The Secret World Of Confidential Informants

Critics Blast Informant System Cloaked In Secrecy()  

Guillermo Eduardo Ramirez Peyro, who goes by the nickname Lalo, talks about his case from jail.

February 12, 2010 Though movies like the 1990 mob tale Goodfellas put the spotlight on government informants, in reality, the ties between snitches and their handlers are rarely that transparent. Critics say the government often uses, then discards informants — and they want to see more safeguards.

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Retired Drug Informant Says He Was Burned()  

Ernesto Gamboa helped federal agents in Seattle with a major drug investigation announced last July.

February 13, 2010 Ernesto Gamboa, a native of El Salvador, spent more than a decade as an undercover informant for narcotics police, helping U.S. federal prosecutors secure nearly 100 convictions. Last summer, days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced a major bust it made with Gamboa's help, agents moved to deport him.

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