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MEXICO DRUG WAR
HIGHER EDUCATION
‘Bodies piling up’
Voting begins for LCC bond election
Spotlight on Tamaulipas violence
By JUDITH RAYO By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
THE ZAPATA TIMES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CIUDAD MIER, Mexico — Once again, the bodies are piling up. On April 4, gunmen peppered the facade of Ciudad Mier’s main hotel, leaving at least 20 bullet holes in the two-story building. The next day, soldiers killed four of the alleged attackers. A day after that, three other gunmen were found dead near the Rio Grande. A spasm of violence has left at least 50 dead throughout the northern state of Tamaulipas this month, according to an Associated Press tally of official and Mexican media reports. That has many worried about a return to the worst days of 2010, when the security wing of the powerful Gulf Cartel turned on its former bosses, forming the breakaway Zetas group that has dis-
Photo by Christopher Sherman | AP
In this April 9 photo, a playground stands empty in the San Pedro subdivision on the outskirts of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Of four women interviewed in this working-class neighborhood, none would give their names. tinguished itself for butchery. That rivalry simmers along, but authorities say many of the recent killings are the byproduct of a fresh feud between two Gulf Cartel capos, former allies who are struggling for control of cities or stretches of border. Tamaulipas has always been a focal point in the drug
war, one of the busiest places on the border for northbound drugs and migrants and southbound weapons and cash. The federal government sent troops to the state in November 2010, turning military patrols into a feature of life in border cities. The violence has never fully abated, but even by the standards of Ta-
maulipas, April has been extreme. Mexico’s federal government has promised a new strategy, though it has yet to offer details. “The fact is right now the federal government response in Tamaulipas is nowhere near what it needs to be,” said
See VIOLENCE PAGE 10A
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
CELEBRATING ATHLETES
Monday marked the start of busy days ahead for early voting sites for Laredo Community College’s $100 million bond proposal. Taxpayers took an early start to cast their opinions. Those who are for the bond have one reason in mind: Children’s education. Maria Lara, 65, said she voted for the bond because the college needs many renovations for the benefit of students. “It’s a good idea to vote and support the children,” Lara said. Others said the bond will benefit students as well as the community. Carolina Escudero, 32, said the bond will help students financially and improve the City of Laredo. “Our children won’t have to seek education somewhere else,” she said. “They will see that the colleges here are as good as anywhere else.” But there are others who have many questions about the bond and some taxpayers wondered if the college is doing the proper renovations. Although they said they agreed the college needs renovations to try to compete with Texas A&M International University, they questioned the quality of LCC’s services. “I’m all for our children to get an education and be in a suitable learning environment,” said Miguel Hernandez, 48. “But maybe the college is focusing too much on the superficial rather than the curriculum or the instructors teaching the courses.” Hernandez, who has a son at TAMIU and completed his associate’s at LCC, said TAMIU has more educational opportunities to offer than LCC. “I believe that LCC should take a look at the classes and services offered and compare them to TAMIU’s,” he said. Hernandez said LCC administration should make plans to improve the college from the inside. “It’s not about the outside, it’s not about the looks, it’s the quality of service,” Hernandez said. Early voting continues at Laredo locations today through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Monday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Polling sites
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
A delegation of athletes from the Zapata County School District were on hand at UISD’s Bill Johnson Student Activity Complex to participate in the Area 21 Special Olympics Tuesday morning.
Billy Hall Jr. Administrative Building, 1110 Washington St. City Hall, 1110 Houston St. City Hall Annex, 1102 Loop 20 LCC Fort McIntosh campus, Kazen Student Center LCC South campus, William N. (Billy) Hall Jr. Student Center Election Day is May 10. Information on the bond, including where one can vote on Election Day, can be found by visiting laredo.edu/bond. (Judith Rayo may be reached at 7282567 or jrayo@lmtonline.com)
OPERATION CHILD GUARDIAN
Offender sentenced for child crime Man was among five arrested in September 2012 during Webb County Sheriff’s Office operation By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man charged with online solicitation of a minor was sentenced Friday to a 10-year probated sentence in the 49th District Court. Alberto Angel Filio and five
other men were arrested in September 2012 in Operation Child Guardian, an initiative that counters crimes against children. The Webb County Sheriff’s Office leads the initiative. Filio, an oil field worker, was arrested alongside Steven Villarreal, a former Webb County Pct. 4
deputy constable; Roberto Lozano Jr., a former Texas A&M International University shipping and receiving employee; Juan Antonio Castillo-Mendoza III, a private emergency medical technician; and Luis de la Rosa Moreno, a customs broker. They were all arrested for alleg-
edly soliciting sexual contact online from a Webb County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was posing as an underage girl. Online solicitation is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. (Philip Balli may be reached at 728-2528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)
FILIO