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SOUTH TEXAS BORDER
MIGRANT CHILDREN
All for the money
Influx creating problems
HSI: Smugglers have ‘disregard for human life’ By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
“Coyotes” have a lot to prey on with the recent influx of Central Americans flooding the South Texas border, according to local and federal authorities. A Mexican citizen pays a coyote anywhere from $500 to $1,500 or up to $3,000 to be smuggled into the United States while Central Ameri-
cans may pay up to $7,000 per person. Europeans and Asians pay $25,000 and $50,000 each, respectively, said Aristides Jimenez, Homeland Security Investigations deputy special agent in charge. “Coyotes are having a feast with so many people coming in,” he said. The Homeland Security Department announced last week a crackdown dubbed “Oper-
ation Coyote.” Its purpose was to slow down the recent influx of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children and families caught crossing the border illegally in South Texas, the Associated Press reported. The 90-day operation yielded 192 arrests from Laredo to Brownsville. In addition, authorities arrested 501 immigrants who had crossed the border illegally. “The purpose of this oper-
ation is to disrupt and dismantle smuggling organizations,” said Jimenez, who added that additional resources and boots on the ground were needed for the operation’s success. During the operation, Homeland Security said it seized $625,000 from human- and drug-smuggling groups that operated along the border. Federal authorities identified funnel
Zapatan claims crown By LOUIS SAN MIGUEL THE ZAPATA TIMES
See PAGEANT PAGE 9A
By DAVID NAKAMURA, JERRY MARKON AND MANUEL ROIG-FRANZIA THE WASHINGTON POST
‘A DREAM COME TRUE’ Falcon Lakes’ Vielka Gutierrez reacts on stage Saturday night after being coronated as Miss Teen Southwest at the Laredo Civic Center Auditorium.
Priscilla Elizondo is coronated on stage after being named Miss Pre-teen Southwest Saturday night at the Laredo Civic Center Auditorium.
Photos by Danny Zaragoza | The Zapata Times
The newly crowned Miss Southwest Cassandra Pe±a models her evening gown Saturday night during the 2014 Miss Southwest Pageant at the Laredo Civic Center.
Editor’s note: This is the final part of a three-part series on warnings of an influx of immigrant children into the United States.
See BORDER PAGE 9A
2014 MISS SOUTHWEST PAGEANT
A Zapata woman claimed the Miss Southwest 2014 crown Saturday night at the Laredo Civic Center. Cassandra Peña of Zapata was ecstatic as the crown was placed on her head. “Words cannot describe what I’m feeling,” Peña said “It’s a dream come true.” Girls from across Southwest Texas walked out on the Civic Center stage in dazzling gowns and topped with elegant coifs. The pageant, a preliminary event for the Miss Texas pageant, is a stepping-stone for girls looking to eventually claim the nationally recognized Miss America crown and move on to the Miss Universe contest. An enthusiastic crowd supported the contestants, with a couple in the crowd even holding small cardboard cutouts of their favorite contestant’s face and waving it proudly in the air as the girls crossed the main stage. The girls were split into four different divisions based on their age with crowns and scholarships awarded to Miss Little Southwest Texas, Miss Preteen Southwest Texas, Miss Southwest Texas Teen and
Strain on federal officials, agencies became focus
Little Miss Southwest 2014 Sophia Palacios smiles as she is officially coronated Saturday night on stage at the Laredo Civic Center Auditorium.
Ever-increasing numbers of immigrants entering the United States was creating problems for federal officials and the agencies whose personnel were directly involved in immigration matters. Among advocacy groups, the strain on the federal system became an increasing focus. In November 2013, a contingent of officials from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops took a week-long trip to Mexico and Central America to discuss the crisis with local officials and U.S. diplomats in the region. “The embassies did pay attention to us, and I think they also expressed interest in the issue,” said Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, who led the Catholic delegation. But, he added, “there are so many issues in these failing states, it’s hard to pick one. So it’s hard to assess, except with the light of hindsight, whether they should have known at that time this had become such a large exodus.” Upon their return, the bishops briefed State Department officials and produced a 16-page report of their findings and recommendations, which was sent to Cecilia Muñoz, Obama’s domestic policy advisor, via email in January. By the time Congress approved an omnibus budget in January, the line-item for the refugee office had increased significantly from Obama’s initial request of $495 million to $868 million — based on the larger projections of minors. In February, then-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius approved an additional $44 million transfer, bringing the office’s budget to $912 million for the year. On Jan. 28, Obama delivered his State of the Union address, highlighting his push for a comprehensive immigration bill and pressing Republicans to join the effort. Three days later, Chris Crane, president of the union that represents Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, was asked about the president’s plan during an appearance on Fox News. “At this moment, we have a humanitarian crisis on our southern border,” Crane told host Mike Huckabee. “Most problematic, most troubling and alarming, is the number of children coming across our border all by themselves. . . . It’s so out of control that just one office is averaging over 2,000 of these unaccompanied children each and every month.” Muñoz said the government was prepared to handle up to 60,000 children in 2014 given the increases to the budget. The crisis point, she said, came only during another massive spike in the spring. The number of unaccompanied minors had been averaging just under 4,500 a month at the beginning of the year, then jumped to more than 7,000 a month in March and April before exploding to more than 10,000 a month in May and June, administration officials said. On a Mother’s Day trip to the McAllen Border Patrol station, Homeland Security
See CHILDREN PAGE 9A
GOODRICH, TEXAS
East Texas marijuana fields valued at $175M ASSOCIATED PRESS
GOODRICH, Texas — Authorities in East Texas said Tuesday that they have cleared more than two dozen marijuana fields that were discovered over the weekend in the woods and which contained about 100,000 plants worth an estimated $175 million. The fields near the town of Goodrich were part of a sophisti-
cated growing operation that used water from a nearby creek to hydrate the marijuana, Chief Deputy Byron Lyons from the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office told KHOU-TV in Houston. A campground was also found on the site, along with Styrofoam cups that were used to nurture small plants. Hoses were used to water the larger plants. “These guys are building
trenches, pumps, set up irrigation systems,” Lyons said. “They’ve got their own little camps, tents, tent cities. It’s a pretty elaborate set up.” Those who maintained the fields got to the property by taking the Trinity River and Long King Creek and then stayed at the location once they got there. A deer hunter stumbled across the fields Saturday. Goodrich is
about 70 miles northeast of Houston. Authorities say one man found in the woods has been arrested. The suspect’s name has not been released. Inmates from the county jail helped authorities pull up the plants and clear away the fields. The discovery of the marijuana fields was a surprise to Goodrich residents.
“I was amazed,” said Lauretta Patterson. “I couldn’t believe here in Goodrich that something like that would happen.” Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Livingston police department and Polk County constables also helped in the operation. A Department of Public Safety helicopter helped investigators spot additional fields.