TTSOML #123: Mexican Guys From Cabins Know Bujanda

While staying with the Mexican orchard workers, I got to know them as brothers. They all treated me like a sister, were protective, and respectful. I had my own curtain drawn over my bed and they let me keep my own bunk, both top and bottom. I cleaned the place for them and was sorting through my legal affairs and had some of that stuff with me. They cooked for me. It was sort of like Snow White and the dwarves but some of them were taller than dwarves.

One of them, upon hearing the name "Raul Bujanda", said in a loud voice, "I know him!
We were friends." I was skeptical and asked how he knew him. He said, "We picked cherries together in Oregon." I hadn't told him where Bujanda was from and had never said anything about his work, and this was what he said. When I said Armando Garza's name, it didn't ring a bell. So I figured he must know what he was saying, and if it was true that Bujanda was picking cherries, I don't know, it would seem to confirm he "infiltrated the Mexican mafia". Maybe they put people in orchards to get tips, how do I know?

I know one of the guys, who only went by the nickname "Nacho" was a big fan of mine. He thought I was so innocent and had sympathy about the situation with my family. The guy had a big heart. I saw some things that were pretty raunchy, well, didn't see, but heard of them and knew they were happening, but outside of that, everyone was nothing but nice to me. Nacho showed me his CBs, or, one of them, which was a radio device that could pick up the conversations of police. It was stronger than regular ones. I guess it was investigative quality. I heard some of it myself.

I later mentioned this to the FBI, and gave Nacho's nickname in case he was linked to a major drug ring. They may have assumed the person who knew Bujanda was the same Nacho I spoke of, and I said it did seem like Nacho "knew something". I gave the information to the Seattle field office, and also, to the Portland field office, and I confessed I'd said something to these guys about Bujanda and Garza. I started to think maybe I'd put someone's life in danger so I told the FBI.

I think now, that in telling the FBI, perhaps I put someone else's life in danger. I don't know who took my call and where the information was passed, but the next thing I knew, is that one day after Nacho picked up Christmas cookies I had made, from my house, he was shot and killed.

I did tell Christa about the radio and also about a guy from the orchards, being familiar with Bujanda's name.

It was almost a year after I first met Nacho that he was killed. First I just knew him as a worker for my family, then I was staying at the cabins with the guys, and then I moved into my own place, in downtown Wenatchee. Nacho was involved in some kind of drug ring and had probably been in for awhile.

I told the FBI how someone (didn't say the name) who worked in the orchards, knew Bujanda by name and then I told all the guys about it. I noticed Nacho making a mental note. It seemed to me that he was more than surprised or something when I said the names of these guys and I could see him thinking. Either he knew something already, and didn't tell me about it, or he was just pondering the information and maybe thinking about who to inform.