$132 MILLION TRACED TO SWISS IN SALINAS CASE

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP)-- U.S. investigators have traced $132 million in
Swiss banks to the brother of a former Mexican president and say at least
some of the money came from drug traffickers, according to court documents
released Friday.

Switzerland's highest court disclosed for the first time details of the
largely secret U.S. case against Raul Salinas de Gortari, the brother of
former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

The Federal Tribunal made the disclosure in a decision allowing some bank
account documents to be turned over to U.S. authorities, who have accused
Salinas, his wife and others of money laundering, bribery and cocaine
trafficking.

The decision omitted names but referred to ``the brother of the previous
Mexican president'' and otherwise made clear that it was the latest decision
in the Salinas case.

The court disclosed not only that U.S. officials believe Salinas had
deposited $132 million in Swiss bank accounts but also that they believe
significant drug dealers paid Salinas to ``assure undisturbed passage of the
drugs through Mexico to the United States.''

The court also referred to U.S. assertions that the wife of Raul Salinas,
Paulina Castanon, admitted under questioning that the money came from bribes.

Salinas has denied any links to drug traffickers and said the money in the
Swiss accounts was an investment fund pooled by several wealthy friends.
Virtually all of the funds have been frozen by Swiss authorities since
November 1995.

Raul Salinas has been imprisoned in Mexico on charges of homicide for the
1994 murder of a political rival and illegal enrichment.

Carlos Salinas, who left Mexico in disgrace in early 1995 soon after his
term ended, has spent most of his self-imposed exile in Dublin, Ireland.