RANGERS READY FOR 2018 TEXAS FACES TOUGH ROAD IN AL WEST, A7
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2018
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
FREE
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
MEXICO
Zetas drug cartel leader captured U.S. had offered $5 million reward for the arrest of ‘Z 43’ thorized to be quoted by name confirmed Guizar Valencia’s last name.
By Mark Stevenson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — Authorities said Friday they have arrested dual U.S.-Mexican citizen Jose Maria Guizar Valencia, the alleged leader of the Zetas drug cartel. Mexican National Security Commissioner Renato Sales identified the suspect only as “Jose Maria,” but a federal official who was not au-
Valencia
Guizar Valencia is known by his Zetas code name, “Z 43.” The United States had offered a $5 million reward for his arrest. Sales said Guizar Va-
lencia was arrested Thursday in Mexico City’s trendy Roma neighborhood, which is known for its restaurants and cafes. The commissioner said the leader was one of the main generators of violence and had directed Zetas’ drug trafficking and other activities in southern Mexico. Under a ‘Wanted’ page online, the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs said Guizar Valencia is “responsible for the importation of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine to the United States on a yearly basis” and faces separate U.S. drug trafficking indictments in Texas and Virginia. It also said he had taken over territory in neighboring Guatemala. “Los Zetas, under the
MEXICO VIOLENCE
MEXICO CITY — Authorities in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz announced charges Thursday of “forced disappearance” against 19 current or former state police officials and officers, saying they kidnapped and killed 15 innocent civilians. Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes said the victims included two women and two minors, and the alleged perpetrators reached to very top of the police structure. Veracruz has been the scene of grisly police kidnap-killings before but in the cases announced Thursday, state police officials and their subordinate officers were apparently working for gangs or drug cartels, Yunes said. The crimes occurred during the 2010-2016 administration of former Gov. Javier Duarte, who himself is in prison facing corruption charges, and his predecessor.
years, and the once fearsome cartel has splintered into several factions. Even before that, the bureau said Guizar Valencia was “considered his own entity, working in concert but independently” of the main Zetas faction. Formed by deserters of an elite military unit, the Zetas are known for indiscriminate brutality, filling anonymous graves and roadsides with piles of victims’ bodies.
U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENT
19 police charged in kidnappings, killings A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
command of Guizar Valencia, have murdered an untold number of Guatemalan civilians during the systematic overtake of the Guatemalan border region with Mexico during recent years,” the bureau said. It said Guizar Valencia was born in Tulare, California. The Zetas’ leadership has been decimated by the arrest and deaths of main capos in recent
Yunes said the state’s former Public Safety Secretary — in effect the top police commander — and his directors of special forces, prisons and state police headed a ring that abducted, tortured, interrogated, raped and killed private citizens. “These corrupt police, like the regime they served, placed themselves at the service of the criminals,” Yunes said. Two of the high-ranking officials were already under arrest on other charges, one is a fugitive, and the rest were placed under arrest. Yunes did not explain why they carried out the “forced disappearances,” which is defined as the abduction of a person by public servants when the victim is subsequently never found. But in 2015, state police in one Veracruz town abducted five youths and turned them over to the hyper-violent Jalisco cartel,
FBI FINDS NO EVIDENCE OF ATTACK
Violence continues on A8
ZAPATA BORDER PATROL
Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images
A Border Patrol agent checks the area near the border fence on the US/Mexico border. A border patrol agent whose mysterious death prompted President Trump to renew his call for a wall along the border appears to have died as the result of an accident, according to an FBI probe.
Autopsy list ‘blunt force trauma’ as cause of death By Claudia Lauer Border Patrol / Courtesy photo
Border Patrol agents stationed in Zapata found over 1,000 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle on Wednesday.
Agents seize 1,033 pounds of marijuana S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
Border Patrol agents from the Zapata Station seized 1,033 pounds of marijuana this week after responding to suspicious activity near Zapata. On Wednesday, agents encountered people loading bundles into a Chevrolet Traverse from a boat in Falcon Lake. As the agents approached the vehicle, the boat and suspects absconded back to Mexico. Agents discovered 46 bun-
dles of marijuana inside the vehicle. The pot had an estimated street value of $826,733.48. No arrests were made in this case. The marijuana was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the vehicle was seized by Border Patrol. In late January, agents seized 705 pounds of marijuana after responding to a report of multiple bundles floating in Falcon Lake near Zapata. Agents arZapata continues on A8
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — FBI officials said the investigation into the November death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent has yielded no evidence that there was a “scuffle, altercation or attack” more than two months after President Donald Trump and others used the suggestion of an attack to promote the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Investigators have conducted more than 650 interviews and involved 37 field offices in their probe, but have not found defin-
itive evidence of an attack, the FBI said in a statement Martinez Wednesday. The investigation will continue and the reward of up to $50,000 for information that closes the case will remain. “To date none of the more than 650 interviews completed, locations searched, or evidence collected and analyzed have produced evidence that would support the existence of a scuffle, altercation, or attack on November 18, 2017,”
said the release from the El Paso office of Emmerson Buie, a special agent in charge. Rogelio Martinez died from injuries he sustained while he and his partner were responding to reports of unknown activity the night of Nov. 18 near Van Horn, a Texas town near the Mexico border about 110 miles (175 kilometers) southeast of El Paso. Martinez’s partner radioed for help before both agents were airlifted to the hospital, where 36-year-old Martinez died a few hours later. The partner— who suffered from head injuries— was released from the
hospital after several days, but told investigators he could not remember the incident. The FBI release Wednesday noted that a dispatcher, who was among the people interviewed by investigators, took the call from the surviving agent. According to the release, the dispatcher wrote in his log that, “(He) thinks they (both agents) ran into a culvert.” An autopsy report from the El Paso County medical examiner’s office released Tuesday night shed little light on what caused the serious injuries that Martinez FBI continues on A8
In Brief A2 | Saturday, February 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, FEB. 10
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Conference and Resource Fair for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities, 8:30am-1:30pm, UT Health Regional Campus Laredo, 1937 E. Bustamante, This is a free resource fair for parents of children with special needs it is also open to the community. To register call Oda Garcia at 956-712-0037 email ogarcia@mrgbahec.org.
TUESDAY, FEB. 13 The United Methodist Men’s Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. 6 to 7:30 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. All you can eat pancakes, syrup, butter, bacon and sausage, with a choice of coffee, orange juice, milk or lemonade. Public is invited. Free will donations accepted. Proceeds are used to support the church’s mission projects. David Goldman / AP
THURSDAY, FEB. 22 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society meeting. 3 to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speaker topic: San Ygnacio and the River Pierce Foundation, Melita Rodriguez. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Spanish Book Club. 6 to 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, conference room. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
Henry Beverly, 73, battles the flu while tended to by nurse Kathleen Burks at Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston, Georgia on Friday.
FLU SEASON STILL GETTING WORSE
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
NEW YORK — The flu has further tightened its grip on the U.S. This season is now as bad as the swine flu epidemic nine years ago. A government report out Friday shows 1 of every 13 visits to the doctor last week was for fever, cough and other symptoms of the flu. That ties the highest level seen in the U.S. during swine flu in 2009. And it surpasses every winter flu season since 2003, when the government changed the way it measures flu. “I wish that there were better news this week, but almost everything we’re looking
Budget finally OK, Congress heads into immigration fight WASHINGTON — They can all claim wins in the big budget agreement: President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans and Democrats, too. Next up, however, is a Senate immigration battle that may well lead nowhere, complicated by divisions within parties rubbed raw by the spending pact plus election-year pressures that always make compromise chal-
at is bad news,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu season usually takes off in late December and peaks around February. This season started early and was widespread in many states by December. Early last month, it hit what seemed like peak levels — but then continued to surge. The season has been driven by a nasty type of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths than other more common flu bugs. — Compiled from AP reports
lenging. In Washington’s latest embarrassing display of governance by brinkmanship, a bipartisan accord bolstering military and domestic programs by $400 billion and deepening federal deficits became law Friday — but not before the government technically shut down. In what amounts to an achievement these days, lawmakers limited the overnight closure to less than nine hours — the time between when agencies technically ran out of mon-
ey at midnight and Trump’s morning signing of the bill. It was the government’s second shutdown in three weeks, following the January’s three-day closure when Senate Democrats demanding legislation shielding young “Dreamer” immigrants from deportation blocked a bill keeping agencies open. This time, Senate passage was delayed until after midnight when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., stalled the vote to protest Congress’ willingness to drive up deficits. — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, MARCH 3 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, APRIL 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Habitat for Humanity Laredo major fundraiser Golfing For Roofs golf tournament. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Hole sponsorships are title $10,000, platinum $5,000, diamond $2,500, gold $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze. For information, call 724-3227.
AROUND THE WORLD At Olympic Games, Kim Jong Un’s sister takes VIP seat PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sister took her place among dignitaries from around the world, including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Friday in an unprecedented visit to South Korea. The trip by Kim Yo Jong is the latest move in an extraordinary show of Olympic diplomacy with Seoul that could prove to be a major challenge to the Trump administration’s hard-line Korea policies. As the opening ceremony began, she and South Korean President Moon Jae-in exchanged a historic handshake and spoke briefly. They smiled broadly, though it was not immediately known what they said. She and Kim Yong Nam, the
Matthias Hangst / Getty Images
VP Mike Pence and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo-Jong (back left) watch the opening ceremony.
North’s 90-year-old nominal head of state, were seated behind Moon and his wife, while Pence and his wife were seated beside the Moons and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. At the age of 30, Kim Yo Jong is quite possibly the most powerful woman in North Korea. Just a few years younger than her brother, she is believed to
be his closest confidant and is a senior cadre in North Korea’s ruling party. Her arrival on Kim Jong Un’s private jet with a coterie of 22 officials was broadcast live on South Korean television. A White House official said Pence did not interact with Kim Yo Jong or Kim Yong Nam. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Review finds fire officials mishandled deadly blaze SAN ANTONIO — A peer review of the San Antonio Fire Department reveals that commanders and firefighters made several mistakes while battling a blaze at a shopping center that killed one of them. Fire Chief Charles Hood provided an overview of the review’s summary report on Thursday. The report is expect-
Today is Saturday, Feb. 10, the 41st day of 2018. There are 324 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 10, 1968, U.S. figure skater Peggy Fleming, 19, won America's only gold medal of the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France, in the ladies' singles event. On this date: In 1942, RCA Victor presented Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with a "gold record" for their recording of "Chattanooga Choo Choo," which had sold more than 1 million copies. In 1949, Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" opened at Broadway's Morosco Theater with Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman. In 1959, a major tornado tore through the St. Louis area, killing 21 people and causing heavy damage. In 1962, the Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States. Republican George W. Romney announced his ultimately successful candidacy for governor of Michigan. In 1966, the Jacqueline Susann novel "Valley of the Dolls" was published by Bernard Geis Associates. In 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, was ratified as Minnesota and Nevada adopted it. In 1981, eight people were killed when a fire set by a busboy broke out at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino. In 1992, boxer Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant. (Tyson served three years in prison.) In 2005, playwright Arthur Miller died in Roxbury, Connecticut, at age 89 on the 56th anniversary of the Broadway opening of "Death of a Salesman." Ten years ago: Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton replaced campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle with longtime aide Maggie Williams. Barack Obama defeated Clinton in the Maine Democratic presidential caucuses. The NFC defeated the AFC 42-30 in the Pro Bowl. Amy Winehouse won five Grammys, including record and song of the year for "Rehab." Death claimed actor Roy Scheider, 75; lounge rocker Freddie Bell, 76; and "Howard the Duck" creator Steve Gerber, 60. Five years ago: Joe Paterno's family released its response to Penn State's report on the Jerry Sandusky scandal, attacking Louis Freeh's conclusion that the coach hid sex abuse allegations against his longtime assistant. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford took charge of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. At the Grammy Awards, Fun. won song of the year for "We Are Young"; Gotye's "Somebody I Used to Know" picked up record of the year. One year ago: President Donald Trump, fresh off patching up ties with China, reassured Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House that the U.S. would defend its close ally. Retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. "Hal" Moore, the American hero known for saving most of his men in the 1965 Battle of Ia Drang during the Vietnam War, died in Auburn, Alabama, at age 94. Billionaire businessman Mike Ilitch, who founded the Little Caesars pizza empire before buying the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers, died at age 87. Today's Birthdays: Opera singer Leontyne Price is 91. Actor Robert Wagner is 88. Rock musician Don Wilson is 85. Singer Roberta Flack is 81. Singer Jimmy Merchant is 78. Movie director Michael Apted is 77. Rock musician Bob Spalding is 71. Olympic gold-medal swimmer Mark Spitz is 68. Walt Disney Co. chairman and chief executive Robert Iger is 67. Rock musician and composer Cory Lerios is 67. World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman is 63. Actress Kathleen Beller is 62. Country singer Lionel Cartwright is 58. Movie director Alexander Payne is 57. ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos is 57. Retired MLB All-Star Lenny Dykstra is 55. Political commentator Glenn Beck is 54. Actress Laura Dern is 51. Writer-producer-director Vince Gilligan is 51. Country singer Dude Mowrey is 46. Actor Jason Olive is 46. Actress Elizabeth Banks is 44. Pop singer Rosanna Taverez is 41. Actress Julia Pace Mitchell is 40. Reggaeton singer Don Omar is 40. Country musician Jeremy Baxter is 38. Actress Uzo Aduba is 37. Actor Max Brown is 37. Actor Barry Sloane is 37. Rock singer Eric Dill is 36. Rock musician Ben Romans is 36. Actor Trevante Rhodes is 28. Actress Emma Roberts is 27. Actress Makenzie Vega is 24. Thought for Today : "Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." — Simone de Beauvoir, French writer (1908-1986).
CONTACT US ed to be released Friday by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office. The review by the Houston Fire Department found that the SAFD treated the May fire at Ingram Square Shopping Center like they would a residential fire, not a commercial one. Firefighters reportedly searched for survivors in the building despite conditions indicating that no one would have survived. The fire crew that went in also didn’t have a fire hose, which is considered a
lifeline in a fire incident. A firefighter who entered the shopping center pulled ceiling tiles that resulted in the fire coming down on him and firefighter Scott Deem, who was killed. Pulling down ceiling tiles is typically done to find a fire’s origin, not during search and rescue operations, according to the report. Months after the fire, authorities arrested a man and charged him with one count of murder and four arson-related counts. — Compiled from AP reports
Publisher, William B. Green .....................................728-2501 General Manager, Adriana Devally ..........................728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................................728-2531 Circulation Director ..................................................728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo..................................728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ..............................728-2582 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ........................................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo.......................728-2569
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 10, 2018 |
A3
STATE
1 dead, 3 hurt in stabbing Prosecutor dismisses 13 cases tied to biker shooting at church service By David Warren By Emily Schmall
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
FORT WORTH — A Texas prosecutor on Thursday dismissed 13 cases stemming from a 2015 shootout in Waco involving bikers and police and recused himself from two others, placing into doubt the criminal prosecution of the more than 130 bikers still awaiting trial. The actions came hours before a scheduled hearing for Jorge Salinas, whose case was among those dismissed. Current and former staff had been due to speak at the hearing about corruption allegations against District Attorney Abel Reyna, who faces a Republican primary election in March. The hearing was canceled. According to a motion filed Thursday, the prosecutor dismissed Salinas’ case “in order to focus its efforts and resources on co-defendants with a higher level of culpability.” The May 2015 shootout involving members of the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle clubs outside a Twin Peaks restaurant left nine bikers dead and 20 injured. Local police arrested 177 bikers after the mayhem, and more than 150 people were eventually indicted on felony charges of engaging in organized criminal activity resulting in the deaths and injuries. Ballistics evidence showed that police bullets struck four bikers, killing at least two of them. The three officers involved in the shooting were nobilled by a grand jury after being cleared by an internal investigation. Nearly three years later, only one biker, Dallas locomotive driver and Bandido chapter president Christopher “Jake” Carrizal, has been tried. Carrizal’s November trial resulted in a mistrial when jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The second biker set for trial rejected a plea deal in December. “The way people were arrested was fairly indiscriminate — it was predictable that some of these cases would be dropped,” said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a University of Houston law professor, adding, “I wouldn’t doubt if we see more.” In a statement Thursday, Reyna said that it is “entirely possible” that other cases will be dismissed after prosecutors are able to review evidence from an ongoing federal trial of the former Bandidos president and vice president in San Antonio. While the Waco shootout isn’t mentioned in the federal indictments against both men on racketeering charges, including ordering killings and assaults, government witnesses have discussed the Waco in-
Rod Aydelotte / Waco Tribune-Herald / AP
Jorge Daniel Salinas, left, talks about his case being dropped by the McLennan County District Attorney's office during a press conference Thursday in Waco. Salinas was involved in the roundup following the May 17, 2015 shootout at Twin Peaks that left nine bikers dead and 20 more injured.
cident in pretrial hearings, court records show. Reyna said prosecutors expect to receive evidence from the federal case “within 60 to 75 days. Once received, we will commit to making additional decisions in each of the Twin Peaks cases within 30 days from receipt of that evidence,” he said. More than 100 bikers, including 11 whose cases were dismissed Thursday, have civil suits pending against Reyna’s office and the Waco police department claiming that they were wrongfully arrested. A federal judge in Austin had stayed the cases pending the outcome of their criminal cases. Dallas attorney Don Tittle, whose firm is representing 122 bikers’ civil cases, said he hopes the dismissals mean “that there’s no longer any impediment” to proceeding
in civil court. Salinas, 27, a decorated Marine from Lometa, Texas, and his Fort Worth attorney, Brian Bouffard, both cried upon learning late Wednesday from the district attorney’s office that the case against him would be dropped. Bouffard called the dismissals a “smoke screen” to avoid having the allegations against Reyna voiced in public court, and said Salinas would continue to pursue his civil case. Salinas “lived under this garbage for almost three years, and his civil rights were violated. The dismissal, while welcome, doesn’t erase that,” Bouffard said. Reyna said in a statement that claims that the dismissals were motivated by a desire to avoid a hearing were “simply not the case.”
One man has died after he and three others were stabbed during a church service at a private home in Texas, police said Thursday. As many as 20 people were in Moreno the home Wednesday night when an apparent member of the congregation pulled a knife and stabbed four men, said Corpus Christi police Lt. Chris Hooper. He said a 61-year-old man later died of his injuries, while the church’s 54-year-old pastor was hospitalized in serious condition. Police said late Wednesday that a band member was stabbed in the neck and the pastor was stabbed in his chest, and both men were taken to a hospital with lifethreatening injuries. Police said the other two victims suffered puncture wounds — one to his hand and the other to his arm — while trying to get the suspect away from the pastor. Hooper declined to identify the victims on Thursday, but the Nueces County medical examiner’s office identified the man who died as Frank Castillo.
Alexandria Rodriguez / Corpus Christi Caller-Times / AP
Medics and officers escort a man as he walks to an ambulance in Corpus Christi. A man believed to be in his 30s is in police custody after four people were stabbed Wednesday evening during a church service inside a residence in Corpus Christi.
No other details were immediately released. The suspect, 28-yearold Marco Antonio Moreno, immediately surrendered to congregants after the stabbing, Hooper said. Moreno was being held at the Nueces County jail on Thursday on charges of murder and aggravated assault. “The officers at the scene suspect there is a mental health issue with the offender,” said Hooper, who noted that Moreno has an “alcohol- and drugrelated history” with police. Jail records don’t yet indicate whether Moreno has an attorney who could speak on his behalf. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported late Wednesday that the incident occurred about 7 p.m. at a non-
denominational service held by Kingdom Acts Ministries International. Police in the Gulf Coast city were called to the home and found the pastor stabbed in the chest. Police Lt. Jay Clement told the newspaper it wasn’t clear what led to the attack. Those attending services at the home had been gathering there each day as part of a “40-day pledge,” Clement said, adding that witnesses said the suspect was a parishioner. In November, a gunman fatally shot more than two dozen worshippers at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, before dying of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators have said that attack appeared to stem from a domestic dispute.
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, February 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Abbott’s mail ballot applications cause a stir By Ken Herman COX N EWSPAPE RS
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is just trying to help some older folks vote. Oh sure, he hopes they’ll vote for him and that’s why his campaign staff picked out these particular older folks. But the overall goal of this effort can be couched as a helpful effort to help people vote. Maybe. I recently told you about it. Now I can tell you about how Abbott’s effort has caused woes for some local county election officials. Abbott sent mail ballot applications to selected Texans over 65, ones we can be sure were selected because his campaign has reason to believe they might vote for him. Nothing wrong with that. In turn, voters who got the applications — and a robocall from Abbott about the applications — could fill them out and send them to their local county election official and wait for a mail ballot to show up in their mail box. OK. Everything was good to this point. Then folks started sending in the applications. That’s when problems began for some election officials, as first noticed by the San Antonio Express-News’ Peggy Fikac, who’s always good at noticing things that need to be noticed. Thank you, journalism. The mail ballot applications have a section in which voters designate whether they want a ballot for the Democratic primary or the Republican primary. But lots of folks sent the form in without designating a primary. That’s a problem. The Express-News reported that Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen has received hundreds of the Abbott-related mail ballot applications that didn’t specify whether the request was for a Democratic or GOP primary ballot. That meant rejecting the application and asking the applicant to designate a primary. And that meant work and time and money. Michael Winn, Travis County director of elections, said his office received about 700 of the Abbott-generated mail ballot applications that came in without designating a primary. But he said it’s not uncommon and said it’s a “normal process we go through.” His office is contacting those voters and asking them to designate a primary. It also wouldn’t have been uncommon for the Abbott campaign to have pre-checked the GOP primary box. In fact, campaign spokesman John Wittman says the GOP box was checked on some of the applications. On others — the ones now causing some problems — no box was checked. Wittman says this was a strategy targeting voters who, though not necessarily GOP primary voters, might be open to voting for Republican Abbott in November.
Applications have a section in which voters designate whether they want a ballot for the Democratic primary or the Republican primary.
Let’s also note that the Abbott campaign helpfully filled out the name and address sections and checked the box designating it as an “annual application.” We’ll get back to why that last part matters. The Texas Democratic Party is eager to make the Abbott effort look like a big ol’, expensive mess: “This type of screw-up means thousands of seniors’ applications will be rejected,” the party said in a statement, “and these voters will have to reapply to vote in the primary and this will cost thousands of dollars statewide for county election officials.” Calm down, said the Abbott campaign, eager to make it look like the Democrats aren’t interested in helping older folks vote by mail. “Given their history of complaints, you’d think Democrats would be in favor of getting more voters to the polls,” Wittman said. “And given their current crop of candidates, they’re going to need all the help they can get.” He couldn’t resist that last shot. Political pros think and talk that way. They love thinking and talking that way. Wittman said the mail ballot effort “is a result of a test Texans for Greg Abbott did in 2014. This election, we have expanded it 10-fold.” Texans age 65 or older “have a right to vote by mail in both the primary and general elections, and that is who we are targeting with this drive,” Wittman said. This effort can pump up November turnout because the Abbott campaign pre-checked the “annual application” box, which means voters who sent in an application without designating a primary — and who don’t correct that — won’t get a mail ballot for the primaries but will get mail ballots for all other elections this year, including the November general election. It also means they’ll have some explaining to do if they opt to show up to vote in person at any election for which they were sent a mail ballot. “Now is the perfect time to drive up turnout for both elections,” Wittman said. “We will continue to target these voters throughout the election to ensure the greatest margin of victory for Governor Abbott.” He won by 20 points in 2014. Sounds like he’s going to be disappointed with anything less than unanimous this year. Ken Herman is a Austin American-Statesman columnist.
COLUMN
Immigration hysteria misses subtle, important distinctions By Mary Sanchez KANSAS CITY STAR
Two immigrants in the Midwest are riling emotions and attracting national attention. One is reviled, accused of killing two people, and the other is a beloved and respected member of his community. But they are virtually the same to the federal government. They are deportable. That is all they are to the bureaucrats of the Department of Homeland Security who decide which immigrants can be hauled off, literally dragged away from their families, handcuffed and flown or bussed back to their native countries. The stories of these two men perfectly encapsulate what’s wrong with our policies, our attitudes and our president. First let’s consider the case of Manuel OrregoSavala, a Guatemalan immigrant who currently sits in jail in Marion County, Ind. Hours after the nation flocked to their televisions to watch the Super Bowl, Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver were run over and killed by a drunk driver. Police arrested OrregoSavala, who allegedly fled the scene of the accident. He has been deported twice and is currently in the country illegally. His blood alcohol content at arrest was nearly three
times the legal limit. He’s charged with four felonies. President Donald Trump didn’t miss a beat. He pounced in a tweet to link the Jackson’s death with what he misinterprets as the Democrats’ reluctance to get tough on immigration and the border. Prosecutor Terry Curry of Marion County, Ind., who vowed to try the case "vigorously," pushed back. He chastised the "ghoulish and inappropriate" public commentary, including Trump’s politicizing of the deaths. Curry spoke from the point of view of the justice system, which values placing blame where it belongs rather than vengeful scapegoating that casts all immigrants, legal or not, as enemies of the nation. He also underlined where attention ought to be placed: with the grieving families of Jackson and his driver, Jeffrey Monroe. Now consider the case of Syed Jamal, a Kansas chemist who has barely escaped deportation - for now - having come within days of being put on a plane and sent back to his native Bangladesh. Jamal was handcuffed in late January by immigration agents as he prepared to take one of his U.S. citizen children to school in Lawrence, Kan. Jamal has been in the U.S. for 30 years, arriving legally, and has taught at several colleges. His story
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity.
The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We
is the quintessential American dream. But his immigration status became complicated as he tried to shift back and forth between holding a student or a work visa. Many of his supporters were aghast to learn that Jamal had cooperated with immigration officials for years, reporting regularly under an order that gave him temporary reprieve from deportation. The community flocked to social media, campaigning for his release. A Change.org petition drew 64,000 signatures as of Friday, a march was held, and the story was picked up by national media and by Hollywood celebrities like Alyssa Milano. For many of Jamal’s supporters, it was a quick schooling in the topsyturvey ways of immigration law and policy. But as Jamal was being readied for a flight by immigration agents, he received a late stay on Thursday (Feb. 8). It’s temporary. He still sits in a Texas detention center. So his story is to be continued. Jamal was scooped up because, rather than prioritizing the deportations of violent criminals, of the drunk drivers like Jackson’s and Monroe’s accused killer, the Trump administration is going after anyone who might possibly be deportable. No discretion is used. It must be pointed out that some of Jamal’s supporters are inadvertently
buying into Trump’s rhetoric that some immigrants are more desirable than others. What happened to Jamal has also happened to countless other undocumented immigrants who live lawful, productive lives. Where is the outrage for the thousands of others who are also being rounded up and deported? Previously, immigration officials made efforts to triage, to focus on the truly dangerous undocumented immigrants, distinguishing them from the roofers, the chicken plant workers, the landscapers. Those people, too, have U.S.-born children. They’ve paid taxes and would legalize if they had a route to do so. America needs to come to grips with the realities the two cases show. Highand low-skilled workers are needed in the U.S. Our demographics, with the aging baby boomer generation retiring from the workforce but in need of many services, will require it. We need a comprehensive overhaul of our immigration policies so that they align with emerging labor needs and the necessity of keeping immigrant parents with their U.S.-born children. At the same time, we must return to prioritizing deportation cases for immigrants who are violent.
want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and
civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Mary Sanchez is a Kansas City Star columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 10, 2018 |
A5
BUSINESS
Stock market swings back to gains on turbulent day By Alex Veiga A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
A late-afternoon rally reversed steep losses for U.S. stocks Friday, lifting the Dow Jones industrial average more than 300 points and capping a turbulent week on Wall Street that left the market with its steepest weekly slide in two years. The big point swings that pummeled stocks reflected a return of volatility after an unprece-
dented period of calm. Until this week, the market had not endured a 5 percent drop since January 2016. “There’s a fair amount of volatility in the market, and our belief is the volatility is leaving investors riddled with stress and uncertainty, which is likely to continue,” said Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. The swiftness of the
market’s slide into a correction, or a drop of at least 10 percent from a recent peak, was unparalleled. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index, the benchmark for many index funds, took only nine days to fall 10 percent from its all-time high on Jan. 26. “The S&P 500 hasn’t moved into correction mode this quickly, ever,” said Lindsey Bell, investment strategist at CFRA Research.
Since hitting that high last month, the S&P 500 has lost about $2.49 trillion. For a while Friday, it was anybody’s guess whether the weeklong sell-off would ease or worsen. Stocks struggled to stabilize much of the day as investors sent prices climbing, then slumping in unsteady trading a day after the market entered its first correction in two years. The Dow Jones briefly
sank 500 points after surging more than 349 points earlier in the day and then swung to a 330-point gain in the final hour of trading. The blue chip average suffered its second 1,000-point drop in a week on Thursday. At one point, the market was on pace for its worst weekly decline since October 2008, at the height of the financial crisis. “History does show that, even though we
haven’t seen this quick of a movement from a peak to correction mode, what we do know is the swifter the way down, the sooner the market will bottom and start moving up,” Bell said. All told, the S&P 500 rose 38.55 points, or 1.5 percent, to 2,619.55 Friday. The Dow gained 330.44 points, or 1.4 percent, to 24,190.90. The Nasdaq composite added 97.33 points, or 1.4 percent, to 6,874.49.
Frontera A6 | Saturday, February 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CENA PARA MATRIMONIOS 1 Cena conferencia para Matrimonios el sábado 10 de febrero en 108 W Lincoln Ave., en la ciudad de Roma. Organizado por Iglesia del Pueblo de Roma, desde las 7 p.m. Evento tiene costo. Mayores informes a 956 3581703. GENEALOGÍA 1 ¿Desea saber más sobre su historia familiar? ¿Necesita ayuda para iniciar su genealogía? Venga y reciba ayuda personalizada para investigar a sus ancestros utilizando recursos en línea. Voluntarios entrenados le ayudarán, este martes 13 de 6:30 p.m a 8 p.m., en Roma Birding Center. Evento gratuito patrocinado por la Iglesia de Jesús de los Santos de los Últimos Días. DÍA DE APRECIO A ADULTO MAYOR 1 Acompañe a celebrar y mostrar su aprecio por los Adultos Mayores y Winter Texan’s, que serán honrados por sus logros y por lo que siguen haciendo a favor de su comunidad, el jueves 22 de febrero.
CÁRTEL DE LOS ZETAS
Arrestan a capo ‘Z43’ Departamento de Estado ofrecía recompensa millonaria Por Mark Stevenson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — El presunto capo del cártel del narcotráfico mexicano de los Zetas, José María Guízar Valencia, fue arrestado en plena capital del país, informaron las autoridades el viernes. El comisionado nacional de Seguridad, Renato Sales, lo identificó como “José María”, pero un funcionario federal que habló bajo la condición reglamentaria de anonimato conformó los apelli-
dos de Guízar Valencia. Guízar Valencia es un ciudadano estadounidense conocido por su nombre clave del cártel, “Z 43”. Estados Unidos había ofreGuízar cido una Valencia recompensa de 5 millones de dólares por su captura. Sales dijo que Guízar Valencia fue arrestado en la Roma, un barrio de la Ciudad de México conoci-
PATRULLA FRONTERIZA
Arrestan a sospechosos de asaltar ATM
do por sus restaurantes y cafés. Añadió que se trata de uno de los capos más violentos, que dirigió el narcotráfico y otras actividades de los Zetas en el sur del país. En una página web de personas más buscadas, la oficina estadounidense a cargo de asuntos internacionales policiales y de narcóticos dijo que Guiízar Valencia es “responsable de la importación de miles de kilos de cocaína y metanfetamina anualmente a Estados Unidos” y enfrenta otras
acusaciones de narcotráfico en Texas y Virginia. Añadió que su zona de influencia se había extendido a territorio en la vecina Guatemala. “Los Zetas, al mando de Guízar Valencia, han asesinado a un número indeterminado de civiles en Guatemala durante la ocupación sistemática de la región fronteriza entre Guatemala y México en años recientes”, según la oficina. Añadió que Guízar Valencia nació en Tulare, California. La conducción de los
Zetas ha sido diezmada por los arrestos y muertes de capos en los últimos años, y el cártel, otrora poderoso, se ha dividido en varias ramas. Antes de eso, dijo la oficina, se consideraba a Guízar Valencia “una entidad propia, que trabaja en concierto pero en forma independiente” de la fracción principal del cártel. Los Zetas, creado por desertores de una unidad militar de élite, es conocido por su brutalidad indiscriminada. Ha llenado fosas con los cadáveres de sus víctimas.
ROMA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
APRENDEN DURANTE ‘CAREER DAY’
Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
AVIARIO 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Mayores informes al 956849-1411 BOTES DE BASURA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a la comunidad que sólo estará recolectando basura contenida en botes propiedad de la ciudad. Informes al 849-1411 PAGO DE IMPUESTOS 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. PAGO EN LÍNEA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día. LLENADO DE APLICACIONES 1 La Ciudad de Roma ofrece el servicio de llenado de aplicaciones para CHIP, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Chip, Prenatal y otros. Contacte a Gaby Rodríguez para una cita en el centro comunitario o en su domicilio al 956246-7177. LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 Visite Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m.
Con la ayuda de la Patrulla Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos, la policía arrestó a seis hombres de Houston supuestamente relacionados con el robo de un cajero automático de la sucursal de un banco Chase ubicada al norte de Laredo, dijeron las autoridades el miércoles. El Departamento de Policía de Laredo (LPD por sus siglas en inglés) identificó a los sospechosos como Paul Roosevelt Banks, de 23 años; John Fehlton Boutte, de 28 años; David Benford Dorsey, de 37 años; Kevin Dewayne Harris, de 31 años; Jesse Banks Motton, de 32 años; y Charles Jermaine Randle, de 32 años. Todos fueron acusadosde robo con agravantes y de participar en actividades de crimen organizado delictivas, ambos delitos graves en primer grado. La Patrulla Fronteriza dijo que los hombres estaban en posesión de 88.200 dólares cuando los agentes los detuvieron en un puesto de control. El caso se desarrolló alrededor de las 3:30 p.m. del martes, cuando la policía acudió al banco Chase ubicado en 10720 International Blvd. después de recibir una denuncia de robo. La policía recibió información que indicaba que tres hombres negros en un vehículo Jeep Cherokee habían agredido a un técnico de cajero automático mientras atendía la máquina ubicada fuera del banco. Las autoridades emitieron una alerta sobre el Jeep. Más tarde, un oficial de patrulla encontró el Jeep abandonado en la intersección de Union Pacific Boulevard y East Point Drive en el área de San Isidro East Point Center, al norte de Laredo. Un video vigilancia reveló que al menos cinco hombres habían abandonado el área en un Toyota Camry de color negro. Se emitió una segunda alerta con la información actualizada. Aproximadamente una hora más tarde, el Toyota llegó al carril de inspección principal del puesto de control de la Patrulla Fronteriza en la carretera US-59, a unas 46 millas al este de Laredo. La Patrulla Fronteriza dijo que remitieron a los cinco ocupantes a una inspección secundaria porque el vehículo coincidía con la descripción del vehículo sospechoso. Durante la inspección del vehículo se encontraron 88.200 dólares. Los agentes dijeron que encontraron el dinero en la cajuela. El conductor y cuatro pasajeros fueron detenidos. Un segundo vehículo, un Chevrolet White Malibu ocupado por un hombre, también fue detenido. Más tarde se determinó que estaba involucrado con los otros cinco sospechosos, según LPD.
Foto de cortesía / City of Roma Police Department
Alumnos de la escuela primaria F.J. Scott Elementary School escuchan a un oficial del departamento de policía de la Ciudad de Roma acerca del cuidado y el trabajo que desempeña junto a su compañero canino, durante el Día de Carreras llevado a cabo en la institución escolar.
COLUMNA
Duelo imprudente Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Aun registrándose en distante comunidad, el suceso trasciende con rapidez. Importante funcionario de la diplomacia española muere en pleno desempeño. Las circunstancias que rodean el caso escandalizan dentro y fuera de México. José María Peña compone la guarnición de Tampico, Tamaulipas. En los albores juveniles, inicia apenas carrera militar, que atrae entonces a familias de escasos recursos económicos. Sirve en la rama de artillería con el modesto grado de subteniente e impecable historial. Ahí mismo desembarca tiempo atrás Francisco Melgarejo de Guzmán, nacido en Barcelona. Desde 1845 despacha en calidad de vicecónsul hispano. Obtiene sólo rabones gastos de escritorio y padece estrecheces financieras. Vacante el cargo, gestiona convertirse en cónsul. Fraca-
sa. Frustrado, parece buscar con quién desquitarse. Obvias diferencias sociales marcan a nuestros personajes. El catalán atiende en altos círculos, donde los iberos dominan prósperas actividades mercantiles. José María proviene de humilde cuna, subordinándose en forma cotidiana a mandos superiores. Las respectivas nacionalidades ahondan contrastes. Declina 1851. Ignoramos en qué menesteres andaban cuando don Francisco se enoja con Peña. En apariencia –sostienen “personas … respetables”–, “mutuas explicaciones” logran contentarlos. No obstante, el oficial castrense recibe del señor extranjero “una carta llenándolo de insultos y provocándolo a un duelo”. José María, que por atendibles motivos evade de entrada confrontarse, según los informantes “al fin” transige, pues el remitente “lo llamó hombre sin honor, ni valor”. Usos y costumbres en
boga desaconsejaban olvidarse de tan grave afrenta. Representantes del retador, le demandan formalizar preparativos. Urgido a medidas análogas, el desafiado pide que lo apadrinen. Definen que la pretendida contienda ocurra el viernes 16 de enero de 1852. Consideran idóneo el remoto paraje denominado “Laguna de la Puerta”. Al efecto pactan escopetas de posta redonda, con un tiro por cañón. El día previsto acuden temprano los duelistas. Proceden con sigilo, porque sobre dichos lances pesan estrictas prohibiciones. Colocándose de espaldas, avanzan cinco pasos simultáneos en sentido opuesto, dan media vuelta y abren fuego. Fallida la primera descarga, en la segunda nomás hay un fogonazo. Aparece enseguida Melgarejo y presenta el antebrazo derecho lesionado por su adversario ileso. Pese a prevalecer correos pachorrudos, la noticia pronto alcanza
Foto de cortesía
Imagen incluida por Antonio Tovar en Código nacional mexicano del duelo, 1891.
la Ciudad de México y traspone fronteras. Francisco Melgarejo de Guzmán fallece tras penosa agonía. “El juez de 1a instancia –reporta la prensa—ha procedido a formar una causa” y ordenó detener “a los que sirvieron de padrinos”. En resumen, imponen a Peña seis años de cárcel. Próximo a derrocarlo la Revolución de Ayutla, el dictador Antonio López de Santa lo indulta en 1855. Vaya imprudencia: que un civil retara al subteniente de artillería.
Sports&Outdoors
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 10, 2018 |
A7
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
Rangers enter a tougher AL West Texas faces plenty of challenges to get back to the top for the division crown By Stephen Hawkins A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
Adrian Beltre goes into his 21st major league season still seeking a World Series title. The offseason for the Texas Rangers likely would have gone much differently if the third baseman and 3,000hit club member was their general manager. “He probably would have made some different moves this winter. I think he would have addressed some different things,” said Jon Daniels, the actual GM. “I respect that, but I don’t feel any different from how I did at the end of (last season). We’re going to go into spring training with a chance.” Even in the AL West that is home to the World Series champion Houston Astros and now Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher-outfielder from Japan coveted
by the Rangers before he signed instead with the Los Angeles Angels. “I believe we’re in a good place to allow guys, young guys, to continue to grow,” fourth-year manager Jeff Banister said. “We brought in some players that we feel like really have an opportunity to help us.” There will be no expensive reunion with Yu Darvish, the ace traded to the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers last July 31. Daniels knows there will be challenges and says the team will “need some guys to step up and develop.” Joey Gallo, who hit 41 homers playing three positions last season, could get the chance to be the primary first baseman. Delino DeShields gets another opportunity in center field. Ryan Rua, Drew Robinson and Jur-
Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press file
Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre, center, is going into his 21st MLB season and is still looking for a World Series title after getting 3,000 hits in 2017.
ickson Profar will be in the mix to fill multiple positions. “We have intentionally not brought in kind of the one-year stopgap guys to be in front of ... guys of that nature,” Daniels said. “Our interest is in seeing these guys. We’re at a point, we believe in these guys and their talent level, and we want to see that through.”
Some other things to watch with the Rangers headed to spring training in Surprise, Arizona: NEW LOOK Instead of Darvish, there are several options to join returning lefthanders Cole Hamels and Martin Perez in the rotation. Plus, Matt Bush gets a shot at going from the bullpen to the rotation.
NCAA BASKETBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS
REMAINING STRONG TO BATTLE CANCER
Doug Fister didn’t pitch in his first MLB game last season until late June, and Mike Minor hasn’t started a game since 2014. Matt Moore, acquired in a trade from the San Francisco Giants, beat Texas in an unexpected playoff start for Tampa Bay in 2011. Bartolo Colon, who turns 45 in May, goes to camp with a minor league deal. “We chose to spread our resources around to add a number of pitchers to fill innings and fill roles on the club that we believe in, but that admittedly are guys that we see as values, we see as guys that have a chance to outperform the acquisition cost,” Daniels said. ROOKIE TO WATCH Willie Calhoun, the top prospect acquired in the Darvish deal, hit .348 in 333 minor league games while primarily a second baseman in the Dodgers organization. The 23-yearold Calhoun gets a chance to become the primary left fielder. He made his big league debut in 13 games at the end of last
season, hitting .265 in 34 at-bats. THEY’RE SET With Beltre at third, Elvis Andrus at shortstop and Rougned Odor at second, the infield is solid. Andrus, at 29 and already going into his 10th season, hit a combined .299 the past two years and is coming off his first 20-homer season. THEY’RE NOT Along with the rotation changes, Texas needs some stability in the bullpen. Relievers had 21 blown saves and a 4.76 ERA last season. Young lefty Alex Claudio had 11 saves after the All-Star break, but other closing options could include a healthy Jake Diekman. ON DECK After AL West titles in each of Banister’s first two seasons, Texas is now in an underdog role. “It doesn’t really matter,” Andrus said. “As a team right now, we’re concentrating on getting ready. ... We have a really good team, and we know what we need to get better at.”
NCAA BASKETBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS
Michael Thomas / Associated Press file
Texas center Mo Bamba is among the 10 players that are being considered for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar center of the year award.
Eric Gay / Associated Press file
The announcement that Texas guard Andrew Jones was diagnosed with leukemia prompted concern and well wishes from across college basketball. He is now starting to offer glimpses of how hes coping with his treatment and sending thank you messages for the emotional and financial support that have poured in to help.
Texas guard Jones engaging public as he fights cancer By Jim Vertuno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The announcement that Texas guard Andrew Jones was diagnosed with leukemia prompted concern and well wishes from across college basketball. Jones is now starting to offer glimpses of how he is coping with his treatment, and sending “thank you” messages for the emotional and financial support that has poured in. After several weeks of silence, Jones has started posting messages on social media, including a short Twitter video Wednesday night of him shooting baskets at what appears to be a gym at the Houston hospital where he’s undergo-
ing treatment. In the videos, Jones wears a surgical mask and never leaves his feet while shooting about five shots. The basket appears to be about 8 feet high. “I have to be active, can’t just stay in one spot all day,” Jones tweeted shortly before Texas played Kansas State. Texas announced on Jan. 10 that Jones had been diagnosed with leukemia after complaining of constantly feeling tired . He had been trying to come back from a wrist injury but hardly played in the two games when he returned to the court. The last game he played was at Iowa State on Jan. 3. “He spent the last almost month not on his
feet. It’s good to see him moving around,” said Texas coach Shaka Smart, who has spoken with or visited Jones regularly. “He’s got a heck of a fight in front of him. But you love seeing a guy with a twinkle in his eye and just a spirit about him, and he showed that on the basketball court when he played.” Details on Jones’ diagnosis and treatment have not been released and the family isn’t yet ready to make more information public, a team spokesman said. Jones is being treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The Longhorns (15-9, 5-6) play at TCU (16-8, 4-7) on Saturday. Jones’ diagnosis has prompted an outpouring of support across the Big 12 as well as messages from college basketball programs around the country. Opponents have
regularly worn shirts with messages supporting Jones during pregame warmups or sent their own messages to Jones via social media. Shortly after he was diagnosed, Texas set up an NCAA-approved donations webpage to support the family and it has raised about $170,000 so far. Jones, who is from Irving in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, averaged nearly 12 points as a freshman and considered leaving for the NBA draft after but returned to Texas after attending the scouting combine. His sister, Alexis, was a standout at Baylor and plays for the WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx. Jones’ family has dealt with challenges in the past. Andrew was 7 in 2007 when his father was paralyzed in a car accident on an icy road. Jones was ejected from the car but escaped with only some bruising.
Texas freshman Mo Bamba in contention for the nation's best center award By Nick Moyle SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
AUSTIN — Texas freshman Mo Bamba has been named one of 10 candidates for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar center of the year award. In what will likely be his only year on the college circuit, Bamba has averaged 13.2 points on 55.8 percent shooting and 10.8 rebounds in 23 games. He has recorded 12 double-doubles and is posting 4.2 blocks per game, ranking second nationally. The future lottery pick recently overtook Chris Owens to become the program's single-season blocks leader with 97 total. Bamba has been even stronger in Big 12 play, averaging 14.5 points on 58.5 percent shooting, 11.2 rebounds and 4.2 blocks. He has also improved his profile as an outside shooter, hitting on 8 of 23 (34.8 percent) 3-pointers. "It's a little different coming into college basketball and expecting for it to be relatively easy," Bamba said. "I think the
difference now that we're in the middle of the season is, I'm embracing that. It's hard, and I'm not afraid to say that it's hard. I'm actually enjoying that it's challenging." Bamba will go head-tohead with another finalist, TCU senior Vladimir Brodziansky, on Saturday when Texas travels to Fort Worth. In March, five finalists will be presented to the selection committee. The fourth recipient of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be announced during ESPN's College Basketball Awards on April 6. 2018 Kareem AbdulJabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State), Isaac Haas (Purdue), Jock Landale (Saint Mary's), Angel Delgado (Seton Hall), Vladimir Brodziansky (TCU), Mo Bamba (Texas), Tyler Davis (Texas A&M), Thomas Welsh (UCLA), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin).
A8 | Saturday, February 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
Teacher gets prison Pentagon budget for enticing student rises over $700B A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LUBBOCK — A high school teacher in a small West Texas town has been sentenced to almost 16 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to enticing a 16-year-old male student. A federal judge in Lubbock, Texas, sentenced Shonna Lynn Calaway on Friday to 15
VIOLENCE From page A1 who tortured and killed them. In that case, the police allegedly worked for the cartel. On Wednesday, prosecutors in central Mexico say they arrested five municipal policemen for allegedly kidnapping a man in November. The victim has not been seen since. The crime was the first case of “forced disappearance” that has been
FBI From page A1 suffered. The report listed “blunt force trauma” as the cause of death, but said the manner of his death was undetermined. Dr. Janice Diaz-Cavalliery, assistant medical examiner, found that Martinez had a skull fracture, a fractured eye socket, multiple rib fractures and a broken collarbone, according to the 11-page report. She found brain hemorrhaging but no other internal injuries. A Border Patrol union, the National Border Patrol Council, has previously said the pair was
years and eight months in prison. The 48-yearold high Calaway school teacher at Motley County School in Matador, Texas, admitted that she used sexually explicit photos on a Snapchat application to
entice the 16-year-old sophomore into a sexual episode in December 2016. Motley County School had an early elementaryto-high school enrollment of 159 in October. 2016. Matador, a town of about 520 residents, is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of Lubbock, Texas.
brought in Mexico State, which borders Mexico City. Alejandro Gomez, the Mexico State attorney general, said the five suspects belonged to the police force in Valle de Bravo, an upscale resort town west of Mexico City. Gomez said another man to linked to a drug gang in neighboring Michoacan state had also been arrested. Local media said the police had turned the victim over to that gang, but Gomez did not confirm that account.
ZAPATA From page A1
attacked and struck with a rock or rocks. Messages left with representatives of the group were not immediately returned Wednesday. Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also have said the two were attacked, with Trump using the incident to renew his call for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Trump has repeatedly linked immigration to criminality in making his case for tighter border security. Earlier this week, Trump called on Democrats to “get tough” on immigration, citing the death of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin
Jackson, who was killed in a suspected drunkendriving crash involving a Guatemalan citizen living illegally in the U.S. Manuel Orrego-Savala was charged Wednesday with two counts each of causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. Investigators had looked into tips about several persons of interest including two in New Mexico. While other charges were filed against several individuals, none of those charges are related to Martinez’s death, the FBI release said, adding that they are not “currently a subject in the investigation.”
rived at the scene and were able to recover 17 bundles of marijuana which had an estimated value of $564,208. No arrests were made in this case and the marijuana was turned over to the DEA. To report suspicious activity such as human or drug smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free telephone number at 1-800-343-1994.
By Robert Burns and Richard Lardner ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — It’s the biggest budget the Pentagon has ever seen: $700 billion. That’s far more in defense spending than America’s two nearest competitors, China and Russia, and will mean the military can foot the bill for thousands more troops, more training, more ships and a lot else. And next year it would rise to $716 billion. Together, the two-year deal provides what Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says is needed to pull the military out of a slump in combat readiness at a time of renewed focus on the stalemated conflict in Afghanistan and the threat of war on the Korean peninsula. The budget bill that President Donald Trump signed Friday includes huge spending increases for the military: The Pentagon will get $94 billion more this budget year than last — a 15.5 percent jump. It’s the biggest yearover-year windfall since the budget soared by 26.6 percent, from $345 billion in 2002 to $437 billion the year after, when the nation was fighting in Afghanistan, invading Iraq and expanding national defense after the 9/11 attacks. Every secretary of defense since 2011, when the Congress passed a law setting firm limits on military and domestic spending, has complained that spending caps set by the Budget Control Act were squeezing the military so hard that the
number of ready-to-fight combat units was dwindling. Aging equipment was stacking up, troops were not getting enough training and the uncertain budget outlook was clouding America’s future. “I cannot overstate the negative impact to our troops and families’ moral from all this budget uncertainty,” Mattis said just hours before the House and Senate approved the deal. More money for the Pentagon, however, is not the simple solution some might think. Even with the spending caps of recent years, the defense budget has been robust by historical standards. Todd Harrison, a defense budget specialist at the Center for Security and International Studies, says military funding has been near the inflation-adjusted peak levels of the armed forces buildup during the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan. The problem, Harrison says, is that the budgets have been stretched by rising personnel costs, more expensive technology investments and other factors, compounded by the cumulative effects of more than a decade of combat in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. And throughout this period, the military has been required to keep up or even increase its pace of operations at home and abroad — and there is no letup in sight. “We are stretched too thin,” Harrison said Friday. “We are trying to do too much with the size
force that we have all around the world. Money doesn’t necessarily fix that.” The U.S. has far fewer troops in Iraq than it did 10 years ago, and the roughly 15,000 in Afghanistan today compare with a peak of 100,000 in 201011, but the trend is leaning in the opposite direction under President Donald Trump, including stepped up counterterrorism operations in Somalia and Yemen. Trump has added several thousand troops in Afghanistan. Also, the prospect of war against North Korea looms large as Trump insists on compelling the North to give up its nuclear weapons. The enormous increases in defense spending agreed to by lawmakers on Friday go beyond what Trump ask for. Of the $700 million in spending for the 2018 budget year that started last Oct. 1, about $629 billion is for core Pentagon operations and nearly $71 billion is for the wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Trump had requested a 2018 military budget of $603 billion for basic functions and $65 billion for war missions. The deal Congress approved early Friday also sets the Pentagon’s 2019 budget at $716 billion, giving Mattis the financial stability he’s been demanding. The biggest winners in the military buildup are the country’s largest defense contractors, such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics, that spend millions of dollars each year lobbying Congress.