The Zapata Times 5/21/2014

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FALCON LAKE

COURTS

Disappearing bass

Alleged smuggler arrested

Official: gar likely not to blame

Man was allegedly to be paid $100 per immigrant

By GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ

THE ZAPATA TIMES

THE ZAPATA TIMES

A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department official said this week that he “believes that lower lake levels and fishingrelated mortalities are the primary causes” of the decline in the bass population in Falcon Lake in Zapata.

Fishermen in Zapata County had attributed the declining bass issue to alligator gar, saying the massive fish feed on

Federal agents have arrested a man accused of moving illegal immigrants at $100 per person, court records recently released show.

A criminal complaint filed May 16 charged Pedro Gonzalez-Almaraz with transporting 11 illegal immigrants with a motor vehicle. He’ll remain in federal custody, pending a detention hearing.

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Zapata area received an anonymous call May 12 regarding two suspicious vehicles in San Ygnacio. One vehicle was described as a gold extended cab GMC pickup.

Border Patrol set up surveillance in an unmarked vehicle across U.S. 83 in an open field in San Ygnacio. Agents spotted the GMC parking in an empty lot adjacent to an abandoned home, the complaint states.

Identified as the driver, Gonzalez-Almaraz exited the GMC and walked toward the abandoned home. He removed small pieces of brush from the home and surveyed his surroundings.

Gonzalez-Almaraz then walked toward Pepe’s Gas Station and returned with two jugs of water. Two people from inside the home “cautiously look out from inside the house and reached out to get the containers of water,” the complaint reads. “(An agent) observed Gonzalez-Almaraz escort one disheveled person into the passenger side of the gold GMC,” court records state. “The manner in which the person was dressed was consistent with illegal (people who) have been in the brush for numerous days.”

Gonzalez-Almaraz escorted more people until agents approached him. Five individuals, including Gonzalez-Almaraz, were determined to be undocumented immigrants, court records show. Furthermore, agents discovered seven people who had crossed the country illegally inside the abandoned home.

“Gonzalez-Almaraz is an illegal (immigrant who) is currently released on his own recognizance by Enforcement and Removal Operations,” the complaint states.

In a post-arrest interview, GonzalezAlmaraz admitted he was to be paid $100 for each of the 11 immigrants detained. He would have received an additional $250 for smuggling the group to Zapata. Four people found inside the GMC were on their way to Zapata, while the remaining seven were supposed to be smuggled to Laredo, according to court records.

Gonzalez-Almaraz identified Jorge Arambula, also known as “El Camarón,” as the man who was going to pay him and with whom he had made arrangements, according to the complaint.

Agents found Gonzalez-Almaraz in possession of $3,499.25. Questioned about the cash, he said it was the money the 11 immigrants had given him.

Gonzalez-Almaraz was to give the money to Arambula, according to court records.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

See LAKE PAGE 10A

File photo by Times staff

Professional fisher Keith Combs displays his two heaviest bass catches of the day during the 2010 FLW Outdoors tournament at Falcon Lake. Zapata County’s economy depends on the lake and its bass population.

LIGHTING THE WAY

Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times

Special Olympian Adan Lopez is assisted by CBP agent Felipe Pantoja as they carry the Flame of Hope outside the Webb County Courthouse Tuesday morning for the inital leg of the 436-mile journey to Arlington, where the 45th Special Olympics Texas Summer Games will take place.

CBP TRIAL

Witnesses testify against officer

By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES

The prosecution brought forth witnesses Tuesday who recounted events pertaining to an alleged incident involving a local U.S. Customs and Border

Protection officer facing conspiracy, human smuggling and bribery charges.

During day two of 27-yearold Juan Bonilla’s federal trial, those who testified on behalf of the government included a Homeland Security Investiga-

tions special agent and a CBP watch commander, chief and officers.

The alleged incident occurred the night of Oct. 11, when Bonilla is accused of attempting to smuggle illegal immigrants into the country

from Mexico.

The HSI special agent testified that he received an anonymous tip that “some undocumented individuals were going to be smuggled into Laredo

See CBP PAGE 10A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

AROUND THE WORLD

TODAY IN HISTORY

Thursday, May 22

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Foster Care Festival. 6 p.m. 1708 Victoria St. Live music, face painting and informational booths on local foster care agencies. Contact 727-8691 or alexis@vozdeninos.org.

Orthopedic clinic by Dr. Earl A. Stanley. During office hours. Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center, 1220 N. Malinche Ave. Benefits children with cerebral palsy, club foot, scoliosis, spina befida and more. $5 processing fee.

Patients must register at center before day of clinic. Contact 722-2431 or arianamora@stx.rr.com.

Friday, May 23 TAMIU Planetarium shows.

“Lamps of Atlantis” 6 p.m. and “Extreme Planets” 7 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Call 326-3663.

Saturday, May 24 TAMIU Planetarium shows. “The Little Start that Could” 3 p.m.; “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” 4 p.m.; and “Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” 5 p.m.

General admission $4 children and $5 adults.

Monday, May 26 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666.

Thursday, May 29 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org.

From New York to Havana – A Ballroom Dance. 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustin Ave. Featuring VMT’s premier jazz ensemble SoundTown. Big Band classics, Latin favorites from south of the border and energetic sounds from Havana. Tickets $15; available at VMT office, 820 Main St; by calling 273-7800, and at the Center for the Arts at 725-1715. Also sold at the door. Semi-formal attire recommended. Guests may bring party trays.

No alcohol; concession stand included.

Contact 273-7811 or rmlopez004@laredoisd.org.

Friday, May 30 TAMIU Planetarium shows. “Star Signs” 6 p.m. and “Live Star Show” 7 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Call 326-3663.

Saturday, May 31 TAMIU Planetarium shows. “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” 3 p.m.; “The Future Is Wild” 4 p.m.; and “Seven Wonders” 5 p.m. Admission $4 children and $5 adults. Call 326-3663.

Saturday, June 7 Computer genealogy workshop by Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Church of Latter Day Saints. Members only.

Bring laptops. Call 722-3497.

Photo by Wason Wanichakorn | AP

A Thai soldier mans a checkpoint as motorcyclists ride past near the site where pro-government demonstrators stage a rally on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday. As Thailand finishes its first day under martial law, there are some questions that the military action raises.

Martial law in Thailand

By THANYARAT DOKSONE & TODD PITMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

BANGKOK — Thailand’s powerful military chief intervened Tuesday for the first time in the country’s latest political crisis, declaring martial law and dispatching gunmounted jeeps into the heart of the capital with a vow to resolve the deepening conflict as quickly as possible.

The move stopped short of a coup and left the nation’s increasingly cornered caretaker government intact.

Despite a steady stream of army edicts throughout the day that expanded the military’s power and included censorship of news and social media, life continued normally, with residents largely unfazed by the declaration. But the intervention, which follows six months of crippling protests that killed 28 people and injured more than 800,

Tons of drowned livestock a new Balkan threat SAMAC, Bosnia-Herzegovina — A new calamity emerged Tuesday in the flood-hit Balkans as rescue workers battled overflowing rivers — and were confronted by wastelands of drowned livestock.

As the rainfall stopped and temperatures rose, the withdrawing floodwaters revealed a harrowing sight: thousands of dead cows, pigs, sheep, dogs and other animals left behind as their panicked owners fled.

“There are tons of dead animals that we must dispose of,” said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

Video prompts look at killing of Palestinians JERUSALEM — Security-camera video showing two unarmed Palestinians crumpling to the ground during a lull in a stonethrowing clash with Israeli soldiers revived allegations by hu-

left the country at another precarious crossroads — its fate now squarely in the hands of the military.

“The key going forward will be the military’s role in politics,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University. “If they play the role of enforcer of law and order and even mediator ... this could be a resolution to the impasse.”

But if they don’t, “we can expect protests and turmoil from the losing side.”

Thailand, an economic hub for Southeast Asia and a world tourist destination, has been gripped by off-and-on political turmoil since 2006, when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was toppled by a coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for Thailand’s king.

man rights activists Tuesday that the troops often use excessive force.

The Israeli rights group B’Tselem said the images back its findings that troops killed the teens without cause by firing live rounds from more than 200 meters away. The soldiers were in “zero danger” at the time, said Sarit Michaeli of B’Tselem.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said, “It was a lifethreatening situation, so the officers acted accordingly.”

2 bomb blasts in Nigeria kill at least 118 JOS, Nigeria — Two car bombs exploded at a bustling bus terminal and market in Nigeria’s central city of Jos on Tuesday, killing at least 118 people, wounding dozens and leaving streets strewn with bloodied bodies.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the twin car bombs. But they bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group that

abducted nearly 300 schoolgirls last month and has repeatedly targeted bus stations and other locations where large numbers of people gather in its campaign to impose Islamic law on Nigeria.

The second blast came half an hour after the first, killing some rescue workers.

Libya: Election set for June in bid to ease crisis TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya’s election commission set new parliamentary elections for next month, trying on Tuesday to find a peaceful resolution to a crisis triggered by a renegade general’s efforts to crush Islamist militias and his demand that the Islamist-led legislature disband for allegedly supporting extremism.

The announcement of a nationwide June 25 vote came after the parliament met in what lawmakers had hoped would be a secret location. A missile was fired at the hotel where the session was taking place, causing panic but no injuries.

— Compiled from AP reporters

Sunday, June 8 Mexico Lindo 2014. 3 p.m. Laredo Little Theatre. Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklorico to perform folkloric dances of Mexico. Children and adult company members to perform. $10 admission adults and $5 children 12 and under. Tickets purchased at door or call 725-1832.

Thursday, June 19 J.W. Nixon’s Class of 1989 selling tickets for 25th reunion. 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 317 E. Calton Road #1. $25 per person for event on Friday, July 25 at Life Fair, Branding Iron; $25 per person for event on Saturday, July 26 at Embassy Suites.

Wednesday, June 25 1964 Zapata High School Class 50th reunion. Dinner at The Steak House. Call Dora Martinez at 324-1226 or Ninfa Gracia at 500-5219.

Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.

AROUND THE NATION Marine to get medal of honor for heroism WASHINGTON — Cpl. Kyle Carpenter remembers lying on his back on a rooftop in Marjah, Afghanistan, crammed up against sandbags alongside his friend and fellow Marine, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Eufrazio.

It was Nov. 21, 2010, and his squad was trying push south into Taliban strongholds.

He doesn’t remember throwing himself in front of Lance Cpl. Nicholas Eufrazio to protect him from a grenade, an act that will make him the eighth living recipient of the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The White House announced Monday he will receive the medal June 19.

Courts must decide fate of death row inmate ST. LOUIS — Attorneys for a condemned Missouri inmate re-

Today is Wednesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2014. There are 224 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On May 21, 1924, in a case that drew much notoriety, 14year-old Bobby Franks was murdered in a “thrill killing” carried out by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb.

Both men received life sentences; Loeb was killed by a fellow prison inmate in 1936 while Leopold was paroled in 1958, dying in 1971.

On this date: In 1471, King Henry VI of England died in the Tower of London at age 49.

In 1542, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River.

In 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.

In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 33 1/2 hours.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.

In 1941, a German U-boat sank the American merchant steamship SS Robin Moor in the South Atlantic after the ship’s passengers and crew were allowed to board lifeboats.

In 1956, the United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

In 1972, Michelangelo’s Pieta, on display at the Vatican, was damaged by a hammerwielding man who shouted he was Jesus Christ.

In 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during national elections by a suicide bomber.

Ten years ago: The U.N. Security Council approved a peacekeeping force of 5,600 troops for Burundi to help the African nation finally end a 10-year civil war.

Five years ago: A day after the Senate voted to keep the Guantanamo prison camp open, President Barack Obama made his case for closing the facility, denouncing what he called “fear-mongering” by political opponents; Obama made his case moments before former Vice President Dick Cheney delivered his own address defending the Bush administration’s creation of the camp. A 66-year-old woman with terminal cancer became the first person to die under Washington state’s assisted suicide law.

One year ago: Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told the Senate Finance Committee he first learned in the spring of 2012 that agents had improperly targeted political groups that vehemently opposed President Barack Obama’s policies, saying he decided to let the inspector general look into the matter.

Today’s Birthdays: Singer Ron Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 73. Sen. Al Franken, DMinn., is 63. Actor Mr. T is 62.

Actor Judge Reinhold is 57.

Actor-director Nick Cassavetes is 55. Actress Lisa Edelstein is 48. Actress Fairuza Balk is 40.

Thought for Today: “If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors.

There is no other.” — Carl Schurz, American politician (1829-1906).

CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green....................... 728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally .............. 728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................ 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ................. 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ......................... 728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Carolyn Kaster | AP

This photo taken May 13 shows medically retired Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter speaking to media at the Pentagon. The White House announced Monday that Carpenter, 24, will receive the medal of honor on June 19. mained hopeful Tuesday that a court will halt his execution, which would be the first in the nation following a botched lethal injection in Oklahoma last month that left a condemned man writhing on a gurney before he died of a heart attack 40 min-

utes later.

Russell Bucklew, 46, is scheduled to be executed by injection at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday for killing a southeast Missouri man during a violent crime spree in 1996.

— Compiled from AP reports

SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted.

The Zapata Times is free.

The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500.

The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net

Local

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Laredo, SA cartoonist dies Laredoan known for ‘Nacho Guarache’ dies of kidney cancer

PK4 students Registration underway at elementary schools SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Zapata County ISD is preregistering all incoming PK4 students for the 2014-2015 school year until Thursday.

Parents should pre-register from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary, Zapata North Elementary and Zapata South Elementary.

Registration kicked off Tuesday.

Required information for student registration includes:

By JOHN MACCORMACK SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Nacho Guarache and his hapless bandana-wrapped sidekick Fulano entertained readers of the Laredo Morning Times, and later the San Antonio Express-News, with their wry observances and improbable misadventures.

The often bumbling but always earnest vatos were the creations of cartoonist and native Laredoan Leo Garza, a quiet man of deep Catholic faith, strong political convictions and a mischievous inner laughter. Garza, 57, died Saturday of kidney cancer.

He was a cartoonist for LMT in the 1980s. He drew the popular “Needles” comic strip for LMT, which introduced Nacho Guarache.

“When he picked up the pen, he had this little character who was like an alter ego, who could express all that he wanted to say, what he thought was funny and important about life,” Hector Garza, 53, said of his older brother.

“He wanted people to look into a mirror. He used the Hispanic characters to present views and issues about the City of San Antonio. And while people connected with these characters, it was the meaning and content of the strip that was important to him,” he said.

And, he said, his elder brother was a figure of moral and intellectual authority within the family, both for his Catholic faith and his personal integrity.

“If there was a question or a problem in my life, I’d take it to him. He was basically on the same level as my parents as being someone I had confidence in,” he added.

After being laid off with many other newspaper employees in 2007 in a cost-saving move, Garza, 57, turned to painting and selling western art. Before he died, he painted a series of historical murals for the Cibolo Creek Ranch in West Texas.

But his first love was cartooning, which he had begun while living in Laredo. During his time at the Express-News, Garza used

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

Valid photo ID for parent/ guardian Social Security card for student Immunization records Birth certificate Proof of residency/utility bill invoice (current or previous month) electricity, water, telephone, cable, etc.

For more information, call each school at: Zapata North, 765-6917; Zapata South, 7654331; and Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal, 765-4321.

File photo by Express-News

Leo Garza is seen in his San Antonio office Dec. 12, 1996. Garza, formerly cartoonist for Laredo Morning Times and San Antonio Express-News, died Saturday.

Nacho Guarache and his pals to prick, provoke and amuse the paper’s readers.

“Leo always finished first in the readership polls of the paper’s cartoonists, including the syndicated ones. He had a strong following and some strong critics, which meant he was doing his job,” said Sterlin Holmesly, the editorial page editor who hired Garza in 1987.

Occasionally, Holmesly said, he had to reel Garza back in.

“He was very strongly antiabortion, and it got pretty close to propaganda in a couple of strips.

I said, ‘Leo, you’re a cartoonist,’ and he handled it,” Holmesly said. “I made many, many good hires, and he was an extraordinarily good one.”

Former Express-News cartoonist John Branch, whose views were as liberal as Garza’s were conservative, said the two came to respect and like each other despite their obvious political differences.

“Cartoonists are kind of lone wolves. It’s rare that there is more than one in a city, much less in the same department, and so that was our bond right there,” he said.

Eventually, he said, he and Garza realized they were good for each other.

“We kept each other on our toes, and I think it was good for the paper to have two really distinct voices,” he said. And, he said, in creating a local opinion-

oriented strip with its own cast of recognizable South Texas characters, Garza was a pioneer.

“Nacho and Fulano saw it all through the lens of the common man in San Antonio, and that was really unique. That’s not something you can get from a syndicated cartoon. It’s not only good stuff, it expresses a local point of view,” Branch said.

Quiet and reserved at the office, Garza was a different person at home, said his wife, Eloisa, whom he married in 1989, two years after he moved to San Antonio from Laredo.

“He had a great sense of humor, and although he didn’t display it to outsiders, at home he was always making us laugh, just acting up, saying crazy things,” she recalled.

And, she said, her husband, so shy in public, would often talk to her about his work and what higher purposes he was trying do accomplish with Nacho and Fulano.

“The cartoon was his voice.

Even though he was not a talker, what he was saying came alive through his cartoons. The characters were saying what Leo was thinking,” she said.

“He wanted people to think. He wanted them to not just read something, but study it, check the facts, look into the issues. He wanted people to make up their own minds, not just believe something because someone told them,” she said.

File photo by Times staff

A competitor runs through one of the many muddy obstacles during the first “No Mud, No Glory” Mud Run at North Central Park in May 2013.

Mud run set Registration costs

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Uni-Trade Stadium will play host to the 2nd Annual “No Mud, No Glory” Mud Run, to take place 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, on the stadium grounds immediately adjacent to the VIP Parking Area.

The main course of the run will feature more than 30 obstacles, including several mud trench runs, wall climbs, balance beams and long-hill slides.

The event is free for spectators, and vendors will offer food and beverages along the sides of the race course.

Music will also be played throughout the day.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Sacred Heart Children’s Home in Laredo.

Youth, 11-17: $20 up to June 14 Adults 18 and up: pre-registration $45 before June 11 Adults 18 and up: late registration $55, from June 11 to June 13 Adult 18 and up: Day-of registration $65 June 14 (7 a.m. to 11 a.m. only) Groups are encouraged to sign up and participate as part of the team competition. All registered participants will receive a complimentary ticket to the Laredo Lemurs’ game that night, when the Lemurs take on the Kansas City T-Bones at 7:30 p.m.

For information on the mud run, call the Lemurs at 956-7LEMURS.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Women face job disparity

By AMANDA BENNETT SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST

On June 2, 2003, I was named editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and became — as Jill Abramson did later at The New York Times — the first female editor in a storied institution’s hundred-year-plus history. In November 2006, I achieved another distinction that Abramson last week came to share. I was fired after about three years.

The difference in the public reaction to those events tells me something both wonderful and terrible about what has changed for working women.

Terrible because it exposed in a raw way the reservoirs of resentment, hurt and mistrust that women feel at work. Wonderful, because it is clear that something fundamental has changed in those seven short years. Women now feel not only resentful but also, finally, entitled: Entitled to lead, be paid equally and be flawed. Entitled to be fired, yes, but also to point out: Men with even more difficult flaws get not only longer tenures but also more dignified landings.

My path out was paved not with the face-saving transition that one saw for men removed from similar jobs but rather with the marshaling of evidence that I had caused this demotion. The same hints that I was difficult to work with. Did I have those flaws? I guess.

Were they worse than the flaws of the men who preceded and succeeded me?

I doubt it.

I did what most self-respecting female leaders do: I blamed myself.

The second thing I

How many women in the past decade have been promoted past their peers, only to see in the spreadsheets the sad evidence that their own stories were apparently not as persuasive? know from experience is why the charge of unequal pay landed with such force. At each of of the five organizations I have managed at, I saw women paid less than men in what I thought were identical positions.

Was everyone lying who said they were committed to equal pay? I came to believe not. It was worse than that. I saw two people who, I believed, were doing the same work but being paid unequally.

How many women in the past decade have been promoted past their peers, only to see in the spreadsheets the sad evidence that their own stories were apparently not as persuasive?

So what caused the dam of silence to break?

For one thing, there is now a growing body of women who are undeniably successful and not afraid to talk about their experiences as women.

For another, there is the equally growing body of women like me, with whom stories like Abramson’s resonate because of our own experiences.

COLUMN

Too much Hitler talk

By PETULA DVORAK SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST

I would like my D6 bus without a side of Hitler, please.

Twenty Metro buses are crisscrossing the nation’s capital with Das Fuhrer on their sides for the next month thanks to an incendiary, anti-Muslim ad campaign by the American Freedom Defense Initiative.

Adolf Hitler is a little too present these days.

There’s the video parody showing Hitler denouncing the Affordable Care Act, there’s the Hitler goldfish, the Angela Merkel Hitler mustache shadow picture and the ever-present last resort on Capitol Hill when a politician runs out of hyperbole.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sens. Marco Rubio, RFla., and John McCain, RAriz., — among many others — have recently compared Vladimir Putin to Hitler for his saber-rattling in Ukraine.

But we’ve also seen Hitler invoked by critics of Wal-Mart, the Common Core education standards, President Barack Obama, former president George W. Bush, union opponents, the American Humanist Association and tax equality.

Let’s be clear: Adolf Hitler orchestrated the

deaths of millions of people. A new way to do math is not the Holocaust.

And constant comparisons to Hitler will eventually dull and deaden the association with pure evil.

Like yelling fire in the theater, if another Third Reich ever begins rising, we’ll all be too numb to notice.

The ad on the buses says: “Islamic Jew-Hatred: It’s in the Quran.”

It shows a photo of Hitler meeting with Haj Amin al-Husseini, a Palestinian nationalist who was an ally of the Third Reich and is described in the ad as “the leader of the Muslim world.”

The ad calls for an end to racism by ending U.S. aid to Islamic countries.

And the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority can’t do a thing about it.

Really, what ends up happening with much of that ad space is that it becomes a paid forum for age-old wars.

But with the First Amendment comes responsibility.

And shrill use of our freedom to speak is nothing but abuse, especially when it comes to invoking Hitler.

Hitler should be featured prominently in history books and Holocaust museums.

But not on my D6.

COLUMN

Mud, sleaze in primary race Texans are the real losers in the trashy GOP battle between state Sen. Dan Patrick and David Dewhurst, both candidates for lieutenant governor

“

KEN HERMAN

FORT DAVIS — All good things must come to an end. On the positive side, bad things face the same fate. And that’s definitely a good thing because the current battle for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor is definitely a bad thing.

Next Tuesday night, we’ll know if the winner is three-term incumbent David Dewhurst or Houston Sen. Dan Patrick. The loser’s already been declared: Texas.

This race begs the periodic question about the state of our democracy: Third-world nations yearn for this?

Those of you who are paying attention (and you’ve been forced to if you have a TV that gets commercials) know this is a bloodbath of a mudfest of a sleazeathon between two guys who used to say nice things about each other and, inexplicably, now say they’d vote for the other guy in November despite insisting that other guy is pond scum.

It’s kind of been like a family Thanksgiving gone bad, but with high-dollar

TV ad buys.

Fact: Patrick and Dewhurst are scratching and biting and spending millions over a job that pays $600 a month. One might worry about the mental health of anybody so invested in such a low-paying job.

Which brings us to current concerns that Dewhurst and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who ran fourth in the four-man lite guv primary in March, want you to have about Patrick’s mental health. Patterson last week distributed Patrick’s medical records that became part of a long-ago lawsuit involving Patrick and a columnist at the now-defunct Houston Post.

The short version is Patrick sought treatment for depression in the mid-1980s. He says he overcame it with medical care, family support, rest and religion. He denied suffering a nervous breakdown. Patterson came back with records indicating Patrick attempted suicide in 1986.

My favorite line of this whole sordid episode came from Dewhurst: ”My heart goes out to Dan and his family for what they’ve endured while coping with his condition.”

In 18 words, Dewhurst

(a) claimed he has a heart, (b) touchingly expressed support for the Patrick family, and (c) got to mention “his condition.”

What we know about “his condition” is that it was long ago. Patrick, save for Stage IV Tea Partyitis (a diagnosis Dewhurst covets), seems OK now — if a bit much at times. But “his condition” is a phrase that allows the mind to wonder: could be a long-ago bout with depression, could be an ongoing belief that one is Napoleon.

Dewhurst said Monday he doesn’t think what happened “20 years ago is relevant today unless it speaks to your continuing character or your capacity to govern or lead.” Does it? Dewhurst, not having read the documents, said he can’t “make a judgment today. ... I may be able to in the next day or two.”

I asked Dewhurst, who last year put Patrick in charge of the Senate Education Committee, if there’s any reason for voters to have doubts about Patrick’s mental health.

“I don’t think there’s a question at all that there’s a big difference in temperament, there’s a big difference in judgment, between myself and Dan Patrick,” Dewhurst said.

Will Weissert of The Associated Press asked if the mental health issue should be on voters’ minds.

“Again,” Dewhurst said, “I’m going to leave this up to the voters of Texas.” He went on to say he had nothing to do with the release of the records and that he urged Patterson not to do it. But Dewhurst declined to condemn the release.

I tried again, asking Dewhurst if he’s willing to say Patrick, with whom he’s worked since Patrick arrived in the Senate in 2007, does not have current mental health issues.

“The Dan Patrick I know, I wish him all the best in life,” he replied, moving on to declaring himself the candidate with the “temperament” and “integrity” for the job.

All sides in this battle have gone beyond reason in their attacks. Though a fan of politics as entertainment, I find this campaign depressing.

Early voting continues through Friday. On-time voting is next Tuesday.

And no, write-in votes are not allowed in runoffs.

My heart goes out to Texans and their families for what they’ve endured while coping with this condition.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters.

To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The

phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication.

We want to assure our

readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms.

Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed.

Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.

Crime and more

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Woman arrested in smuggling

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

An Edinburg woman attempted to pass through a federal checkpoint with a U-Haul truck loaded with 23 illegal immigrants, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Sarah Laverne Matthews was charged with transporting illegal immigrants with a motor vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Laredo on Monday. She is in custody on a $75,000 bond, pending a hearing scheduled for May 30.

A 2007 GMC U-Haul truck driven by Matthews arrived at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Hebbronville on Texas 1017.

“Upon an initial immigration inspection, Mat-

‘Inside the rear cargo area, agents discovered several fans and cooling devices, which were powered by a car battery as well as a case of bottled water,’ the complaint reads. She claimed she had provided the fans and water. thews appeared nervous and was shaking … as a result (she) was referred for a secondary inspection,” the complaint reads.

A K-9 unit conducted an inspection of the truck and alerted to the presence of humans or narcotics in the rear cargo area. An Xray of the U-Haul showed “several human forms in seated positions throughout the entire rear cargo area,” court documents state.

Agents opened the truck’s doors to find 23 immigrants.

“Inside the rear cargo area, agents discovered several fans and cooling devices, which were powered by a car battery as well as a case of bottled water,” the complaint reads.

Homeland Security Investigations special agents interviewed Matthews. She said she had traveled from Corpus Christi to Donna

to pick up a U-Haul “she knew contained undocumented (people).”

Matthews had intentions of delivering the immigrants to several people in Houston. She claimed she had set up the fans powered by the battery and provided the case of water, records states.

Three immigrants were held as material witnesses.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

BP detains Mexican man Lopez-Roman accused of being in the country illegally for second time

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

A Mexican national detained in Zapata County is accused of being illegally in the country, a criminal complaint released Monday shows.

U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended Jose Lopez-Roman on Saturday near Zapata. An investigation revealed that he was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, court records state.

Lopez-Roman had been previously removed from the country Sept. 27

in San Ysidro, California, agents discovered during an investigation.

Lopez-Roman did not apply or receive permission to re-enter the United States.

He has a preliminary hearing set before U.S. Magistrate Judge Guillermo R. Garcia for 10 a.m. May 30 in Courtroom 3C of the U.S. Courthouse in Laredo.

Lopez-Roman has a $75,000 bond.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Penn. ban overturned

By MARYCLAIRE DALE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Charles Dharapak | AP

Press materials showing some of the five Chinese hackers charged with economic espionage and trade secret theft are displayed on a table of the Justice Department in Washington on Monday.

China hacking scandal Official: US hacking victims fell prey to mundane ruses

By JACK GILLUM & ERIC TUCKER ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The victims were their own worst enemies.

The hacking techniques the U.S. government says China used against American companies turned out to be disappointingly mundane, tricking employees into opening email attachments or clicking on innocent-looking website links.

The scariest part might be how successfully the ruses worked. With a mouse click or two, employees at big-name American makers of nuclear and solar technology gave away the keys to their computer networks.

In a 31-count indictment announced on Monday the Justice Department said five Chinese military officials operating under hacker aliases such as “Ugly Gorilla,” ’’KandyGoo” and “Jack Sun” stole confidential business information, sensitive trade secrets and internal communications for competitive advantage. The U.S. identified the alleged victims as Alcoa World Alumina, Westinghouse, Allegheny Technologies, U.S. Steel, United Steelworkers Union and SolarWorld.

China denied it all on Tuesday.

“The Chinese government and Chinese military as well as relevant personnel have never engaged and never participated in so-called cybertheft of trade secrets,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in Beijing. “What the United States should do now is withdraw its indictment.”

That’s unlikely. What the Justice Department is doing is spelling out exactly how it says China pulled it off.

The U.S. says the breakins were more Austin Powers than James Bond. In some cases, the government says, the hackers used “spear-phishing” — a well-known scam to trick specific companies or employees into infecting their own computers.

The hackers are said to have created a fake email account under the misspelled name of a then-Alcoa director and fooled an employee into opening an email attachment called “agenda.zip,” billed as the agenda to a 2008 shareholders’ meeting. It exposed the company’s network. At another time, a hacker allegedly emailed company employees with a link to what appeared to be a report about industry observations, but the link instead installed malicious software that created a back door into the company’s network.

“We are so used to solving problems by clicking an email link, looking at the information and forwarding it on,” said Chris Wysopal, a computer security expert and chief technology officer of the software-security firm Veracode. “And if hackers know about you and your company, they can create really realistic-looking messages.”

And use of the rudimen-

tary efforts the Justice Department described doesn’t mean foreign governments and others won’t use more sophisticated and harder-to-detect techniques, said Joshua Corman, the chief technology officer for Sonatype, which helps businesses make their software development secure. Determined hackers escalate their attacks when necessary, he said, but in the cases cited in the federal indictment announced Monday, they didn’t have to escalate very far.

Corman noted that the U.S. has much higher investments in research and intellectual property, making America’s risk of loss in such thefts disproportionately higher than China’s.

Other security layers failed in the hackings blamed on China, too.

More-effective antivirus or security software could have blocked the malicious attachments or prevented users from visiting risky web links. Back-end server filters could have prevent-

ed dangerous emails from reaching employees. Intrusion-detection systems on corporate networks could have more quickly raised red flags internally after a successful break-in.

“The problem is the technology hasn’t advanced enough to detect malicious code,” said Kevin Mitnick, the famous hacker who now works as a corporate security consultant. Tricking someone to let you into the system is far easier than identifying hidden vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

Even worse: Employees, by their nature, are socially conditioned to want to open and respond to an email that purports to be from the boss — never mind that the message may actually be a trick.

“If you start with an incorrect assumption that every email that comes in is a real email,” said Hossein Eslambolchi, chief executive at security company CyberFlow Analytics, “you’re putting yourself and your corporation at a major risk.”

PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania’s ban on gay marriage was overturned by a federal judge Tuesday in a decision that legalized same-sex unions throughout the Northeast and sent couples racing to pick up licenses.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III called the plaintiffs — a widow, 11 couples and one couple’s teenage daughters — courageous for challenging the constitutionality of the ban passed by lawmakers in 1996.

“We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them into the ash heap of history,” the judge wrote.

The judge declined to put his ruling on hold for a possible appeal by Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, so it went into immediate effect. The governor, who opposes gay marriage, did not issue a statement or indicate whether he would appeal.

However, his state party chairman complained that an “activist” judge had usurped the power of the Legislature.

Amid a frenzy of celebration across the state, county offices in Philadelphia stayed open late to handle marriage applications, while officials in Pittsburgh were closed for election day but accepting them online.

Couples must wait three days before getting married, unless a sympathetic judge grants a waiver.

Joe Parisi told his partner to “jet out of work” and get to Philadelphia City Hall.

“We didn’t want to take the chance of having this be challenged and missing out on our opportunity,” said Parisi, a Philadelphia resident who plans to marry Steven Seminelli.

They were among the

Photo by Matt Rourke | AP

Plaintiffs Julie Lobur, left, and Marla Cattermole look out on supporters of gay marriage at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa.

Amid a frenzy of celebration, county offices in Philadelphia stayed open late to handle marriage applications, while Pittsburgh accepted them online. first to get a license Tuesday afternoon, just hours after the judge’s ruling.

The judge also ordered Pennsylvania to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

Vic Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which pursued the case, said of the ruling: “It’s everything we had hoped for.”

“There’s nothing that the government can do that’s more intrusive than standing in the way of two people who love each other and want to get married,” Walczak said.

State marriage bans have been falling around the country since the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. If Tuesday’s decision stands, Pennsylvania would become the 19th state to legalize gay marriage and 43 percent of Americans would live in a state with full marriage equality, according to the advocacy group

Freedom to Marry.

The ACLU had argued that the bans deprive same-sex couples and their families of the legal protections, tax benefits and social statuses afforded to married couples.

Corbett’s office was left to defend the law after Democratic Attorney General Kathleen Kane refused to do so. A spokesman for Corbett’s office said it was reviewing the legal issues presented in the opinion.

The Pennsylvania lawsuit, filed July 9, was the first known challenge to the state ban.

At least five later test cases emerged, including one over a suburban county’s decision last year to issue 174 marriage licenses to same-sex couples, before a court shut them down. Officials in Montgomery County were trying Tuesday to have that order lifted.

Oregon became the 18th state to recognize same-sex marriage on Monday.

MIÉRCOLES 21 DE MAYO DE 2014

Agenda en Breve ZAPATA 05/21— La Clase 1964 de Zapata High School se reunirá para celebrar los 50 años de haber graduado el miércoles 25 de junio en el Steak House. Interesados en asistir a la cena pueden solicitar informes con Dora Martínez al (956) 324-1226 o con Ninfa Gracia al (956) 500-5219.

05/21— Zapata County ISD estará realizando la PreInscripción apra alumnos de PK-4 para el Ciclo Escolar 2014-2015. Esto se realizará de 9 a.m. a 2 p.m. en Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary, Zapata North Elementary, Zapata South Elementary. Para más información comuníquese a los teléfonos de cada escuela, (956) 765-4321, (956) 7656914, y (956) 765-4332, respectivamente. Proceso continúa el 22 de mayo, en mismo horario.

Zfrontera Pesca en apuros

PÁGINA 7A

TURISMO

POR GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Miembros del Comité de Cultura, Recreación y Turismo de la Cámara de Representantes de Texas, se reunieron con residentes de Zapata, a fin de atender el tema de la disminución de población de lubina (robalo) en el Lago Falcón.

Ante un lleno total, expertos del Departamento de Parques y Vida Salvaje de Texas fueron invitados por el comité para ofrecer su testimonio durante la audiencia llevada a cabo el viernes por la tarde en el Zapata Technical and Advanced

Education Center “La pesca es un negocio grande en Texas, y todos sabemos eso”, dijo Gary Saul, director de división del Inland Fisheries Division en Parques y Vida Salvaje de Texas.

La disminución de la población de lubina (robalo) ha impactado ampliamente no solo al ecosistema del Lago Falcón, sino también ha contribuido a la baja en el número de turistas que visitan el área.

Negocios que anteriormente se sostenían gracias a la cantidad de tráfico que recibían por parte de los ávidos pescados, empezaron a sentir las repercusiones económi-

cas de este aspecto ambiental, dijeron los residentes.

El panel del Departamento de Parques y Vida Salvaje de Texas atribuyó el problema a un incremento del catán (o pejelagarto) en el lago.

Dave Terre, jefe de Administración e Investigación de la División de Pesca Interior, dijo que el catán crece entre 7- a 8- pies de largo y pesa hasta 300 libras. Su vida se prolonga entre 50 y 100 años.

Los niveles fluctuantes de agua en el Lago Falcón crean un ambiente excelente para que el catán viva y se reproduzca, mientras que

COMUNIDAD

QUERELLA

60 ANIVERSARIO

Arrestan supuesto traficante

LAREDO 05/21— Concierto de la banda de Cigarroa Middle School en el gimnasio a las 6 p.m. Ubicado en 2600 Palo Blanco.

05/21— Concierto de mariachi y banda en Martin High School en el gimnasio Batey a las 6:30 p.m. Ubicado en 2002 San Bernardo.

05/22— Clínica Ortopédica a cargo del Dr. Earl A. Stanley en el Centro de Rehabilitación Ruthe B. Cowl, 1220 N. Malinche Avenue. Se beneficia a niños con parálisis cerebral, pie equinovaro, escoliosis, espina bífida, y más. Costo del proceso: 5 dólares. Pacientes deben registrarse en el centro antes del día de la clínica.

05/22— LISD invita al Concierto y Musical de Escuelas Primarias, Coro Infantil Honorario presenta ‘Cinderella’ de Disney’ a las 7 p.m. en el Auditorio del Centro Cívico, 2400 San Bernardo.

05/22— La obra de teatro “Noises Off” de Michael Frayn se presenta a las 8 p.m. en Laredo Little Theater, 4802 Thomas Ave. Para audiencia madura. Costo: 15 dólares. Otra presentación el 23 y 24 de mayo a las 8 p.m.

05/23— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU invita a “Lamps of Atlantis” a las 6 p.m.; “Extreme Planets”, a las 7 p.m. Costo: 4 dólares, niños; y 5 dólares, adultos.

05/24— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta “The Little Star that Could” a las 3 p.m.; “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” a las 4 p.m.; “Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries”, a las 5 p.m. Costo: 4 dólares, niños; y 5 dólares, adultos.

05/24— Evento de Lucha Libre “Guerra de Leyendas” a partir de las 8 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena.

Costo: 48 dólares, 38, 28 y 18. Adquiera su boleto en Ticketmaster o en la taquilla del LEA.

NUEVO LAREDO, MX 05/21— Cine Club presenta “Las Señoritas Vivanco” a las 6 p.m. en el Auditorio de Estación Palabra.

Entrada gratuita.

05/22— “Jueves de Teatro” presenta la obra “Intratable”, de la compañía Caletre, en el teatro Lucio Blanco de la Casa de la Cultura a las 7 p.m. Entrada gratuita.

05/23— Presentación del libro “Casa Chica” de Mónica Lavín a las 5 p.m. en Estación Palabra. Entrada libre.

05/24— Performance “Las 5 Puertas” a las 6 p.m. en la Galería Regional de Artes Visuales del Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo. Entrada gratuita.

también se alimenta de la lubina, dijo Terre.

Terre agregó que su equipo ha tomado un “acercamiento muy conservador” para combatir el tema del catán. En 2009, se colocaron restricciones acerca de la cantidad de catanes que los pescadores podían extraer por día.

James Bendele, propietario de Falcon Lake Tackle, habló en contra de las restricciones, citando que no había necesidad de restringir a los pescadores.

“Deberías controlar (al catán) como a los ratones o ratas… no erradicarlos”, dijo Bendele.

POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Foto de cortesía

Miembros del Club de Leones de Zapata visitaron a los alumnos de la Escuela Primaria Benavides en San Ygnacio. Además de compartir un momento con ellos, les obsequiaron unos libros.

Celebran años de servicio a comunidad POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Durante el mes de mayo, pero hace 60 años, inició oficialmente la historia del Club de Leones de Zapata.

Fue en el café Blue Bonnet cuando 21 miembros decidieron mejorar las condiciones de la comunidad. Era mayo de 1954 y su primer presidente fue Santos Medina. Desde entonces ha habido otros 37 dirigentes.

Fidel Villarreal, uno de los miembros originales, era propietario del Blue Bonnet, y es ahora su hijo, Aurelio Villarreal, quien preside el club.

El Club de Leones Internacional, del que forma parte Zapata, es una organización que se fundó en 1917 a petición de un dirigente empresarial de Chicago que propuso que los clubes empresariales se reunieran para ayudar a comunidades en el mundo entero.

Después de tres años se convirtió en una organización internacional que actualmente alberga 46.000 clubes y reúne 1.350.000 socios, de acuerdo al sitio de Internet de Lions Club International.

A través de los años el Club de Leones de Zapata ha logrado cumplir con sus objetivos realizando obras en beneficio de la comunidad y ha llegado a contar hasta con 150 miembros entre sus filas.

Aurelio Villarreal señaló que en la actualidad el club está integrado por 30 miembros y se reúnen dos veces al mes en Rubén

Foto de cortesía

Durante un evento de golf, con la presencia de los miembros del Club de Leones de Zapata.

Flores Lions Hall.

Indicó que desde sus inicios la organización se ha dedicado a ayudar a la comunidad.

“Desde su fundación, el Club de Leones de Zapata, ha continuado con su misión de ayudar a la comunidad a cubrir las necesidades del día a día”, expresó.

Comentó que se realizan tres eventos principales durante el año que son la venta de platillos, el torneo de golf y la venta de fichas para juego en la feria del condado.

“Con estos eventos llegamos a recaudar de ocho a 10.000 dólares para cubrir las metas del club”, comentó Aurelio Villarreal.

Agregó que entre los eventos que se celebrarán este año se encuentran el proyecto del diccionario escolar, el club del libro, becas, la entrega anual del pavo navideño y el patrocinio a Relevo por la Vida de la Sociedad Ameri-

can de Cáncer y el Campo de Leones de Texas, para niños con necesidades especiales.

Aurelio Villarreal también habló acerca de las expectativas del futuro para el club.

“Queremos permanecer activos en todos los eventos de la comunidad y estar muy visibles.

Deseamos servir por muchos años más a la comunidad”, expresó.

Entre los miembros manejan un verso que han tomado del tema de la película “El Rey León” y que se ha convertido en una frase institucional. “‘Hay más por hacer de lo que nunca se ha hecho’ —así que en el club de leones hacemos nuestra parte para compartir y hacer de esta comunidad una mejor comunidad”, concluyó.

(Localice a Malena Charur en el 728-2583 o en mcharur@lmtonline.com)

DULCE RECAUDACIÓN Integrantes de la Fundación en Memoria de Kristine Elizabeth Meza y el Club Ángeles de Kristine, llevaron a cabo una venta de pasteles, el domingo por la tarde, afuera del Walgreens en Mcpherson Rd., en Laredo. Los fondos recaudados por la venta se utilizarán para continuar creando atención y educando a estudiantes, desde secundaria hasta universidad, acerca de la violencia doméstica.

Foto por Victor Strife | Laredo Morning Times

Agentes federales arrestaron a un hombre acusado de transportar a inmigrantes sin documentos legales por un pago de 100 dólares por persona, muestran documentos de la corte recientemente emitidos.

Una querella criminal presentada el 16 de mayo, acusa a Pedro González-Almaráz de transportar a 11 inmigrantes sin documentos legales con un vehículo. Él permanece en custodia federal, a la espera de una audiencia de detención.

Agentes de Patrulla Fronteriza de EU asignados al área de Zapata recibieron una llamada anónima el 12 de mayo, en la que se señaló había dos vehículos sospechosos en San Ygnacio. Un vehículo fue descrito como una camioneta de la compañía General Motor, con cabina extendida, color dorada.

La Patrulla Fronteriza estableció un perímetro de vigilancia en un área no destinada para vehículos alrededor de U.S. 83 en un campo abierto en San Ygnacio. Agentes observaron a la GMC estacionada al lado de una casa abandonada, señala la querella.

Identificado como el conductor, González-Almaráz salió de la GMC y caminó hasta la casa abandonada. Movió algunas partes de maleza fuera de la casa abandonada y siguió observando a su alrededor.

Entonces González-Almaráz caminó hasta la gasolinera Pepe’s y regresó con dos jarras de agua. Dos personas en el interior de la casa “observaron cuidadosamente hacia fuera desde dentro de la residencia y fueron a recoger los contenedores de agua”, se lee en la querella. “(Un agente) observó a González-Almaráz escoltando a una persona deshabilitada hacia el lado del conductor de la GMC dorada”, señalan documentos de la corte. “Por la manera en que la persona vestía fue considerado un inmigrante indocumentado (ya que) habría estado en la maleza por varios días”.

González-Almaráz escoltó a más personas hasta que los agentes se acercaron a él. Se determinó que cinco personas, incluyendo a González-Almaráz, eran inmigrantes ilegales, indican archivos de la corte. Además, los agentes descubrieron dentro de la casa abandonada, a siete personas quienes habían ingresado al país ilegalmente.

“González-Almaráz es un (inmigrante) ilegal (quien) actualmente se encuentra en libertad bajo palabra por el Enforcement and Removal Operations (Operaciones de Aplicación y Remoción)”, indica la querella.

En un interrogatorio posterior al arresto, González-Almaráz admitió que se le pagaron 100 dólares por cada uno de los 11 inmigrantes detenidos. Él hubiera recibido un adicional de 250 dólares por contrabandear al grupo a Zapata. Cuatro personas encontradas dentro de la GMC iban rumbo a Zapata en tanto que las otras siete supuestamente iban a ser llevadas hasta Laredo, de acuerdo a archivos de la corte.

González-Almaráz identificó a Jorge Arámbula, también conocido como “El Camarón”, como el hombre quien iba a pagarle y como el que hizo los arreglos con él, de acuerdo a la querella.

Agentes encontraron a González-Almaráz en posesión de 3.499,25 dólares.

Interrogado acerca del efectivo, dijo que era dinero que los 11 inmigrantes le habían dado. González-Almaráz iba a entregar el dinero a Arámbula, de acuerdo a archivos de la corte.

(Localice a César G. Rodriguez en el 728-2568 o en cesar@lmtonline.com)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

$60M stadium shut down Cracks in concrete force closure ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALLEN, Texas — A $60 million high school football stadium that opened to massive fanfare in 2012 will be shut down for the upcoming season after cracks were found in the building’s concrete concourse.

Administrators in Allen, Texas, northeast of Dallas, had hoped to have Eagle Stadium ready for this fall’s games, but said further inspections found the structural problems will need significant repair. They insist the architectural firm and construction company will fund any repairs.

The district said Tuesday that both companies had offered $1 million each to allow repairs to begin, but that their insurance companies refused to make the payments.

“Our commitment to Allen students and taxpayers remains firm that the stadium be repaired properly at the expense of those responsible for the failure: the architect and the builder,” superintendent Lance Hindt said in a statement.

Allen taxpayers approved a $119 million bond issue that included funding for the 18,000-seat

File photo by LM Otero | AP

The $60 million Eagle Stadium at Allen High School that opened to massive fanfare in 2012 will be shut down for the upcoming season after cracks were found in the building’s concrete concourse. stadium, with a high-definition video board, a second deck on one sideline and vendor stands hawking Chick-fil-A and Texas barbeque.

The facility is the flashiest example of the grandeur of high

school football in Texas, where the “Friday Night Lights” have been glamorized in books, movies and television.

But the district had to close the stadium in February after extensive cracks were discovered in the

concourse. An outside consulting firm hired by the district has found further building code violations, including parts of the stadium where seating capacity exceeds the legal maximum by more than 70 percent.

Allen, which won the Class 5A Division I state championship last year, will not sell football season tickets this year. It will host three “home” games at two stadiums in neighboring Plano and switch two other home games to road games.

NBA PLAYOFFS: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Spurs use depth to dominate

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS

Undermanned yet undaunted, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook threw everything they had at the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Even when they were down by 15 points in the first half, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s dynamic duo didn’t give in.

They used their athleticism and shot-making to will Oklahoma City back into the game, and when Westbook’s 19-foot jumper splashed through the net with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter, the Thunder jumped ahead.

What became apparent as the highly anticipated matchup wore on was that the Spurs were turning it into a game of two-on-five.

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and the rest of the experienced Spurs sat back in that third quarter as Durant and Westbrook led the rally. But there are no TKOs in basketball. Every game goes the distance. And by the time the fourth quarter came around, the Thunder didn’t have anything left.

And if Durant and Westbrook don’t get more help from their supporting cast, this could be an awfully short series.

“We turned the ball over a little too much but we’ve got to continue to trust whether the guys are hitting shots or not,” Durant said.

“We’ve got to keep playing within our offense and playing with the pass. We’ll be fine.”

Durant and Westbrook combined for 19 points in the first seven minutes of the third quar-

ter on Monday night to get the Thunder back into the game.

But they scored just nine total points over the final 17 minutes of the game while the deep and balanced Spurs continued to carve up a defense that was sorely missing shot-blocker Serge Ibaka.

Game 2 is on Wednesday night in San Antonio.

Durant finished with 28 points, but was 1 for 4 with two turnovers in the fourth quarter while being hounded by Kawhi Leonard. Westbrook scored 25 points while going 1 for 2 with two turnovers in the final quarter.

Even more glaring, the remaining three Thunder starters — Nick Collison, Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha — combined to score five points for the entire game.

Photo by Eric Gay | AP

Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs pulled away in the fourth quarter Monday for a 122-105 win over Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

JOSEFA SANCHEZ OCT. 8, 1951 — MAY 19, 2014 Josefa Sanchez, 62, has left peacefully to be in the arms of the Lord on May 19, 2014.

She passed surrounded by her loving daughters: Veronica Sanchez, Maria San Juanita Sanchez and Jessica Garcia; her son, Raymundo Sanchez Jr.; and her husband, Raymundo Sanchez.

She had a unique gift to make everyone around her feel loved and lifted by her presence, always smiling no matter the circumstance.

Her generous heart filled her home with love, family and friends, including an attitude that there was always room for one more.

She leaves all her children; 13 grandchildren; and a great-grandson, Mason Barragan. They were truly loved, and they know that she truly loved The Lord.

“No one comes through the father except through me. I am the way, the truth and the life.” — John 14:6 Visitation hours will be held Wednesday, May 21, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession will depart 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 22, 2014, for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic

Church.

Committal services will follow at Zapata County Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home; Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director; 2102 N. U.S. HWY 83 Zapata, TX 78076.

GM recalls roll on 2.4 million cars and trucks affected in latest

DETROIT — Another day, another recall from General Motors.

At least that’s the way it seems as the automaker reviews safety issues across its line-up of cars and trucks in the wake of a mishandled recall.

The number of recalls issued this year by the nation’s top carmaker rose Tuesday to 29 as GM announced four separate actions affecting 2.4 million cars and trucks. While no fatalities were involved in the latest recalls, the problems were serious enough that GM has temporarily halted sales of the vehicles.

The recalls announced Tuesday: 1.3 million Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia crossovers from the 2009-2014 model years and Saturn Outlook crossovers from 2009-2010. GM says the front safety lap belt cables can wear down and separate over time. GM has told dealers they cannot sell new or used mod-

Chain faces identity crisis ASSOCIATED PRESS

This March 16, 2006 file photo shows a Pontiac G6 shown outside the General Motors Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township, Mich.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

In this March 25 photo, a sign outside a Target store in Philadelphia is shown. The nation’s third-largest retailer was once high-flying, but now it’s struggling to find its place in the minds of American shoppers.

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO

File photo by Paul Sancya | AP

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

File photo by Matt Rourke | AP

els of the vehicles until repairs are made.

1.1 million Chevrolet Malibu sedans from the 2004-2008 model years and Pontiac G6 sedans from 2005-2008 because a shift cable could wear out over time. If that happens, the driver may not be able to select a different gear, remove the key from the ignition or place the transmission in park.

GM knows of 18 crashes and one injury from the defect.

1,402 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESVs from the 2015 model year because a faulty weld could result in partial deployment of the front passenger air bag in a crash. GM has stopped the sale of the models and alerted 224 current owners not to let occupants sit in the front passenger seat until the vehicle has been repaired.

GM knows of no injuries.

58 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups from the 2015 model year because retention clips attaching the generator fuse block to the vehicle body can become loose and lead to a potential fire.

NEW YORK — Target is having an identity crisis.

The nation’s third-largest retailer was once high-flying, but now it’s struggling to find its place in the minds of American shoppers.

Once known for its cheap chic fashions and home accessories, Target faces competition from trendy chains like H&M. The discounter also hasn’t been able to ditch the image that its prices on staples like milk are higher than rivals like WalMart. And it’s battling the fallout from a massive data breach that has hurt its reputation.

Meanwhile, Target on Tuesday fired the president of its Canadian operations following some missteps in that country.

The ousting comes two weeks after the Minneapolis-based discounter announced it was looking for a new leader after the abrupt departure of its CEO. All of Target’s challenges come as the broader retail industry is dealing with a slow economic recovery that hasn’t benefited all Americans equally and a move by shoppers away from buying in stores and toward shopping online.

As a result, Target reported its first annual profit decline in its latest fiscal year in five years.

Target’s first-quarter results, which are slated to be released Wednesday, will offer more insight. And its shares have fallen 10.5 percent this year.

"The nature of the retail landscape has changed," said Brian Yarbrough, a consumer products analyst at Edward Jones. "I don’t think Target has addressed the changes well."

Here’s a look at the four big issues Target faces:

Problem: Cheap chic strategy Target was the first low-price retailer to team with designers to create affordable lines when it forged a partnership with Michael Graves in the late 1990s.

But that niche has been copied by traditional stores and foreign imports like H&M. Analysts say Target took its eye off the ball

on its trendy offerings when it focused on expanding its food business since the recession.

Target also has tripped up on some of its designer collaborations. During the holiday 2012 season, its collaboration with posh retailer Neiman Marcus turned out to be a dud as the merchandise was criticized for being too expensive, among other things.

Solution Target says it’s moving more quickly to test the latest items in stores. It also made some personnel changes on Tuesday that are aimed at making it more nimble. "We’re getting back to what we were known for," said John Mulligan, Target’s chief financial officer and interim CEO said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Problem: Price Since the economic downturn, Target has battled the perception among tight-fisted shoppers that its prices are too high when compared with rivals.

That challenge only increased as Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has pushed its lower prices even more lately.

According to a pricing survey conducted in January in the Northeastern area by Kantar Retail, a retail consultancy, WalMart’s prices on an overall basket of more than 40 nationally branded groceries like health and beauty items were nearly 4 percent less expensive than Target. That lead widened from a year ago when Wal-Mart was only 2 percent cheaper.

Solution Target has been pushing the "Pay less" part of its advertising slogan "Expect More, Pay Less."

Last year, it touted prices on products in holiday TV ads, the first time it had done so in at least a decade.

Problem: Technology Target’s data breach late last

year, which compromised the credit card and other personal information of millions of customers, exposed big flaws in its security system. Analysts also criticize the company for being too slow in creating a seamless experience for shoppers to jump from physical stores to the web.

For example, it just rolled out a program late last year that allows shoppers to order online and then pick up at the store when rivals have been doing that for years.

Solution Target is overhauling some of its divisions that handle security and technology. It’s also been accelerating its $100 million plan to roll out the more secure chip-based credit card technology in all of its nearly 1,800 stores. Beginning in early 2015, Target will be able to accept these payments from all Targetbranded credit and debit cards — becoming the first major U.S. retailer that will have its own branded cards with this technology.

Problem: Canada Target’s expansion into Canada with more than 100 stores last year has been fraught with problems. Shoppers have complained that prices are too high, and the stores have been wrestling with inventory problems.

As a result, the company’s sales in the country were weak and it recorded a nearly billion loss for the latest year.

Solution Target said Tuesday that it replaced Tony Fisher, the president of its troubled Canadian operations, with a 15-year U.S. company veteran.

Mark Schindele, 45, who was senior vice president of merchandising operations, will now run the Canadian operation, effective immediately. Schindele, who was senior vice president of merchandising operations, played a key role in launching an expanded grocery area, among other achievements.

10A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014

Police arrest actor ‘Shield’ actor allegedly told 911 he shot wife in LA

By TAMI ABDOLLAH & ANTHONY MCCARTNEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES — Actor Michael Jace, who played a police officer on the hit TV show “The Shield,” was arrested Tuesday after authorities said he called 911 and told an operator he shot his wife.

Detectives were investigating whether the couple’s financial problems or other marital difficulties played a role in the killing that police said occurred during an argument Monday night while the couple’s two sons, both under 10, were in

the house.

Police were unsure if the children witnessed the argument or JACE gunfire.

They were placed with relatives.

April Jace, 40, was shot multiple times and was found dead in a hallway of the family home in the quiet, modest Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Police recovered a handgun believed to belong to her husband, Los Angeles police Detective Dean Vinluan said.

“She came home with

the kids and then the dispute happened and the shooting happened,” he said.

Jace called 911, said he’d shot his wife and then was seen walking out of the home as officers arrived, Vinluan said.

Jace was booked on suspicion of homicide, and detectives intend to review the full 911 call and other calls from neighbors reporting that shots had been fired before he is formally charged.

Jace, 51, is best known for his role as LAPD Officer Julien Lowe in “The Shield.”

CBP Continued from Page 1A with the assistance of a CBP officer.”

The anonymous caller also described the make and model of the vehicle the individuals would be traveling in, a 2002-2006 grey Chevy Impala. The caller also said a woman named Martha Maria Escobar, co-defendant in the case, would be driving the vehicle.

The agent then relayed the information to the Juan Chavez, CBP watch commander on duty at the time at international bridge II. Chavez passed the information to an officer on duty at international bridge I and told him to be on the lookout for the suspected vehicle while he, another officer and CBP Chief Reymundo Cavazos remained at international bridge II. The vehicle, driven by Escobar, arrived at international bridge II, where it passed through primary inspection but was stopped at secondary.

“It was revealed that the vehicle had three undocumented (immigrants) and all occupants were escorted to secondary (inspection) for further questioning,” the criminal complaint states.

Court documents identified the immigrants as Escobar’s 10-year-old nephew, her mother, Marina Ines Cardenas-Rodriguez, and her sister, Claudia Marisol Ramos Cardenas.

After Chavez discovered the vehicle had been allowed to pass primary inspection by Bonilla, he observed video footage from the time Bonilla spent in the primary inspection booth during his shift.

The video recording was shown to jurors. In it, Bonilla is seen frequently looking back from his booth to the secondary inspection station, where the Escobar was stopped by another CPB officer.

“When he first got to

primary inspection he was focused on all of the vehicles in front of him, but after the Chevy passed, all of his attention was on secondary inspection,” Chavez testified.

Bonilla’s defense attorney, Jose Salvador Tellez, claims that it was Escobar and her mother who orchestrated the human smuggling attempt, not Bonilla.

During a cross-examination of Chavez’s testimony, Chavez said it is not unheard of for people to get past primary inspection and then be caught with drugs or other items in a secondary inspection.

Escobar has pleaded guilty to bringing illegal immigrants into the United States and was sentenced to seven months in federal prison. She is expected to take the stand.

(Philip Balli may be reached at 728-2528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)

LAKE Continued from Page 1A largemouth bass. However, the panel from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department does not attribute the issue to alligator gar, as previously reported in The Zapata Times.

“Our studies in Texas shows that alligator gar do not feed on largemouth bass, or sport fish, to any significant degree,” said Dave Terre, chief of management and research of the Inland Fisheries Division at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

The department said that last fall, it examined the stomach contents of 28 alligator gar and found that largemouth bass only comprised 10 percent of the gars’ diets.

Members of the Texas House of Representatives’ Committee of Culture, Recreation and Tourism met with a full house of concerned Zapata residents during a public hearing Friday to address Falcon Lake’s declining bass population.

Experts from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department were brought in by the committee as invited testimonies during the hearing, held at the Zapata Technical and Advanced Education Center.

The declining bass population has greatly impacted not only the Falcon Lake ecosystem, but has also contributed to the declining number of tourists who visit the area.

In 2012, Falcon Lake was ranked the No. 1 bass lake in the country by Bassmaster Magazine. In 2013, it ranked No. 7, and this year, it ranked No. 12.

Alligator gar are fish that can grow between 7 to 8 feet long and weigh up to 300 pounds. Additionally, their lifespan is anywhere between 50 and 100 years.

These fish spawn in flood conditions, but can also survive through droughts. In 2009, restrictions were placed on the amount of alligator gar anglers could harvest per day.

James Bendele, longtime fisherman and owner of Falcon Lake Tackle, gave his

side during the public testimony section of the hearing.

He spoke out against the restrictions, saying there was no need to restrict all anglers at all lakes in the state to only be able to harvest one alligator gar per day. Additionally, he disagreed with Texas Parks and Wildlife and said alligator gar are the culprits behind the bass population decline.

“So if we say that we have 20,000 gar, but only 5 percent of their diet is bass. Well, let’s just use a number that is 5 percent of the gar to make things simple,” Bendele said. “That’s 1,000 gar.

And let’s say that they only eat a bass every other day.

So we’ll divide that 1,000 by two just to keep things simple. (It equals) 500. Fivehundred times 365 equals 182,500 bass a year eaten by gar.”

Terre said Lake Falcon’s issue is common. He added that the two main issues he noticed are the shrinking water levels and angler harvest of largemouth bass. He said that while it is true that alligator gar do consume largemouth bass, they do not do so at an alarming rate.

“Bass population is shrinking because the lake is shrinking … bass eat more bass than gars eat bass,” Terre said.

On Monday, KRGV, the Rio Grande Valley’s news channel, reported on an invasive species of fish found in the reservoir in San Benito, less than 200 miles away from Falcon Lake in Zapata.

According to the report, dozens of Sailfin Catfish have been found dead on the reservoirs shores. The species is not native to the region and feeds on algae, wood and eggs from other fish.

On Tuesday, Zapata County Commissioner, Jose E. Vela met with local fishermen who claimed the same kind of fish was affecting the largemouth bass decline in Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on the other side of Falcon Lake.

According to a 2011 study called “The biological and

reproductive parameters of the invasive armored catfish Pterygoplicthys disjunctivus from Adolfo Lopez Mateos El Infiernillo Reservoir, Michoacan-Guerrero, Mexico,” printed in Revista Mexicana the Biodiversidad, the Sailfin Catfish had affected tilapia populations in Michoacan and Guerrero.

“Invasive sailfin catfish have impacted fish communities and fisheries in several countries. Several previous studies have suggested that competition between this invasive fish and the native species can produce negative impacts on the local fisheries,” reported the study.

Additionally, a 2011 study

by Texas A&M University’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, titled “Ecology of the Alligator Gar, Atractosteus Spatula, in the Vicente Guerrero Reservoir, Tamaulipas, Mexico” concluded that alligator gar did feed on largemouth bass in areas close to shore and in mass quantities.

“Alligator gar fed primarily on largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides and less frequently on other fishes …

The dominance of largemouth bass in the alligator gar diet reflects this centrarchild’s high occurrence in littoral habitats of the reservoir, and the diet of alligator gar inhabiting deeper habitats of the reservoir could be different.”

Whichever factor that is contributing to the decline of the largemouth bass population is taking its toll on Zapata’s community.

Romeo Salinas, Zapata County treasurer, said he wanted to see a conclusive study completed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife, which will conclude its research on Falcon Lake in the fall. Salinas said that it was “too long” to wait.

“That’s all we have. We’ve lost the oil and gas community … (bass population decline) is going to affect every business,” Salinas said.

(Gabriela A. Treviño may be reached at 956-728-42579 or gtrevino@lmtonline.com)