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FEDERAL COURT
MEXICO VIOLENCE
Bank fraud Two women plead not guilty on 10 counts By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Two women who were arrested accused of taking part in a Zapata National Bank fraud scheme have pleaded not guilty in a Laredo federal court.
A grand jury returned a 10-count indictment under seal Oct. 28, 2014 and it became unsealed upon the arrest of Petra del Bosque, 54, and Anita Arredondo, 52, both of Zapata. They are being charged with 10 counts of bank fraud. If
convicted, they could face up to 30 years in federal prison per count. Del Bosque and Arredondo had arraignment set for Friday. But the defendants waived their presence in court by submitting a written not guilty plea. Del
Bosque posted bond Friday while Arredondo is in federal custody on $50,000 bond with a $1,500.00 cash deposit and one co-surety, according to court documents.
See FRAUD PAGE 9A Photo by Eduardo Verdugo | AP file
Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto, right, speaks to his wife Angelica Rivera in this March 13, 2013 file photo.
AMERICAN LEGION POST 59
VETERANS DAY PARADE
Peña Nieto under pressure President faces protests, ethics questions in light of killings By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN AND MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Victor Strife | The Zapata Times
Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Lt. General Kenneth E. Eickmann (right) pose for a photograph with WWII veterans Salomon Oviedo and Miguel Muñoz Tuesday morning during the annual Veterans Day Celebration at the historic San Agustín Plaza in downtown Laredo.
Henry Cuellar thanks vets for their service By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
Hundreds of Laredoans participated in a Veterans Day spectacle that took place in the streets of downtown Laredo. The revving of nearly 40 Harley-Davidsons alerted spectators to the coming of the annual Veterans Day
parade, which begins near St. Peter’s Plaza and ends at San Agustin Plaza. The procession trailing behind the motorcycles included various veterans groups, local high school bands, drill teams, law enforcement and the fire department. The American Legion Post 59 has spearheaded the
parade for nearly 50 years, said post commander Cesar Montemayor. “Participation in the parade has gotten bigger over the years,” Montemayor said. “In the past, we didn’t have all of the riders. The Harley-Davidson people really go all out to help us with the parade and other functions we have.”
The American Legion is one of the oldest and largest veterans associations in the nation. Post 59 has close to 300 members, according to Montemayor. The American Legion consists of all veterans. Erasmo Villarreal Jr., a Vietnam veteran who has
See VETERANS PAGE 9A
ACAPULCO, Mexico — President Enrique Peña Nieto’s government, which had seen smooth sailing through its first year and a half in office, is suddenly listing in the face of multiple crises. The administration scrambled Monday to respond to growing questions about the family’s multi-million-dollar mansion owned by a government contractor, even as it tried to calm continuing protests over the disappearance — and probable murder — of 43 students. The president has tried to shift Mexico’s focus away from a bloody fight against organized crime to a series of political and economic reforms his administration
successfully pushed through congress. But as he attended a summit in China on Monday, Peña Nieto’s aides were trying the quell doubts about what the administration called his wife’s 2012 purchase of a $7 million mansion from a company that had won extensive contracts from the State of Mexico while Enrique Peña Nieto was governor. According to a story published Sunday by Aristegui Noticias, the house was built and is still owned by Ingenieria Inmobiliaria del Centro, a company belonging to Grupo Higa. Grupo Higa also owns a company that was part of the Chinese-led consortium awarded a $3.7 billion high-speed rail project this year. The consortium was the only bidder.
See MEXICO PAGE 9A
ZAPATA COUNTY
Investigation reveals human smuggling conspiracy By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A routine traffic stop in Zapata County led to the discovery of several illegal immigrants at a Laredo motel, according to court records. Between late Oct. 30 and early Oct. 31, federal
authorities arrested Steve Hernandez-Uribe and Mario Benavides Jr. accused of bringing in and harboring illegal immigrants, according to a criminal complaint filed against them Nov. 3. Federal authorities also took custody of eight illegal immigrants. The case dates back to
Oct. 30, when Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office deputies requested the assistance of U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Zapata Station on a traffic violation on U.S. 83. Deputies told agents that all three passengers in the vehicle had “stories that did not match up,” the complaint
states. Two passengers, who did not have identification, did not speak English. Identified as the driver, Hernandez-Uribe stated he was a U.S. citizen during an immigration inspection. The two passengers, a man and a woman, admitted to being Mexi-
can nationals with no legal documentation to be in the United States. Deputies gave HernandezUribe a warning citation for speeding before turning him and the passengers over to Border Patrol. In a post-arrest interview with federal authorities, Hernandez-Uribe al-
legedly admitted transporting two illegal immigrants on his green 1997 Toyota Corolla from Rio Grande City to Laredo. Hernandez stated that a man he identified as Mario hired him. Mario, who was later identified as Be-
See CONSPIRACY PAGE 9A