European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 a a the stars and stripes saturday april 14,1990�?~millions�?T unearthed in puerto Rico Vega Baja puerto Rico apr residents of this coastal Community unearthed a extraordinary amounts of Money from steel Drums buried in a Farmers Field that were probably hidden by drug traffickers the . Attorney said thursday. But residents of this town of 30,000 residents sandwiched Between a Pristine Beach and tropical Hills 35 Miles from san Juan were tight lipped about newspaper reports that they went on a spending Binge after digging up steel Drums containing millions of dollars in Cash. . Attorney Daniel Lopez Romo said the Fri began interviewing residents two weeks ago after word spread about the buying spree. A we know one drum had $1.5 million and there were several Drums. So you can see that we re talking about extraordinary amounts of Money a Lopez said in san Juan. The Money is believed to have belonged to drug traffickers he said. A a that a one of the strongest possibilities but i can to say with certainty a he said. A a it a probable that somebody knew where it was buried and they blew the  he said officials became suspicious after residents began spending �?o$100,000, $200,000 and $300,000, great sums a buying luxury items. Newspapers said local sales of houses boats cars and Vars were brisk until a car Mechanic paid $ 170,000 Cash for a House and a sports car and deposited $50,000 Cash in a Bank. Miguel Rodriguez a police narcotics agent in Vega Baja said thursday that a car and a motorcycle had been turned in to Fri agents investigating the Case. He said he did t have details but the Fri has reportedly asked local residents to surrender any goods purchased with Money from the Drums. A this is so confidential the Fri is not even telling us anything a Rodriguez said. A there is a report of lots of Money floating around but we done to know from  the Fri office in the capital san Juan has declined to discuss the Case. Because puerto Rico is a . Commonwealth its investigatory matters come under Federal jurisdiction. Lopez said results of the investigation  be disclosed until it is completed. He said location of the buried treasure  be disclosed because a there would be a Gold Rush to the  local residents were also mum about the reports thursday. They generally said they did no to know anything about the Money. They even gave differing versions of where the steel Drums were buried. A if i found that Money i  have touched it for anything in the world. Its dirty Money a that for sure. Something real fishy about it a said Janjon Tascar a a a 0u, cafe and �2 City Hall was closed for the Day. At police head quarters an officer said no information was As Able because the Fri was handling the Case. Al Vocero a Spanish language tabloid that broke the Story said thursday the puerto Rico Justice department has estimated that up to $20 million Mav have been burned in the Drums. Y the Star san Juan a English language daily said Fri agents recovered a steel drum containing $12 million and that 10 other empty Drums were found nearby. Both newspapers quoted unidentified sources. Al Vocero said the Fri has confiscated a a millions a mostly in $100 and $20 Bills a from residents and from the drum recovered by agents. Al Vocero said Federal and puerto Rico officials May have to go to court to determine custody of the buried treasure. Under puerto rican Law anyone finding treasure on private property is entitled to keep half with the remainder going to the Commonwealth. But the Fri could invoke a Federal Law entitling the . Government to confiscate funds tied to the illegal drug Trade to pay for the costs of the investigation.. Bases targeted for easter peace rallies by the stars and stripes West germans participating in the traditional easter peace marches will pass around a suitcase with a Farewell message to . Service members. The group will form a human Chain about 3 . Monday in Niernberg and hand along the symbolic piece of Luggage bearing the words a ebon voyage come again a As tourists because we have nothing against you a the Chain will stretch from the county draft Board to Merrell Barracks location of 2nd army Cav regt Headquarters. The suitcase passing rally is one of 300 demonstrations planned for easter weekend. Elsewhere East germans will join West germans on sunday in a March to the Border at observation Point Alpha in the Fulda area. March coordinator Gerald Flinner said this years theme will be total disarmament and demilitarization. Other demonstrators will gather near . Install news briefs3 hostages held in Libya not Lebanon report says Paris up a three hostages released earlier this week in Beirut were captured by the government of col. Moa mar Qadhafi and held in Libya and not Lebanon according to an authoritative newspaper report published Friday that the French government said May be True. Citing unnamed sources in Paris Brussels and Beirut the conservative Paris newspaper be Figaro said the algerian government Ana not Qadhafi served As the principal mediator in the negotiations to free the  firm ridicules idea pipes could be gun parts London apr Iraq has already received 44 pieces of tubing identical to eight sections seized As suspected parts of a Gigantic gun the British manufacturer said Friday. A i am sure that most people will recognize the Absurdity of suggestions being made that these pipes Are in fact guns a said Tony Peck spokesman for Sheffield forge masters. He said the eight sections Are random parts of a 26-Section Assembly that would be 511 feet talons. Here is a summary of the rallies a on saturday peace groups and Low level flying opponents will take to the streets in Ludwigshafen or Linstadt and Ramstein. The . Depot in or Linstadt and Ramstein Abs West Gate will be focal Points for two of the demonstrations. . Authorities Are advising americans to avoid the Ramstein Village area during the demonstration because of potential traffic problems base spokesman sgt. Rich Romero said. Other saturday demonstrations will be held in Illes Heim Home of Vii corps uth aviation brigade to protest Apache attack helicopters. A on sunday demonstrators will hold rallies at Mainz Fin then army Airfield a missile storage site at Hasselbach Fem Wald Albach a proposed site for Hawk anti aircraft missiles Heilbronn and Camp re leg in Wald Heide. A on monday demonstrations will be held in front of William o. Darby Cavern in Firth Headquarters of in Imberg a military Community. The motto of the demonstration is a the who has no enemies needs no  in Stuttgart marchers will walk from the Daimler-1 Benz company to eur come a Headquarters. A peace group concerned about chemical weapons stored in Rheinland Pfalz will demonstrate at a Catho lie Church in Clausen. Clausen is the town nearest to the depot where the United states is storing its chemical weapons. Low level flying opponents will gather in Maxdorf to commemorate the december crash of two . F-161 Jet fighters assigned to Hahn a. One Pilot died in the Accident. In England peace activists will walk through Raf Lakenheath on sunday in remembrance of the civilians killed during the . Air Force raid in Libya four i years ago. Of Lulfs from Lakenheath participated in i the april 1986 bombing. I the activists will use a Public Footpath that is Boull a mile Long and crosses the base. The path is rarely used but ministry of defense police plan to escort anyone who walks on the path. Seized by customs officers on thursday was intended for use in a petrochemical Plant. Webster soviet watchers warn of possible civil War a deep crisis by the los Angeles times Washington a Cia director William h. Webster predicted thursday that the soviet Union is heading into a a deep and prolonged  websters gloomy analysis was echoed thursday afternoon by a panel of respected Sovi ecologists. The panel warned that . Policy makers must plan for the possibility that a civil War could result in the soviet Union from ethnic unrest. Webster also warned that Eastern Europe a deteriorating economic situation is endangering the stability of the newly democratic regimes. It was one of the starkest assessments by a ranking Bush administration official of the problems facing soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev. Webster also said that a Cool Heads Are needed to prevent the escalating dispute Over secession in Lithuania from turning into open confrontation. The think tank group also warned of demoralization in the soviet military and open rifts Over the Means by which to control those trends. A what you be got is a recipe for big time trouble up to and including implosion a said Jeremy r. Azrael formerly the Ciao a senior soviet watcher. A i would say the chances of a civil War breaking out in the coming years Are one in three or one in four a added Azrael who now is a senior analyst with the Rand corp., a think tank based in Santa Monica Calif. Websters comments plus the unrelated Rand study underline the perils that Gorbachev faces. In recent Days Bush administration officials have sym a i thied with the challenges facing Gorbachev. I on wednesday for example Bush again resist Elj Calls to show greater support for Independence move ments in Lithuania Latvia and Estonia telling leade i of Baltic american ethnic groups that such movement i could set in motion a crisis and Bloodbath. ,1 the ethnic unrest has already strengthen a the a i of the soviet military in political decisions alter a t i period of a remarkable decline in its clout. Azrael a four other Rand analysts said thursday. Of Pirjo the military a senior officers Are certain to exe Cwi their newfound influence in negotiations Over t i unification of Germany and the reduction of c i tonal arms in Europe the Rand and said. J Webster underlined Gorbachev s plight map i before the world affairs Council of Boston. Although he called Gorbachev s Refo is. To Vang ble a Webster added a the new system that. He i try to create is not yet ready to take the placet Mac one he has had  As a  sine a a conditions have deteriorated crime is inert g i Nic turmoil is escalating and now Mosca avid fall haps its greatest Challenge a attempts by a Deviou states to secede from the Union.�?�. A Jet 0fl the creation of a new political order and the aty resources from defense to consumer goo to i have so far failed a to head off consumer d and a the question remains whether these. A an drivel others to follow will satisfy the soviet Peop caste j the republics an incentive to stay in the u it said