Dusting off a recent 2nd Circuit defeat, Chevron has asked a federal judge to seize assets from a group of indigenous Ecuadoreans, their lawyers and their financiers, who are trying to recoup $18.2 billion from the oil giant to clean up what they call the "Amazon's Chernobyl." Chevron says a trial will probably find that the Ecuadoreans violated federal anti-racketeering law, even though the federal appeals court recently stayed the oil company's previous case and warned that insufficient standing may torpedo other claims.The Ecuadoreans' spokeswoman, Karen Hinton, scoffed at Chevron's "baseless" maneuver, which she described as a mix of "desperation," foul play and legal-fee padding..."If defendants had a legitimate judgment they believed could withstand honest judicial scrutiny, they would have welcomed the opportunity to litigate recognition and enforcement in this court, in the sole country where Chevron Corporation is present and has assets to satisfy a judgment," the brief states.[also refers to Texaco]