“The individual wasn't a customs agent,” Le Roux said. It was a trivial objection: The victim in question, Noimie Edillor, was a part-time real estate agent who also worked for Le Roux, helping him move items through customs.

“So it was a real estate agent, correct?” Richman continued. “Correct.”

“And then there was a second real estate agent, correct?” “Correct.”

“Who was also murdered on your orders, correct?” “That's true.” There was nothing approaching contrition in his manner, nor a hint of any emotion at all. When Le Roux then ad- mitted that he had also ordered the killing of Dave Smith, his tone was as cold and flat as if he had just confirmed what he had been served for breakfast.

Richman walked Le Roux through his decision to cooperate with the U.S. government, fishing for evidence that he'd done so under pressure from the DEA, or in exchange for promises that he would avoid extradition or the death penalty. The greater the ben- efit that Le Roux expected from the government for his coopera- tion, the more likely it was that he would lie to help them convict Moran Oz.

“The government has given no assurances in the plea deal,” Le Roux replied, sounding well-practiced. “They simply state that they will make it known to the court if I'm truthful and I provide infor- mation that's of substantial assistance.” He acknowledged that when he'd decided to cooperate on the plane back to the U.S., he'd been formally charged in only the meth deal. The possible sentence was ten years to life, but as Le Roux helpfully pointed out to Rich- man, the recommended sentence was “only around twelve years.”

As Richman tried to maneuver him into admitting that he had cooperated out of fear, Le Roux nimbly deflected him.

Did Le Roux know, Richman asked, that Adam Samia and David Stillwell were being prosecuted in New York for Catherine Lee's murder, and that if he himself had been charged, he could have faced the death penalty?