Lawyer Marino (Vincho) Castillo provided District Attorney Jose Manuel Hernandez Peguero with specific details that link former government officers with the helicopter purchased by former army captain Quirino Paulino Castillo, who is being held in a New York jail for drug smuggling. As reported in Diario Libre, the lawyer, who is a former director of the National Drug Council, provided the prosecutor with information on the supposed participation of former colonel Pedro Julio Goico Guerrero (Pepe Goico) and former chief of the Air Force Virgilio Sierra Perez allowing the helicopter to be parked at the San Isidro Airbase besides the presidential helicopter.
Castillo requested that the DA investigate Quirino’s possible ties with retired colonel Pepe Goico and senator Hernani Salazar’s charge d’affaires, Jose Ramon Lopez.
Castillo says he has proof that Quirino Paulino’s helicopter was purchased by Jose Lopez, who is in charge of works for senator Hernani Salazar’s private companies. Salazar was presidential public works supervisor during the Mejia administration. Castillo said that the helicopter was confiscated and taken to San Isidro at the time of the judicial conflict over the Baninter credit cards. Lawyer Castillo claimed that the helicopter was originally purchased using one of the credit cards issued by the Bank in Pedro Julio Goico’s name for presidential expenditures.
Castillo concludes that the helicopter was co-owned by Quirino and Lopez, who apparently contributed US$450,000 to the purchase price of US$1,050,000. Castillo said that could explain the shared use of the helicopter.
Castillo speculated that the helicopter could have been used to transport “dangerous material,” presumably drugs, from the south coast to a carefully guarded local heliport.