The Arizona Capitol Timesis a newspaper in Phoenix, Arizona. It is in print and online. The entire focus of the Arizona Capitol Times is political reporting in Arizona. https://azcapitoltimes.com/.
Many consider it the “main” or “official” publication that tracks Arizona politics.
The Arizona Capitol Times ran a story on July 19, 2013, about the existence of the “Arizona Mafia”. The author was reporter Jeremy Duda, email: jeremy.duda@azcapitoltimes.com
According to the Arizona Capitol Times, “At least 25 Arizonans, mostly from within her gubernatorial administration, followed [Janet] Napolitano to Washington D.C., and served within the massive U.S. Department of Homeland Security that she has overseen for the past four-and-a-half years. Many have moved on to bigger and better things.”
By “bigger and better things,” the author meant that many of the 25 individuals gained senior positions within agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Usually, those positions were at or near the top of the agency organizational chart, such as “Chief of Staff” or “Chief Administrator” positions.
Individuals in such capacities had, and continue to have, unique access to information from “inside,” within the secure databases and computer systems of the United States Federal Government, such as systems that process and/or approve immigration visas, systems that monitor money laundering, and even top-secret reports that are exchanged between federal agencies about drug trafficking targets and investigations.
Each agency inside of DHS has a powerful reach into the depths of the federal government databases, and there are 22 federal agencies inside DHS. The biggest agency is Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with more than 60,000 employees. It is the nation’s largest federal law enforcement agency, larger than the FBI, which employs 35,000.
CBP is the agency where Marco Lopez became Chief of Staff under Napolitano for two years starting in March 2009 until 2011.
Starting in 2011, Lopez left for more lucrative pastures. He was hired by Carlos Slim, a Mexican billionaire closely aligned with Carlos Salinas, the former President of Mexico – and a man said to be closely associated – to even run – the drug cartels of Mexico. Soon after beginning work with Slim, Lopez began working as an advisor to Carlos Salinas.
Lopez also was appointed as advisor to Enrique Peña Nieto, the outgoing President of Mexico, who has been widely accused in the Mexican media throughout his tenure of being a “Puppet President” of Salinas.
So – to make this clear – the top man at the Customs and Border Patrol [a charter member of the Arizona Mafia] suddenly left and became a top advisor to Carlos Salinas and Carlos Slim.
Here are some of the other Arizona Mafia members according to Arizona Capitol:
Noah Kroloff, a top staffer for Napolitano at the Arizona Governor’s Office who served as her chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Along with Dennis Burke (one of ClareBronfman’s lawyers). he formed a security consulting firm – Global Security and Intelligence Strategies. Burke also served briefly at Homeland Security before becoming U.S. attorney for Arizona.
Former U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan [who was retained by Raniere-Bronfman to supervise Raniere’s home arrest – an application which was denied even though Sullivan did appear in court for Raniere], former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Director David Aguilar, lobbyist John Kaitesand Chicago sports magnate Jerry Reinsdorf are all part of the Global Security and Intelligence Strategies firm.
Dora Schriro, Napolitano’s Arizona Department of Corrections director, spent nearly four years heading the New York City Department of Corrections, a job she got after a brief stint at Homeland Security.
Tracy Wareing, who headed the Arizona Department of Economic Security under Napolitano before becoming an adviser to her at Homeland Security, now runs the American Public Human Services Association, a large Washington-based nonprofit.
And Marco Lopez, who served as Customs and Border Protection chief of staff, and now works for Slim, who has been ranked by Forbes magazine as the world’s richest person.
In DC, it’s standard practice for Cabinet secretaries to bring a few loyalists with them. The large number of Arizonans who followed Napolitano raised a lot of eyebrows during her tenure at the DHS.
Suzanne Barr, who served as chief of staff to the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was accused of lewd and sexually offensive behavior in a lawsuit filed by a federal immigration official. Barr denied the allegations, but resigned after they came to light.
Dennis Burke, viewed as a rising star when he left Homeland Security to become U.S. attorney, was forced out of his job over the cross-border gunrunning scandal known as Fast and Furious.
Other Arizonans who joined Napolitano at DHS or its subagencies incluide the following:
Roxana Bacon
Suzanne Barr
Paul Berumen
January Contreras
Chris Cummiskey
Brian de Vallance
Michael Frias
Andrew Gordon
Tracy Hannah
Grady Harn
DJ Harper
Lauren Kielsmeier
Leezie Kim
Jan Lesher
Art Macias
Kimberly O’Connor
Diane Saunders
Jannah Scott
Amy Shlossman
Jackie Wright
What this all means is that somehow members of the Arizona Mafia got involved in the defense of Keith Raniere and Clare Bronfman. Two Arizona attorneys represent Lauren Salzman – despite the case being in New York and the lawyer not being admitted to practice there.
Then tie this in to Lopez’s work for Salinas and Slim – men who are closely aligned [some say Salinas is actually richer than Slim – but has his assets hidden – considering their illegal source]. And add this: for years NXIVM smuggled money from Mexico to the USA. Everybody who was in the inner circle of NXIVM knew about this.
Then add this: Carlos Salinas’ son, Emiliano, and his daughter, Cecilia, are both High Rank in NXIVM. Then add this – when Keith, Lauren and Clare get into trouble – it is the [Democratic] Arizona Mafia that worked to assist/protect them behind the scenes.
Then add this: There is a schism between the EDNY and Main Justice [Democrats] over whether to indict a clearly guilty Emiliano Salinas for his large role in the Bronfman-Raniere crime organization. The superseding indictment just handed down is rather mild – it has few charges – compared to the oft-described massive investigation the FBI is said to be conducting into NXIVM and its ties to organized crime.
Clare was charged with three comparatively smallish crimes – using Pam Cafritz’s credit card for Keith, breaking into her late father’s computer, and bringing in a single illegal alien [We all know she brought in many more.]
Yes, the present superseding indictment was a placeholder – the DOJ EDNY had to act fast to both keep Raniere incarcerated and placate the judge’s concern for a speedy trial. A superseding indictment resets the speedy trial clock back to day one.
Now, when you add it all up, there is a clear connection between Arizona Mafia – NXIVM – Carlos Salinas.
There is also a fight over whether to charge Emi Salinas. So, the monumental question is which prevails: Politics or Justice. The EDNY [led by a Republican appointee] or Main Justice in DC?
If the EDNY prevails, we will see Emiliano indicted – along with a superseding indictment charging Clare and many others with a host of crimes that will dwarf what has been charged to date.
On the other hand, the Department of Justice is today more politics-driven than justice-driven. Innocent people are charged all the time – but when the former son of the Mexican president who is said to be in control of massive drug running in the USA – is guilty as hell, the chances of his not being charged are high indeed. This is the real meaning of why the Arizona Mafia has appeared stealthily on the scene.
