COWBOYS STILL IN THE HUNT
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9, 2015
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ZAPATA COUNTY
FEDERAL COURT
Chairman busted
Smuggler gets 18 months
Laredo official arrested for aggravated assault By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Raymond Bruni, chairman of the board of commissioners for the Laredo Housing Authority, was arrested Thursday in Laredo on an aggravated assault charge, authorities said. Bruni, 68, was served with a warrant charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. The Webb County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bruni on a warrant out of Zapata shortly before 11 a.m. Zapata County sheriff’s deputies later took custody of Bruni, who has denied the accusations against him. The Sheriff’s Office did not respond to repeated requests for comment. A criminal complaint filed in Zapata with Precinct 2 Jus-
tice of the Peace Juana Maria cords. Gutierrez alleges “(The man) stated that Bruni fired a that he was standing gun at a ranch, by the doorway of causing the comthe ranch house plainant, a relative when suddenly Bruof Bruni, to fear for ni began walking tohis life. ward him and statA Sheriff’s Office ing, ‘I’m going to deputy responded to shove this rifle up a person with a gun your (expletive) and report at the Barropull the trigger,’” cito Ranch, off states the complaint. BRUNI Aguilares Road, at “(He) then stated 7:34 a.m. Nov. 14. Records state that Bruni began to walk a man had gone outside a away and stated that he was ranch house and saw Bruni going to kick everyone in his pulling up in a vehicle. Bruni family’s (expletive), then got allegedly shot his rifle into the back into his vehicle and left.” ground, states the affidavit. Records state the ranch has The complainant went in- been divided through mediaside the home to avoid prob- tion but it does not take effect lems with Bruni, according to until May. court documents. “(The complainant) believes However, Bruni fired more that Bruni was upset because shots in the air with a lever- the ranch house does fall into action .30-30 caliber rifle, au- the portion of the ranch grantthorities allege in court re- ed to him, but that (the com-
plainant) and his family were on the property since it still belongs to everyone until May.” He did not know why Bruni was upset with him but he did “fear for his life and his family’s safety due to recent threats,” states the complaint. Bruni was also recently served with a protective order in connection with the case. “The court finds that there is a clear and present danger of family violence unless Raymond is ordered to do or refrain from doing certain acts,” reads the order. “The court finds that there is an immediate need for the following protective orders to prevent family violence and protect applicant and other members of the family.” Bruni is out on bond. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
CUBANOS EN LIBERTAD
CUBAN REFUGEES
Man had been arrested in Zapata County in February By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
A man who had a hand in the smuggling of about 500 pounds of marijuana in February in Zapata County was sentenced Friday in federal court in Laredo to 18 months in prison. An indictment filed March 3 charges Rene Romeo Guerra with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. Heraldo Chapa, a co-defendant in the case, is charged in the same indictment. Guerra accepted a plea agreement April 30 and pleaded guilty to the possession charge. Chapa pleaded guilty to both counts May 1. He will be sentenced at a later date. During Guerra’s sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen ordered Guerra to 18 months in prison. His incarceration is to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. On Feb. 5, federal agents said they received reports of a white pickup in the Falcon Lake area that had pulled into an abandoned warehouse. Agents said they then saw four people leaving the area. An investigation led to the arrest of Chapa and Guerra. Agents said they found 509 pounds of marijuana inside the warehouse. The contraband was valued at $407,200, according to a criminal complaint filed Feb. 10. Chapa allegedly admitted to transporting the marijuana during a post-arrest interview Feb. 6. Agents said Chapa’s role was to open
See SMUGGLER PAGE 9A
ZAPATA CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Man charged for public intoxication Man allegedly tried to start a fight with neighbors By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Jerry Lara | San Antonio Express-News
Standing by the Cubanos en Libertad office, Cuban refugee Eduardo Tamayo, 40, puts on his belt after he was released from the U.S. Port of Entry at Laredo, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015. Tamayo claimed political asylum upon arriving at the Laredo port.
More than 28,000 Cubans cross quietly each year By AARON NELSEN SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
LAREDO — On a chilly overcast morning, two men stood amid the throng of foot traffic crossing the Laredo international bridge. "Bienvendios, Cubanos," a chorus of voices rang out. For much of the past year, Cubanos en Libertad, an informal organization composed of Cuban expatriates, has been there to welcome thousands of their road-weary countrymen as they take their first steps on U.S. soil. While immigrant children from Central American and Syrian refugees have been a prime focus of the heated immigration debate, a stream of more than 28,000 Cubans
quietly crossed the Texas border in fiscal year 2015, often to open arms. Cuban migrants say they are driven by fears that thawing relations between Washington and Havana, announced last December, could signal an end to the so-called dry foot provisions of the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, which all but ensures that Cubans who reach the U.S. will receive legal residency in a year.
‘A real difference’ But in recent days the number of islanders entering the country through South Texas appears to have dropped sharply, according to Cubanos en Libertad volunteers.
"We were seeing 80, 100 Cubans a day," said Alex Ruiz, the public notary who created Cubanos en Libertad in 2014. "Now we see only a few, sometimes none at all." The decline comes as thousands of Cuban migrants have been stranded in Costa Rica since Nicaraguan officials denied them passage on Nov. 15. One exit plan could take nearly 3,000 Cuban migrants by plane to Belize. In another blow, Cubans fleeing the island must now secure a visa to enter Ecuador, the only country in the region that did not previously require them to have a visa. Meanwhile treatment of Cuban immigrants in the U.S. is cast in sharp relief to the visceral response Central Amer-
ican and Syrian refugees have stirred in political circles. A wave of tens of thousands of Central American immigrant children and families pouring into the Rio Grande Valley last summer prompted U.S. officials to pressure Mexico into stepping up efforts to deport migrants at its southern border, even as Cubans were allowed to continue on their journey to the U.S. border. For its part, Texas approved $800 million this year for border security largely in response to the migrant surge. Texas has also attempted to block Syrian refugees from resettling in the state, stoked by fears that terrorists could be
See CUBANS PAGE 9A
A man was recently arrested for attempting to start a fight with neighbors in the Siesta Shores neighborhood, according to the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office. County authorities also said the suspect, Rigoberto Barrientos, appeared to be intoxicated and had narcotics on him. Barrientos, 39, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and cited for public intoxication. He remained in custody Tuesday at the Zapata County Regional Jail. Deputies said they responded to reports of a man wanting to fight with neighbors in BARRIENTOS the 5300 block of Peña Lane. Deputies arrived and saw a man, who appeared to be intoxicated, yelling in the middle of the street. Authorities identified that man as Barrientos. Reports state deputies approached Barrientos to avoid an altercation. However, Barrientos reacted aggressively toward authorities and got arrested, according to reports. Additionally, deputies said they Barrientos had 0.02 grams of crack-cocaine in foil wrapping in his left front pant pocket, reports state. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)