The Miami News from Miami, Florida • 6

6A The Miami News Saturday, January 17, 1987 from 1A Suspect seeks bond in Jamaica AMBASSAD0R' has two small children and Phyllis, a willowy, attractive woman in her mid-30s, is pregnant with their third child. With his second family, at a time he is is old enough to be having grandchildren, Tambs is not going to allow a lapse. He's demanding, intolerant of mistakes by his guards. Once he found some of them clustered In a hut during a rainstorm Instead of standing their assigned areas. They were fired.

Their replacements got new shelters. Another night, Tambs and Phyllis are entertaining friends from the United States when there's a knock on the front door. It's the security chief, a stern-faced Costa Rican who asks if Tambs wants to accompany him on the rounds. "Si," Tambs responds quickly. "You want to go?" he asks his visitor.

He pulls his revolver out of the satchel on the entry hall table and loads it with a speed loader, shoving all six rounds in expertly at the same time, and casually pokes the weapon into the back pocket of his slacks. They step outside. There are three guards waiting. One carries a Mini-14, an automatic rifle; a second carries a 12-gauge pump shotgun loaded with buckshot; a third carries an Uzi. Tambs walks, over to examine construction on the other side of the fence and asks if the guards have checked it.

He's obviously thinking about the possibility of a tunnel. As they walk around the compound, the guards pace restlessly at their posts, weapons in their hands instead of slung on their shoulders. Tflmhs liUne what ha cue thle MIKE WARD The reputed ringleader of a Jamaican pang will try to post bond in Jamaica on mass-murder charges as a prelude to making a second attempt at getting out of a Miami jail, his attorney says. The development came yesterday after Lester Lloyd Coke, 39, was denied bond by a federal immigration Judge. "We're going to try and arrange for bond in Jamaica, said Harvey Zimmerman, Coke's attorney.

"If we can do that, then the (Miami immigration) judge might reconsider his decision denying bond. We would request that. Coke has been held without bond at the Krome Avenue Federal Detention Center since his arrest Jan. 8 by U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service agents on the Jamaican murder charges.

Copies of two murder warrants for Coke's arrest were filed yesterday with the Krome immigration court, along with a wanted poster identifying Coke as a suspect in a total of 12 slayings in Jamaica in 1984. Kingston police said Coke is charged with a May 1984 attack, where a 22-member gang set houses in the Tivoli Gardens area on fire to punish opponents of the ruling Jamaican Labor Party (JLP). Court exhibits and law enforcement reports have identified Coke as a leader of the Shower Posse, which a New York police intelligence report states is politically aligned with the JLP. It is one of several large gangs of Jamaican nationals under investigation by federal and state law enforcement agencies for alleged involvement in hundreds of slayings, drug trafficking and robberies in more than a dozen U.S. cities, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, law enforcement officials have said.

INS officials yesterday denied a request by The Miami News to allow Coke to comment on the allegations in the Jamaican warrants. He remained silent throughout the hearing, listening intently. Glen Andradi, deputy chief of the Office of Public Prosecution in WSVN employees take news in stride Kingston, said criminal defendants cannot post bond without appearing personally in the Jamaican court. "They have to be within this jurisdiction and Miami is not," he said. Zimmerman said Coke will file for political asylum in the United States next week, contending the murder charges are "politically motivated." He said Coke was politically active in Jamaica prior to 1984 as a supporter of Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga, who heads the JLP.

No hearing has been set on Coke's expected asylum request. Richard Smith. INS deputy regional director in Miami, said that in a request for political asylum, Coke will have to detail specific reasons why and how the Jamaican murder charges are political. He said INS officials will review those reasons before deciding whether to oppose Coke's request. Once Coke's request is filed, he said, the U.S.

State Department will issue a non-binding advisory opinion on whether it should be granted. Ed Wilkins, director of the State Department's Office of Asylum Affairs in Washington, said federal law prohibits asylum to some foreign fugitives. "Political crimes could be the basis for feared persecution, but that wouldn't include just anything," Wilkins said. "Crimes involving random violence can't be defined as political crimes, although the murder of a head of state or something like that might be." He said foreign nationals can be denied asylum on several grounds: If they have been convicted of a non-political crime outside the United States, if they are guilty of persecution and if they "are a danger to the security of the United States." Smith said criminal fugitives from other countries occasionally request asylum, "but getting it is another matter. A judge will decide that after he hears the evidence theirs and all of ours." INS trial attorney Kenneth Hu-rewitz, who represented the federal government at yesterday's hearing, said that if Williams grants Coke's request for political asylum "then he's released, free, gone." Hambrick Ciardo "A lot of imaginations are working overtime," said Bret Lewis, Channel 7's sports anchor.

"No one knows what's going to happen." "We were all surprised." said Rene Fouprier, 21, a utility worker at the station. "No one knew anything like this was going on. There are lots of rumors that we're going independent. Personally, I'm mov-ing on." At Channel 4. the feeling was described as a "happy calm" by an employee who asked not to be named.

"Officially we're not supposed to say anything about it yet," the employee said. "But I can tell you there is no panic here. Ev-eryone is really quite encouraged. The big guessing game now is, 'Are we going to become an NBC From 1980 to 1985. Channel 4 rent NBC affiliate, Channel 7.

said Geri Donnelly, vice president-media director at the Miami advertising agency McFarland Drier. NBC will sell time on Channel 4 along with all the other NBC stations to the high-budget national advertisers, Donnelly said. The additional national advertisers on Channel 4 will increase demand for advertising time in Miami. In turn, all Miami stations will raise their rates for TV ad time, she said. Yesterday, local television executives were intrigued and confused by the NBC buy out of a rival's affiliate, since there are few precedents to guide them.

"A network buying an opposing affiliate has happened so seldom, there's not much history to go by." said media expert Hal Gore, vice president of H.B. La Rue Media Brokers of Atlanta. Brazzil and other industry observers agree there are many scenarios that could be played out Channels 7 and 4 could sim SNOW. it happen." But other people around the town did and couldn't believe it. And some of them recall hearing the local snow forecast on the radio.

North Miami Beach Police Lt. Robert Horowitz was still in bed when he heard the forecast. Minutes later his 9-year-old daughter. Michelle, began yelling outside. "She taid.

'You've rot to come outside. It's Horowitz says. Not many M.amiani saw the snow the way Vkki Purdv did. Then 20. Purdy worked at Calder Race Course, exerciwr.g borsrt.

"1 was galloping try horse." she said. "I ww this white stuff com-irg down and some settled on the of fry horw. I didn't believe it" For some M.amiant transplanted front the North the now km i breath erf nostalgia, and, several said, they were fust at happy that there vasal enough to Ml a drive Ill LI "I feel certain our position will be to oppose it," he said. "From the facts before this court, political asylum would certainly not apply in this case on 12 murder charges." During yesterday's hearing at the Krome center, INS agent Paul Wynne testified Coke told him "he'd like to go back to Jamaica and get this situation straightened out. Wynne and several other INS agents arrested Coke after a Jan.

8 INS hearing on Coke's application for permanent residency in the United States. "As long as you've got these warrants, you'll be having immigration problems in the U.S.," immigration Judge Keith Williams told Coke. Coke nodded slightly, but did not answer. Zimmerman contended the Jamaican government "has made no attempts whatsoever" to gain custody of Coke on the murder warrants. He noted that Coke left Jamaica in October 1984 on a visa, and Jamaican police made no attempt to stop him for the warrants which had been issued five months earlier.

"There have been some political considerations involved with this case in Jamaica in the past, but the Jamaican government does in fact now want to extradite," Wynne said. "They want Mr. Coke back." Wynne did not elaborate on the "political considerations." Zimmerman noted INS officials had allowed Coke to remain free in Miami for nearly 18 months before he was arrested and even approved two requests giving him temporary residency status in this country during that time. Although Zimmerman acknowledged Coke had overstayed the visa and was an illegal alien, he said that at the time of the Jan. 8 arrest Coke was on a temporary residency status approved by INS.

Zimmerman said Coke a bearded, 240-pound former construction worker has five children in Jamaica and still owns a house there. In Miami, Coke has a 33-year-old wife, Grace, and 20-year-old daughter, Prudence. Both attended yesterday's hearing. anchor John Hambrick, was a reporter-anchor at WNBC in New York, the flagship of NBC's seven owned-and-operated stations around the country. He said the prospect of going back to work for the company that he left in 1985 does not scare him.

"I have no trepidation," Hambrick said. "We may not become an NBC (owned and operated). All we know is that GE, the parent company of NBC, is buying us. I have nothing but respect and admiration for the people at NBC. "These, people are going to stay here (at Channel 4) and run this TV station.

Your speculation is as good as mine. I have every bit of faith that 1 will continue here. The feeling here is everyone is very pleased that a first-rate company like GE has bought us. I really mean this. I'm not just saying this for effect." The proposed deal comes after almost two years of turmoil for Channel 4.

In 1985. the station was sold by Wometco Broadcasting to Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts, an investment firm, whose primary concern was to "do a quick turn-around and resell the station," said Bill Brazzil, former general manager at Channel 4. Soon after Kohlberg. Kravis took control, it attempted to sell channel 4 to Lorimar Telepictures, but the deal fell through. ply swap network affiliations.

Thus. Channel 4 would carry NBC programming and Channel 7 would carry CBS programming. Rather than linking with Channel 7, the CBS network could decide to shop around. CBS reportedly expressed interest three months ago in independent station WCIX-Channel 6. WPLG-Channel 10's parent company.

Post-Newsweek. has long preferred dealing with CBS. Nearly all Post-Newsweek stations are CBS affiliates. In light of the poor ratings performance of ABC network programming during the past five years, it's possible Channel 10 would swap ABC for CCS. If Channel 4 goes with NBC, and Channel 10 goes with CBS.

this leaves the ABC affiliation up for grabs between channels 6 and 7. Miami News RadioTV IdUor Tom Jtcha contributed to this report. way or a street. was driving to work." says Jerry Moskowitz, now assistant supervisor of vehicle maintenance in the city of North Miami Beach. "I'm from Queens, and I've teen plenty of snow.

I saw these white flakes landing on my car and I couldn't believe it. I thought it was tome sort of stuff from a fire or a chimney someplace. But then it started melting on the hood and I knew it was snow." I hat afternoon in Miami, the highest the mercury reached was 47 degree! making it the coldest afternoon since the weather bureau began keeping records here in the jJ. The next day, Dade woke tip to another freezing 32-degree reading at Miami International Airport. But the sky was clear and the snow was gone.

When wiJ it return? "Whenever ccmditKws are fast right." tayt Ced.f! jer. "well have snow Tambs, 59, became U.S. ambassador to Colombia in April 1984 with instructions from the president to do anything he could about the narcotics trade. He set to work rapidly, becoming good friends with the Colombian minister of justice, Rodrigo Lara, a socialist who shared none of his political philosophies. But the two worked in concert to do something about the narcotics traffic that was wreaking havoc on Colombians as well as Americans.

In March 1984, Colombia anti-narcotics police, with unprecedented assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, launched a massive raid that stunned the drug world. Police and troops swooped down at remote airfields, destroying seven drug laboratories and seizing 14 tons of cocaine. "It was the largest drug bust in the history of the world," Tambs says, obviously still relishing the moment. The response was predictable.

Word soon reached Tambs that a $300,000 price tag had been put on his head. Lara was murdered not long afterward, only hours after he had pleaded with Tambs to find him a safehouse until the Colombian government could get him out of the country. Within hours, Tambs got financial assistance from Dallas billionaire Ross Perot to line up a safe-house in New York for Lara and his family. But that night, as Lara was going home from work, his lead car was cut off in traffic and a motorcycle pulled beside his car. He died in a hail of submachine gunfire.

He was not wearing the bulletproof vest Tambs had given him, but it would have done no good. Tambs was the next obvious target for the drogistas whose success always has depended on their ability to paralyze with fear. He went to Lara's funeral over the protests of the U.S. State Department, and when he came out of the funeral mass, thousands of poor people saluted him by chanting, "Viva Los Estados Unidos!" It was the macho thing to do. But after that, the American ambassador was accompanied by as many as 22 men everywhere he went.

A scout car out in front, a lead car, and a follow car behind his armored limousine. Three times, the State Department pulled the ambassador out of the country, fearing he could not be protected. The U.S. embassy was bombed and a passerby killed. Tambs' home also was bombed, but no one was hurt.

Tambs sometimes prowled the halls of the residence at night, unable to sleep, cradling an M-14 rifle in his arms. Armored cars were flown in for members of the embassy staff. Tambs' daughters and other embassy children were driven to school in them, under guard. In a sense, the drug mafia won the war of nerves. On Christmas Eve two years ago, intelligence sources confirmed that the family's most trusted bodyguard had been bought off.

The trap had been set and was perilously close to being sprung. Tambs and his wife and three daughters got out of the country safely, but his effectiveness as ambassador to Colombia was over. So great was the threat that Phyllis and the girls were whisked to a Strategic Air Command Base in Michigan, where they could be protected. Tambs returned to Washington to work but was accompanied everywhere by two bodyguards. By June 1985, things had cooled to the point that President Reagan was ready to use Tambs again, this time as ambassador to Costa Rica.

Clearly, it was a post that gave the ambassador the catbird's seat for Central American happenings, a job Tambs relished. A paper he had authored on how to win a "low intensity" war in Central America was what had called.him to the attention of the Reagan administration. Immediately, he established a high profile presence in Costa Rica, beginning properly by stepping off the plane with his 2-year-old daughter Greer Elizabeth in his arms, holding her proudly for the television cameras. It was the right thing to do in a nation that loves its children. From the first days in Costa Ri- RIVER COPS, the "emotional roller coaster" the defendants and their families have had to endure.

"It's highly unusual to actually return a written verdict with a non-unanimous vote," added Black, who said that in 17 years as an attorney, handling some 200 cases, he's never had a jury come back thinking it had a verdict when it didn't. "You can just imagine," said Black, "what it'i been like for the defendants and their families to sit here in a packed courtroom, waiting for decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, and then to be told it's not over." Defense attorney Jose Quifton called yesterday's results "almost a cruel situation, because it's been a long and grueling trial." Quirkm said there "appears to be a rather substantial division in that jury." Asked if that may mean a hung jury, Quifton responded. "To some degree, it points in that direction." Defense attorney Sam Bursty a called the split jury "very encour-. agmg" "I think they had tome teriout problemt in the case." added Bur-styn. "The jury didst swallow the govern me ru scenario." Attorney Greg Denaro taid despite the fury't d.fficultiet.

it it hit ut fehrg that the fury will return iiB a verdict fry Monday. Prosecutort declined to comment en the actions. "Iff too early." taid special federal Tambs ca, Tambs was the sometimes blunt articulator of the administration's Central America policy, something that he will continue to be after he returns to his teaching post. He has vowed to speak as often as he's asked to hammer his theme that a Marxist-Leninist government has been established in Nicaragua and must be opposed. It's a role Tambs obviously loves, and one he has vowed to pursue, even at great personal sacrifice.

In his last days in Costa Rica, Tambs continues to live as he has since the dark days in Colombia. Most of the time, he travels in a two-vehicle caravan usually two powerful Chevrolet Suburbans weighed down with thousands of pounds of concealed steel armor and thick bulletproof windows. Tambs' spot always is the same, in the center seat. His satchel is always on the seat beside him holding his Smith Wesson .357 Magnum. In the front seat, an alert driver constantly scans the rearview mirrors, watching the chase vehicle behind as it swings wide on every turn to cut off any possible pursuit.

The bodyguard sits next to the driver, an Uzi submachine gun in his arms, his eyes darting constantly to his rear view mirror and then ahead and to the right. Suddenly, the Suburban makes a 180-degree turn and speeds in the opposite direction. A right turn. A left. A few streets over, the vehicle swings back on course, carrying Tambs to an art gallery reception, where he will make a perfunctory appearance.

It's a routine trip. Standard operating procedure. No predictable routes. All behavior is intentionally erratic and unpredictable. Another night Tambs is accompanying a State Department visitor to a meeting with Costa Rican journalists.

The visitor can't see from the rear seaC but Tambs reaches into his satchel, takes out his revolver and nonchalantly checks to conv firm it is loaded. "Why aren't we taking your car?" the visitor asks, referring to the armor-plated Cadillac that is the ambassador's official car. "Because this one makes a better firing platform," Tambs responds matter of factly. without further explanation. The visitor, who had been chattering inanely about everything, suddenly falls silent.

Back at the ambassador's residence, Tambs and his follow car sweep up to the massive iron gate with a heavy swing-down bar in front. Two San Jose policemen sit in their car across from the residence and watch as the gates open and the heavy Suburbans move through. The police officers are there 24 hours a day, perhaps as a courtesy. They carry only sidearms. The crew inside the embassy compound is combat-armed, ready to respond to a major assault.

There are at least half a dozen guards on duty day and night, sometimes more. They, stand posts on the five-acre grounds, assisted by electronic sensors. Tambs takes nothing about the security for granted. Several times a week, he personally makes the rounds, checking the guards and their weapons and the electronic equipment. In his second marriage, he now from 1A prosecutor Russell Killinger.

An indication of the jury't difficulty in reaching a verdict came late yesterday morning when they sent a note to the judge saying they were divided on tome of the charges. Ryskamp called all the attorneys into his chambers for a half-hour, closed-door conference. The nature of the discussions remained shrouded in secrecy after Ryskamp barred attorneys from commenting. According to sources close to the case, the jurors tent the judge another note yesterday afternoon saying they didn't understand the racketeering charges against the defendants. Shortly after 4 the Jury tent a third note indicating it had reached a verdict.

The huge central courtroom in the U.S. District Court building filled with tome 200 people. At the defendants' families prayed, the defendants twitched nervously or tat stiffly In their chain. Prosecutor! and police Investigator! assigned to the case made small talk to relieve the tension at 1 years of work hung in the balance. Ryskamp entered the courtroom.

"I'm ture that no matter which way thit goet," the fudge taid. "it mul be an emotional htuation We have plenty of here. I would remind yon that thit it a court of law, and to restrain your-trivet. I ill insist on order ia thit night. He speaks to each of the guards, who will have monotonous but all-important assignments the rest of the night.

The visitor is nervous about the whole thing. "If they want to get me, they can do it," Tambs explains as he walks. "But we'll make it as costly for them as we can." He strides rapidly back toward the house, the revolver sticking menacingly out of his back pocket. The routine is over. Another day is done.

This is the lifestyle until mid-January when Tambs will step back into private life, resuming his teaching career at Arizona State in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe. ASU President Russell Nelson has held his job open for him, something for which Tambs is profoundly grateful. His resignation as ambassador came two days after he was linked in news reports to secret U.S. efforts to supply arms to the Nicara-guan rebels known as contras. The Washington Post reported that Tambs twice asked the Costa Rican government to allow use of a remote airstrip in northern Costa Rica to ferry arms to the contras.

Tambs and Washington officials denied any connection between those allegations and Tambs' resignation. Robert Tennert, head of the ASU History Department, says he had known for four months that Tambs planned to teach at ASU next spring. His classes no doubt will be full once word circulates in the student body that he's back. He has a reputation as an excellent lecturer. At the same time, he'll still be helping his president every way he can.

"That's why I'm coming back right now." he says. "I'm going to be the spokesman for the president's Central American policy," He'll make as many speeches as he can, assisted by travel money from private sources. He'll still be busy, but the lifestyle will be dramatically different. There will be no servants, and no guards. The FBI and the federal drug agents will advise him if there's any information on his safety, but that's the extent of the government help.

And Tambs knows too well the drogistas from Colombia art patient when they have to be. His friends are angered by his circumstance, but Tambs seems philosophical. "The president asked me to serve," he says, as if that explains everything that was4 and everything that will be. Max Jennings is Executive Fdi-tor of The Mesa (Arizona) Tribune, a Cox Newspaper, as is The Miami News. courtroom." Black taid he thought tomething was wrong after the judge was handed the verdict forms by the clerk.

"I could see consternation on his face and I knew he was upset about something," Black taid. "Let me tee counsel at tidebar," Ryskamp taid, calling the attorney! to the bench. After several minutet of discussions, Ryskamp addressed the jurors. "I cannot receive your verdict." the judge taid. "At I told you during instructions, you all must agree.

At to the way the verdict it at the present time, it is defective." Defendant Armando Garcia mopped his brow. His mother, Nancy Garcia, gestured to her ton with an upraised fist at if in victory The jury hat the option of notifying the judge that it it deadlocked. In that case, the judge must tell the panel the case must be retried at great expense if they cannot reach tmammout agreement. But the judge also must tell the jury that unshakable opinions must not be changed amply to end the case. Quinon added that while it it too early to determine the outcome of jury de liberationt, it would be dif-fscult for the government to retry the defendant.

1iarni Sem Ht porter Noncy hVnarw4 The AswciateJ Prvit Contributed tO liory. DEBORAH WILKER and ADRIAN WALKER The news that WSVN-Channei 7 "would be losing it's 30-year affiliation with the NBC network" was reportered on it's own 6 o'clock newscast yesterday. NBC vice president Pierson Mapes said during the broadcast, "We would have preferred to buy WSVN-Channel 7. but it wasn't available." "There wasn't any staff meeting or formal announcement," said Tracy Ciardo, 24, a Channel 7 employee. "There was just a bulletin that management put out.

There was really no big reaction. Everyone was joking that we'll either become an independent or an affiliate of CBS," Ciardo said yesterday as she was leaving the station. "I hope I still have a job." Earlier in the day, station employees were reticent to talk about the coming changes. "This is a very hard day for us," said a Channel 7 manager, who asked not to be identified. "We're trying to report this story, too." Yesterday's announcement of the proposed General Electric-NBC buyout of CBS affiliate WTVJ-Channel 4 triggers a jockeying period among local stations that could last as long as two years.

WTVJ, ta 1A tract with WSVN and make the change in two years." said Bill Brazzil, former general manager of Channel 4. "The two networks will probably come to an agreement with their affiliates and with each other and perhaps a swap might occur." Once the deals are made, local viewers at least for a short time will find their favorite shows in unlikely places. "Literally every station in this market could be different a year from now." said WCIX- Channel 6 General Manager Elliott Troshin-sky. When a local station becomes owned and operated by a network called an in the industry its local news programs undergo a "significant change in style, approach and personalities." said a Florida advertising agency media director who asked not to be named. Moreover, a a network Channel 4's advertising revenues will likely exceed those of the cur- AIDS from 1A application.

The. strong point, she taid. is that brief clinical trials earlier this year showed it extends live. The weak point, she said, is that the scientific community doesn't know much more than that about AZT at least when compared with the extensive data the IDA usually requires before approving a new dag. While the original clinical trials that led to the hurry-up consideration of AZT were limited for the most part to AIDS victim with a rare form of pneumonia called Pneumorystit carinti, final approval technically would not be limited to patients wits that cond.tion.

Related early tests also covered a test-severe conditio called AIDS-related cotr.pl or ARC. AZT hat nifkant ude effects, inctad.rg anemia and bone marrow tppreon. Some patient! have required tranf ummt to coa-fcat anemia..