United States v. Ramon Eli Barreto Talavera, United States of America v. Tomas Reyes Pena

COFFIN, Chief Judge.

This case raises a series of issues concerning the joint trial of two defendants for their roles in cocaine transactions in late July, 1979. After reviewing each of the defendants’ arguments, we are persuaded that the convictions should be affirmed.

The evidence at trial consisted largely of the testimony of paid informant Carmen Vega Collazo, the testimony of Drug Enforcement Administration Agent James Rivera, and a videotape and audiotape that had recorded transactions within Vega’s apartment. A fair evaluation of that evidence would allow a jury to draw the following…