[ISN] Mexican Embassy: Official Fired After Getting Caught With White House BlackBerries

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Thu Apr 24 2008 - 22:19:55 PDT


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352378,00.html

FOX News
April 24, 2008

Whether he was up to no good or simply desperate to play BrickBreaker, a 
Mexican press attach was caught on camera pocketing several White House 
BlackBerries during a recent meeting in New Orleans and has since been 
fired, FOX News has learned.

Sources with knowledge of the incident said the official, Rafael 
Quintero Curiel, served as the lead press advance person for the Mexican 
Delegation and was responsible for handling logistics and guiding the 
Mexican media around at the conference.

Mexican Embassy spokesman Ricardo Alday said Thursday he was asked to 
tender his resignation once he arrived back in Mexico City.

"Mr. Quintero will be responsible for explaining his actions to the 
American authorities conducting an investigation. The Mexican Government 
deeply regrets this incident," he said.

Quintero Curiel took six or seven of the handheld devices from a table 
outside a special room in the hotel where the Mexican delegation was 
meeting with President Bush earlier this week.

Everyone entering the room was required to leave his or her cell phone, 
BlackBerry and other such devices on the table, a common practice when 
high-level meetings are held. American officials discovered their 
missing belongings when they were leaving the session.

It didn't take long before Secret Service officials reviewed videotape 
taken by a surveillance camera and found footage showing Quintero Curiel 
absconding with the BlackBerries.

Sources said Quintero Curiel made it all the way to the airport before 
Secret Service officers caught up with him. He initially denied taking 
the devices, but after agents showed him the DVD, Quintero Curiel said 
it was purely accidental, gave them back, claimed diplomatic immunity 
and left New Orleans with the Mexican delegation.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino refused to discuss the incident, 
telling FOX News, "We are aware of the situation, but as it's under 
investigation by law enforcement officials, we will decline to comment."

FOX News' James Rosen and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.


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