2007年VOA标准英语-US Judge Enters Not Guilty Plea for Alleged Mex

By Meredith Buel
Washington
03 August 2007

U.S. judge has entered a not guilty plea for a Mexican businessman charged with conspiracy¹ to produce large quantities of the illegal street drug methamphetamine destined² for the United States. It is the latest development in the case of Zhenli Ye Gon, who authorities say is an international drug dealer³, an allegation the suspect strongly denies. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel reports from Washington.

Zhenli Ye Gon (file photo)

The case of 44-year-old Zhenli Ye Gon sounds like a novel.

The Shanghai-born businessman lived in Mexico and ran a pharmaceutical⁴ company, a front, authorities say, that supplied Mexico's drug cartels with huge amounts of a chemical used to make methamphetamine.

When police raided Ye Gon's mansion⁵ in Mexico City earlier this year, they found more than $200 million in cash, a haul the U.S. government calls "the largest single drug cash seizure⁶ the world has ever seen."

Authorities also found six Mercedes-Benzes and seven guns, including an AK-47 assault rife⁷, and a pistol equipped with a silencer.

Mexican officials say Ye Gon lived a lavish⁸ lifestyle that included mistresses in several countries. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says in recent years he gambled away more than $125 million in Las Vegas casinos.

Ye Gon denies any wrongdoing and says the Mexican government is fabricating the drug charges. He says the country's ruling political party forced him to hold large sums of cash that was part of a campaign slush fund, an allegation Mexican officials have called pure fiction.

A U.S. grand jury indicted⁹ Ye Gon last week, days after he was arrested at an Asian restaurant just outside Washington, D.C.

On Friday a U.S. judge entered a not guilty plea for Ye Gon, but said he must remain in prison because he is a danger to society and may try to flee the country.

Martin McMahon, an attorney for Ye Gon, told reporters outside the courthouse he is satisfied with the decision.

"The world thinks - [but] we don't think - that he is an international drug dealer," he said. "So a magistrate¹⁰ is faced with the enormous responsibility of not allowing an international drug dealer on the streets and all kinds of other things. So we didn't expect that our client would be released today, but we felt it important, and this is the positive thing, to get on the record what his statements are really and why he is an innocent individual."

Attorneys for Ye Gon are seeking asylum¹¹ for him in the United States, saying he could be killed if he returns to Mexico.

Ning Ye is an attorney who filed the asylum request for Ye Gon.

"Any moment our client sets his feet on the land of Mexico, he would face immediate¹² and imminent¹³, life-threatening danger," Ning said.

Mexican authorities say the Ye Gon case is also dangerous for those trying to bring him to justice. Earlier this week, two Mexican federal agents involved in catching¹⁴ him were murdered in southern Mexico.

Ye Gon's case has caused a sensation in the Mexican media, with newspapers carrying front-page stories nearly everyday, and television channels devoting significant time to the story.

Armando Guzman, a Washington-based correspondent for Mexico's TV-Azteca, says the case landed like a bombshell.

"This is probably the most important story in Mexico at this time," he said. "It has been the most important story since it broke in the beginning of July."

Ye Gon's next court appearance is scheduled for later this month and his attorneys say they will argue that the charges against him should be dropped.

Mexico plans to ask for Ye Gon's extradition¹⁵, a process U.S. court officials say could take years.

1 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

2 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

3 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

4 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

5 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

6 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

7 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

8 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

9 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

10 magistrate   

n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官

参考例句：

• The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。
• John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。

11 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

12 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

13 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

14 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

15 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。