tuguese, but a quick pass through an online translator provided the basic, alarming facts: The DEA had been investigating RX Limited for years and had tracked Le Roux to Brazil, where he was involved in large-scale cocaine trafficking across the Pacific. Worse, the article claimed that the DEA had arrested Le Roux in Liberia and he'd cut a deal, which “led to the arrest of employees in Aus- tralia, Hong Kong, Philippines and the United States.” The head- line was, simply, “The Lord of Crime.”

In a panic, Oz left word with Reuven to call him. The next day, the return call came from Le Roux himself. “I heard you guys are getting very excited over this article that appeared in the Brazilian press,” he said, laughing.

“Yes, tell me about it,” Oz said.

“At the end of the day, the Israelis are the guys that they ar- rested in Hong Kong,” Le Roux said. “Basically, they were grabbed and accused of money laundering.”

“Yeah.”

“Bottom line, most of that article is actually true, but it’s been grossly exaggerated and distorted, okay? There’s always surveil- lance on our operations. That is a matter of fact.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“And also, that’s a big part of the reason why I shut down the old operation, like, when I did, because there’s a lot of heat on it.”

“Yeah, but everything is okay with you?”

“Everything is okay with me,” Le Roux said. “Right now I’m traveling under a different passport. I took some steps—you fol- lowing what I’m saying?”

“Of course.”

“For some reason, the press likes to write about me. I am the lord of crime in this Brazilian newspaper. I run huge militias. You know, they love to write all types of bullshit. Some of it is true, but most of it is grossly exaggerated,” he said. “You know, everyone needs to calm the fuck down.”

Le Roux told Oz he finally had the rest of the money for the Israeli employees, coming within weeks. And he still planned to