later confirmed with an anonymous former employee of Le Roux's that the friend was De Meyer.

148 published his story: Mar T. Supnad, "British Captain of Arms Ship Seeks Gov't Protection," Manila Bulletin, August 26, 2009.

148 charged thirty-seven people: Edu Punay, "37 Charged over Gun Smuggling," The Philippine Star, September 5, 2009. See also People of the Philippines v. Burne.

CHAPTER 16

150 Hong Kong and then Mexico: Interview with Kent Bailey. The DEA received notice that Le Roux—now flagged around the world—had flown from Hong Kong to Rotterdam to Mexico. Bailey frantically called the DEA's office in Mexico City. "We've got to get the Federales on him," he said. Given the power of the Mexican drug cartels, the DEA trusted only a few vetted units in the Mexican federal police. They leaned on one to find Le Roux and follow him. But not long after the Mexican agents picked up Le Roux's trail, they were pulled off the case when one of their commanders was shot in an unre- lated drug bust. "Rightfully so, but it hurt us," Bailey said. Le Roux was gone again. "Never did figure out what he was doing in Mexico." My own specula- tion is that the timing of this trip matches up with Ari Ben-Menashe's recollec- tion of Le Roux showing up in person for a meeting in Mexico while Ben-Menashe was vacationing there.

150 Also found among the accused: People of the Philippines v. Burne. That "Mi- chael Archangel" and "Michael Vaughn" are aliases for Shai Reuven derives from an interview with Mathew Smith and copies of forged documents. The use of "Michael Ross" derives from interviews with Lachlan McConnell and court documents including USA v. Berkman, Document 5, November 13, 2013, at 1.

151 cocktail of arrogance and incompetence: On one mission, he had arrived at the airport in Johannesburg traveling under a fake passport for "Michael Vaughn," only to discover he'd failed to get a visa in his fake name.

151 a fishing vessel called the King Yue I: Information about Le Roux's involve- ment with the King Yue haul comes from an interview with a former employee directly familiar with the transactions, as well as Peter Lugay of the Philippine National Police. There were numerous accounts of the ship's dumped cocaine in the Philippine press: for example, Cecille Suerte Felipe, "P165-million Co- caine Seized in Samar," The Philippine Star, July 2, 2010. Other details derive from the Guam legislature's commendation of the U.S. Coast Guard captain who pursued the vessel ("Relative to Recognizing and Commending Lt. Com- mander Matthew Salas and the Crew of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Sequoia for Their Efforts in Preventing the Illegal Trafficking of One Metric Ton of Cocaine," I Mina'trent A Na Lihesla Turan Guahan 2010 (Second) Regular Session, Resolution No. 414-30) and a DEA recognition of the cutter ("U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Recognized by the Drug Enforcement Administra- tion," June 8, 2010).