ACCUSED TRAFFICKER HURT IN MEXICO, ATTORNEY SAYS

An accused Tijuana drug cartel lieutenant has claimed he was "physically
hurt" by Mexican authorities at some point before his precedent-setting
extradition to San Diego last week, his attorney said yesterday.

On Friday, Arturo Paez Martinez was flown out under heavy guard from the
international airport of Toluca, near Mexico City, to face charges outlined
in a San Diego federal indictment.

His newly appointed attorney, Knut Johnson, said Paez made the allegations
yesterday during their first conversation.

"I believe the evidence is going to show he was physically hurt," said
Johnson, who would not reveal when the alleged abuse happened.

Johnson would not comment further, adding he was still unsure how the
allegations might affect the case.

Johnson said his client, who faces charges that he smuggled more than 2,200
pounds of cocaine between 1988 and 1996, was "extremely scared" after being
"torn between two countries and hassled by Mexican authorities."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gonzalo Curiel, who has described Paez as "relaxed"
during the extradition, said Paez appeared to be in good health when he
arrived. On the day he was extradited, Paez also underwent a medical exam
ordered by Mexican authorities.

"He didn't report any problems preceding his transfer," Curiel said. "He
appeared to be in good spirits."

Authorities have described Paez, 34, as a lieutenant within the
Tijuana-based Arellano Felix drug cartel, which is believed by federal
agencies to be responsible for as much as 20 percent of the cocaine sold on
U.S. streets.

Curiel said he plans to argue in a hearing Thursday that Paez should be
held without bond because he might flee and is possibly dangerous.

But Johnson said he has talked with Paez's family and friends and that they
have described Paez as "gentle and polite."

Yesterday, Paez pleaded innocent to six felony counts, including a charge
known as the kingpin statute, which could carry a sentence of life in
prison. Paez, who spoke through a Spanish translator, said little during
the hearing. During his court appearance, U.S. marshals took extra security
measures, including checking IDs at the courthouse door.

The extradition was the first action taken under a Mexican Supreme Court
decision in January that cleared the way for Mexicans to be sent to the
United States to stand trial.

Paez, who authorities say attended high school in Chula Vista, had been
jailed in a maximum-security facility outside Mexico City since his 1997
arrest in Tijuana. He arrived in San Diego late Friday under heavy security
and wearing a bulletproof vest, out of law-enforcement concerns for his safety.

Curiel said the Mexican government should be praised for the extradition.

"It's a very important signal to the United States that Mexico is willing
to be a partner with the United States in taking on violent drug
traffickers," he said.

The extradition of Paez is the third major blow to the Arellano Felix
organization, Curiel said. Last year, Mexican authorities arrested Ismael
Higuera Guerrero and Jesus "Chuy" Labra, who also are described as
high-ranking cartel members.