NCJ Number
97568
Journal
Paso del Norte Dated: (September 1983) Pages: 49-59
Date Published
1983
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article contains a memorandum which details the emergence of an organized crime network born when the United States-backed South Vietnamese government crumbled in 1975 and South Vietnamese high officials fled their homeland. Evidence is offered to support the memo's allegations.
Abstract
The circumstances surrounding the discovery of the memo are described -- it was presented as evidence during the 1982 court hearing on the Federal Government's confiscation of an automobile from former El Paso lawyer Joe Chagra. Seven sources who provided the information upon which the memo was based are identified, and background information on Vietnamese President Thieu and Vice-president Ky is provided. The failure of the U.S. Government to require Vietnamese refugees to supply much, if any, financial information regarding the amount of gold and diamonds they brought from South Vietnam is reported. Additionally, problems in recordkeeping caused by the sudden influx of thousands of Vietnamese refugees are highlighted. Ky's reestablishment of a framework of his South Vietnamese government within the United States is chronicled; the group's involvement in extortion, drugs, loansharking, and other crimes is noted. The group's exclusive operation within the Vietnamese community is cited, as is Ky's success in creating an elaborate network of business fronts. Ky's involvement in welfare fraud is discussed, his use of enforcement groups is described, his associates are named, and his constant communciations with Thieu are reported. Finally, Ky's international relationships are revealed, and the need for a concerted law enforcement effort to halt the growth of his organization is emphasized. Three charts illustrate Ky's organization.