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COURTS
LAWSUIT
Man pleads guilty
Firm to appeal verdict
Suspected marijuana smuggler faces 10 years to life By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
One of three men accused of conspiring and transporting $6.4 million worth of marijuana within Zapata County pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Laredo, according to court records. In re-arraignment held Tuesday, Andrew James Escamilla, 34, pled guilty to count one of the indictment, which charges him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijua-
na. Escamilla could face from 10 years to life in prison, the indictment states. He had originally pleaded not guilty Nov. 6. Escamilla is in federal custody on a $175,000 bond. Two other people allegedly involved in the smuggling recently pleaded not guilty to marijuana conspiracy and possession charges. They were identified as Elmer Oswaldo Campos, 36, and Juan Manuel Perez Jr., 38. Federal authorities arrested the trio early Oct. 2. Laredo
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and task officers set surveillance along U.S. Highway 83, between Zapata and San Ygnacio, after authorities were tipped off to a pneumatic tractor-trailer allegedly hauling pot from the Rio Grande Valley. A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper assisted in pulling over the 18-wheeler, driven by Escamilla. Campos was identified as the passenger. A criminal complaint filed Oct. 3 states that Escamilla admitted to marijuana being concealed inside the trailer. Esca-
milla had been hired to drive the contraband from Roma. Court records identified Campos as the man who would guide Escamilla through the federal checkpoints. Perez, who was also identified as a scout, was arrested at a gas station in Zapata. Federal officials seized 644 bundles of marijuana, weighing about 8,000 pounds. The contraband had an estimated street value of $6.4 million. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
CHRISTMAS
GIFTS FROM ‘ANGELS’ Program marks 9th year By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Bruni Elementary School student Wendy Bernal smiles as she looks at the presents that she received as part of the Angel of Hope program Tuesday at the Laredo Energy Arena.
Hundreds of elementary students from Laredo Independent School District filled the Laredo Energy Arena Tuesday to receive gifts during the ninth annual Angel of Hope, previously known as Navidad En El Barrio. Hope Sierra and Ruby Murio, both 8, attend Dovalina Elementary School and were among the crowd, which totaled nearly 1,000 students. “I know what gift I really want: Flashlight Friends!” Sierra said. The toy is a flashlight aimed at children; each soft animal “friend” has a built-in tap flashlight. Murio, meanwhile, was hoping to receive a doll, jacket or a tablet. Rudy Rodriguez Jr., Webb County constable for Pct. 1, organized the event. Another estimated 1,000 LISD students were expected to attend the giveaway later in the day. “I’ve always said a good officer is the one that does extra work,” Rodriguez said. “When you donate your time to volunteer work for something like this, it makes it special.” This year the Pct. 1 office raised $100,000 to purchase more than 10,000 gifts. All of the gifts were bought from a local Wal-Mart and included laptop computers and bicycles. Rodriguez plans on also giving gifts to students in Mirando City, Rio Bravo and El Cenizo. “We have already met with the mayor of El Cenizo and Rio Bravo,” Rodriguez said. “We’re so blessed to be giving back in return what God has given us all year.” An estimated 3,200 students will each receive three gifts from the office this year. (Philip Balli may be reached at 7282528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)
By ALDO AMATO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Nuverra Environmental Solutions has responded to a verdict in Dimmit County in which jurors awarded $281 million in damages to plaintiffs in a wrongful death lawsuit. “We are disappointed by the actions of this Texas state court jury but remain confident in the judicial system at both the trial court and appellate court levels,” said Mark Johnsrud, AGUILAR chief executive officer of Nuverra Environmental Solutions, in a press release. “While we are highly sympathetic to the deceased and his family for his unfortunate passing, we believe based on input from our legal advisors and consultants, both trial and appellate, that this recent award exceeds well-established judicial norms and precedent by a staggering margin.” Johnsrud said the company plans to appeal the jury’s verdict in hopes of either overturning or reducing the award amount. “After conferring with our legal advisors, we believe we have meritorious grounds to seek reconsideration of the verdict and to appeal. We intend to file motions to reduce or overturn the award and otherwise to file for x reconsideration of the case,” Johnsrud said. Heckmann Water Resources, the defendant in the case, is an operating subsidiary of Nuverra Environmental Solutions. Relatives of Carlos Aguilar, 31, filed a lawsuit against Heckmann Water Resources after he was killed in May 2012. Aguilar, a U.S. army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, was a passenger in a work truck traveling on FM 133 in Dimmit County when a driveshaft assembly broke free from an 18-wheeler. The 20 pound driveshaft bounced off the road and crashed through the windshield of the truck, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The driveshaft struck Aguilar in the face and neck, killing him. According to the lawsuit, Heckmann Water Resources, which owned the 18wheeler, failed to lubricate the driveshaft, causing it to break off. After a three-week trial, jurors found the company negligent Thursday night and awarded $281 million in damages to Aguilar’s mother and father, wife and seven children. Ron Rodriguez, who represented five of the children, said the award amount was the largest ever in Dimmit County and one of the largest in Texas. “Based on the pre-award analysis of the case, Heckmann Water Resources’s exposure in this matter was not expected to exceed its available insurance limits of $16 million,” the press release from Nuverra Environmental Services states. “Although it continues to review the matter, the company does not anticipate establishing an accounting reserve for the matter at this time.” ( Aldo Amato may be reached at 7282538 or aamato@lmtonline.com)
COMMISSIONERS COURT
Officials eye cemetery expansion, school road By ALDO AMATO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Expansion and renovation were the main focus at Monday’s Commissioners Court meeting. Commissioners said they are looking to buy new land for the Zapata County Cemetery after listening to an appraisal report. The appraisal, which cost the county $400, highlighted what
the county would have to do and how much it would have to pay to expand the 60-year-old cemetery. Commissioner Jose Emilio Vela said the proposed expansion would cost around $80,000, but that the county has not made official plans for expansion at this point. “Basically what we are doing is looking toward the future,”
Vela said. “We haven’t made an official decision to buy land and we still have to talk to the landowners. What we did Monday was just getting ahead of the game.”
Road improvements Construction is expected to begin in April near Villarreal
Elementary School as commissioners aim to improve roads in one of the county’s poorest areas. Commissioners approved engineering and consulting firms for road improvements, which are expected to include new drainage systems and add streetlights to the school area. The money for the improvements comes from a $300,000 block grant awarded by the Texas Office of
Rural Affairs. “We’re going to try to get proper drainage to a road that leads all the way to the elementary school,” Vela said. “This has been a project we’ve looked at for a while and hopefully will revitalize the infrastructure in Precinct 2.” (Aldo Amato may be reached at 728-2538 or aamato@lmtonline.com)