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Copter under fire
Man gets 10 years for pot
Six suspected Zetas shot and killed by Mexican Marines By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A Mexican navy helicopter came under fire over the weekend while patrolling an area located about 45 miles south of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, authorities said Monday. Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar said he suspects the gun-
men who shot at the Black Hawk were Zetas. Six gunmen died in the armed confrontation with Mexican marines, Tamaulipas authorities said. Officials said the incident occurred Sunday in the area of Ejido El Cuatro, located across the border from Zapata County and almost 44 miles south of Nuevo Laredo.
Based on naval intelligence, troops were looking for criminal groups operating in the area, reports state. Mexican navy personnel on air and ground patrol said they spotted several vehicles occupied by gunmen. The gunmen allegedly opened fire on the chopper, hitting it at least seven times. Troops on board were unharmed, reports
state. Mexican marines said they fired warning shots from the air. However, the suspects allegedly refused to stop and continued firing at authorities. Federal forces seized four vehicles and six firearms, reports state.
Caught with 3,000 kilos in Zapata
See ZETAS PAGE 11A
By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
SOUTH TEXAS SPINE AND REHAB
‘I LOVE WHAT I DO’
Photo by Melissa Guerra | Danny Zaragoza
Chiropractor and Clinic Director Dr. Melissa Guerra poses for a photo on Friday morning at her new office. Dr. Guerra was recetly named head of rehab at the Laredo clinic and resides in Zapata.
Zapata native named head of rehab in Laredo By GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Z
apata native Dr. Melissa Guerra was recently named head of South Texas Spine and Rehab. Energetic, passionate about her profession and friendly, she is a chiropractor and the clinic’s new director.
Guerra came in as longtime clinic chiropractor Dr. Kayce Frye made a move out-of-town to another practice. A recent graduate from Parker University, Guerra obtained her Doctor in Chiropractic degree after serving in the U.S. Navy and working for the Texas Department of Human Services for 10 years. She was previously em-
ployed at a personal injury chiropractic clinic in Arlington before moving back to her hometown of Zapata. The Zapata High School graduate said she moved back down south to be closer to her parents, who reside in Zapata. Guerra commutes from Zapata to Laredo everyday.
“I love what I do. This is going to be my last career,” Guerra said, with a laugh. According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic care focuses primarily on alleviating back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.
See REHAB PAGE 11A
GUERRA
A man accused of conspiring to smuggle more than 3,000 kilograms of marijuana from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Laredo to 10 years in prison. Juan Manuel Perez Jr. was arrested Oct. 2, 2013 along with co-conspirators Andrew James Escamilla and Elmer Oswaldo Campos. A grand jury indicted the men Oct. 29, 2013 on charges of conspiracy to posses with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. The drug charges are punishable by 10 years to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine. Escamilla accepted a plea agreement Dec. 10, 2013 and pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Perez and Campos pleaded guilty to the same charge on April 29, 2014. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed Perez the 10-year sentence. Perez was the last of the three defendants to be sentenced in the case. Escamilla and Campos were both sentenced March 31 to 58 months and 10 years in prison, respectively. On Oct. 2, 2013, Laredo FBI agents and task force officers established surveillance in the area of Highway 83 between Zapata and San Ygnacio after receiving information in reference to a drug smuggling attempt, according to the criminal complaint, filed Oct. 3, 2013. A confidential source reported that a pneumatic tractor trailer was hauling marijuana from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston by way of Laredo via Highway 83, according to the complaint. The source also reported there would be at least
See POT PAGE 11A
ZAPATA
Border Patrol agents seize 673 pounds of pot THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo | U.S. Border Patrol
This July 3 courtesy photo shows some of the bundles of marijuana that were found in an abandoned truck by Border Patrol agents in Zapata.
Border Patrol agents at the Zapata Border Patrol Station seized 673 pounds of marijuana during a drug-smuggling attempt on July 3 around 11:30 a.m. Agents were working line-watch operations
when they observed a suspicious vehicle near Highway 83 make an abrupt turn, an indication of a possible drug smuggling attempt. As the agents drove closer, they encountered the vehicle abandoned, reports state. A search of the area
was conducted and agents were able to recover 30 bundles of marijuana inside the vehicle. The total weight of the bundles was 672.85 pounds, with an estimated street value of $538,280. All subjects involved in the smuggling attempt fled the scene and no arrests were made.