Former Mexican anti-drug prosecutor found dead in U.S.

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY -- Days before he was to be arraigned on U.S. charges of laundering $9.9 million in suspected drug payoffs, Mexico's former top drug prosecutor was found dead in his New Jersey apartment Wednesday of an apparent drug overdose. His attorney said it was suicide.

Mario Ruiz Massieu, 48, had been under house arrest in New Jersey since 1996 while battling extradition to Mexico, where he was accused of covering up the 1994 murder of his brother, ruling party leader Jose Francisco.

Ruiz Massieu also was charged in Houston last month with laundering millions while he was assistant attorney general. He was to have been arraigned in Houston on Friday.

Justice Department spokesman John Russell said in Washington that Ruiz Massieu was found by Palisades Park, N.J., police in his apartment, with death due to an apparent overdose of antidepressants. Mexican justice officials and Ruiz Massieu's sister Marisela also confirmed his death.

Bergen County Prosecutors in New Jersey said police were called to the house by Ruiz Massieu's wife, who said she found him on the bedroom floor. He was still wearing his electronic monitoring anklet.

Assistant Prosecutor James V. Santulli said police found no evidence of violence or forced entry and that, until an autopsy is conducted today, authorities were treating the death as an apparent suicide.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said a note left by Ruiz Massieu strongly maintained his innocence and berated the Mexican government.

George Arzt, a representative of Ruiz Massieu attorney Cathy Fleming, confirmed Ruiz Massieu left a note addressed to the media. Fleming planned to reveal the contents of the note at a press conference in New York today, Arzt said.

Speaking outside Ruiz Massieu's brick duplex, Fleming said the family was in shock and wouldn't speak to reporters.

"There's a little girl here who's having a heart attack, basically," Fleming said, referring to Ruiz Massieu's 10-year-old daughter, Regina. "I really want to give the family some breathing room."

Ruiz Massieu was arrested in 1995 at Newark International Airport for failing to declare all of $46,000 in cash he was carrying while attempting to flee to Spain.

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