@n]	считаться с
at large		на свободе

 

Words and Grammar

 

a Choose the synonyms from the box:

to announce, to kill, to stay in prison, to shoot, to begin, to seem, to walk, to silence

to stroll .. to walle...................... to appear...................................

to be behind bars..................... to break out...............................

to gun down.............................. to declare..................................

to slay........................................ to stop........................................

 

b Match the English and Russian equivalents:

 

 

с Find the English equivalents in the text:

 

может начаться открытая воина...........................................................................................................

недавние главари Кали..........................................................................................................................

их возможные преемники.....................................................................................................................

футбольная площадка...........................................................................................................................

тюрьма строгого режима.....................................................................................................................

бывший когда-то союзником Кали....................................................................................................

они объявили группировку уничтоженной.......................................................................................

 

d Underline the adjectives in different degrees of comparison and explain their formation.

 

e Underline the nouns to which the articles refer and translate the following into Russian:

 

the Call cartel.................................................................................................................

the world's most powerful criminal organization...........................................................

the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers....................................................................................

the brutal slayings..........................................................................................................

a well-dressed man........................................................................................................

to pose as a lawyer........................................................................................................

the Palmira maximum security prison..........................................................................

a power struggle...........................................................................................................

 

e Explain the meaning of the following in English and give the Russian equivalents:

 

to run drug business from the comfort of the prison cells..............................................

these brutal slayings have silenced this talk...................................................................

when the Cali leaders were rounded up in 1995 and 1996.............................................

it remains a force to be reckoned with............................................................................

the mutual respect is giving way to a power struggle.....................................................

 

f Make the following short assignments on Grammar:

 

1 The biggest Cali bosses appear to be safely behind bars.	Underline the Nominative with the Infinitive Construction.
2 American officials alleged that the biggest Cali bosses have been running drug business from prison.	In what Tenses are the verbs used? Are the Rules of Sequence of Tenses observed here?
3 This time it was Pacho 's brother who fired the shots.	Is this construction very emphatic?
4 Equally worrying, say intelligence men, are signs that they are regrouping their operations.	Why do you think the word order is inverted here?

g Write out the words from the text which show that:

 

1 The author doubts that the Call cartel is dead.

2 Many officials believed it was dead many years ago.

3 The gangsters are changing their tactics.

 

h Write out all the information about the Cali mob from the text.

 

i What's your opinion?

 

• Say why the Cali cartel and the Valle mobsters are not allies any longer, to your mind.

• What brought about their splitting.

Skim and scan:

Read the text quickly and answer the following questions:

1. Does the text give more details on the Cali drug cartel?

2. Can the text be entitled Gringo Involvement

Text 2

Colombia's drugs police lately had another reminder of the narcotic trade's tight grip on the country. On November 9th, American officials discovered nearly half a tonne of cocaine and several kilograms of heroine on a Colombian Air Force plane in Florida. It is not the first time drugs have been found on air-force aircraft: two years ago, a stash of heroine was discovered on the plane that was about to take Mr. Samper to a United Nations meeting in New York.

On that occasion, officers denied the existence of a drug-trafficking ring within the air force. This time they are beating a humiliating retreat. The drug seizure forced the immediate resignation of the air-force chief, General Jose Manuel Sandoval; and six of his men have since been detained by the attorney-general's office. Both President Andres Pastrana and his defence minister say that they will, if necessary, let more heads roll to clean up the air force.

Mr. Pastrana may have more success in this than his predecessor did in busting the Cali cartel. He has a powerful new tool: extradition. A law introduced last year makes all traffickers arrested after it came into force eligible for extradition to the United States. Because the law is not retroactive this puts the mobsters already in jail out of America's reach – a loophole about which American officials have vehemently complained.

Colombians have always been keen – sometimes with reason to blame an American conspiracy for the latest surreal twist in their drugs wars. Some claimed to see gringo involvement in the recent prison killings. Speculation intensified last week when an agent from America's Drug Enforcement Administration was shot dead outside a fashionable Bogota nightspot. Police say the murder – the first killing of a DEA agent in Colombia – was the result of a bar-room brawl and had nothing to do with the current spate of drugs violence. Tell that to the conspiracy theorists!

 

Vocabulary notes

 

reminder		напоминание
gentle reminder		намек
tight	[taIt]	1) плотный 2) плотно прилегающий
grip		1) хватка, сжатие 2) власть, тиски
to secure a grip on smth		прибрать что-либо к рукам
to stash		(разг.) копить, припрятывать
humiliating	[hju:'mIlIeItIÎ]	унизительный, оскорбительный
retreat	[rI'trI:t]	отступление
to make good one's retreat		легко отделаться
	resignation	[,rezIg'neISn]	1) отставка; 2) заявление об отставке; 3) отказ от (или уход с) должности
	to detain	[dI'teIn]	1) задерживать; 2) арестовывать, содержать под стражей
	predecessor	['prI:dIses@]	предшественник
	to bust		(сленг) схватить с поличным, арестовать
	eligible	[@'lI³@bl]	могущий, подходящий, имеющий право
	loophole	['lu:phoul]	1) бойница, амбразура;
			2) лазейка, увертка
	vehement	['vI:Im@nt]	сильный, неистовый
	a man of vehement character		человек с сильным характером
	vehement desire		сильное желание
	vehement wind		сильный ветер
	keen		1) сильный; 2) сильно желающий
	to be keen on smth		сильно желать чего-либо
	to blame		обвинять
	conspiracy	[k@n'spaIr@sI]	1) заговор, тайный сговор; 2) конспирация;
			3) тайная подпольная организация
	twist		1) изгиб, поворот; 2) характерная особенность,
			отличительная черта (часто неодобрит.);
			3) твист (танец)
	to claim		1) заявлять; 2) требовать;
			3) возбуждать иск о возмещении убытков
	gringo		(презр.) гринго, иностранец, особ, англичанин
			или американец (в Лат. Америке)
	brawl	[bro:l]	шумная ссора, уличный скандал
	spate Tell that to the conspiracy theorists! (Tell that to the marines!)		излияние, проявление Рассказывайте сказки!

§ Words and Grammar

a Match the English and Russian equivalents:

 

 

b Choose the synonyms from the box:

in that case, in this case, recently, inside, since then, about

 

lately....................................... nearly............................................

on that occasion.................... within...........................................

this time............................... since............................................

 

с Choose the antonyms from the box:

native, appointment, attack, peace, successor, failure

predecessor........................... retreat.....................................

gringo.................................... success.....................................

resignation............................. war..........................................

 

d Underline the basic nouns in the following word combinations and translate them into Russian (usually starting with the last word):

 

Colombia's drugs police... Полиция Колумбии по борьбе с наркотиками...............

narcotic trade's tight grip.................................................................................................

a Colombian Air Force plane..........................................................................................

a United Nations meeting................................................................................................

America's Drug Enforcement Administration................................................................

the recent prison killings................................................................................................

a bar-room brawl............................................................................................................

 

e Choose the correct prepositions and write down a short sentence with each word-combination:

 

to find drugs at/on air-force aircraft

to discover heroine at/on the plane

to be detained at/by the attorney-general's office

to come in/into force

eligible for/to extradition from/of the USA

this puts the mobsters out of/off America's reach

 

f Encircle the predicates, write down in what forms the verbs are used and complete the sentences:

 

1 The drug police lately had another reminder of..............................................................................................

2 It is not the first time drugs have been found within.......................................................................................

3 Six of his men have been.................................................................................................................................

4 Mr. Pastrana may have more success in this than his predecessor did in busting............................................

5 Colombians have always been keen to blame..................................................................................................

 

g Group the following words and word combinations into a few logical units and fill in the table:

drugs police, to resign, extradition, narcotic trade, to detain, in jail, to discover a stash of heroine, drug seizure, to bust the cartel, mobster, conspiracy, to shoot dead, involvement, current spate of drug violence

 

Group

 

h Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations in English and give Russian equivalents:

 

a retroactive law......................... to beat a humiliating retreat....................................

a loophole................................... the narcotic trade's tight grip on.............................

to be out of smb's reach.............. the country..............................................................

a drug-trafficking ring................ to be keen to blame an American............................

.................................................... conspiracy...............................................................

 

Suggested activities

 

i Find the answers in the text and write them down:

 

1 What did American officials discover on a Colombian Air Force plane in Florida on 9 November?.............

.............................................................................................................................................................................

2 What did it result in?.......................................................................................................................................

3 What law was introduced to combat drug trafficking in Colombia?..............................................................

4 What are the weak points of the law?.............................................................................................................

5 What do Colombians think about American involvement?.........................................................................

 

j Use your imagination and describe:

 

• how a DEA agent was killed in Colombia

• what newspapers wrote about that

• what conclusion the author of this article makes about American involvement

 

k Write down your own title of this article and say why you like it.

 

l Have a look at the picture and answer the following questions:

 

One last drag

 

1 Who do you think this young man is?

2 Do you believe he is really making the last drag?

3 Are many young people becoming drug addicts in all the countries of the world?

4 Is it easy to give up smoking, inhaling or having drugs, according to professional doctors?

5