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Howland named food bank president His tenure will conclude in March 2020 S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
Doug Howland was introduced last week as the new president of the South Texas Food Bank board of directors. Howland has been part of the board since 2013 and has served on different committees and vari-
ous capacities, most recently serving as president-elect. “I am honored and humbled to be the new Board President of The South Texas Food Bank, an organization with the very humane and compassionate mission of feeding the hungry in Laredo and
South Texas,” Howland said in a news release. “I want to extend my gratitude to the current board members for their support, as well as to my predecessor, Erasmo Villarreal. We feel very fortunate to continue to have one of the founding members of the food bank as
part of the Board,” he added. Howland is a life-long resident of the City of Laredo and has been active in civic organizations for over 35 years. He graduated from Texas A&M in 1973 with a degree in civil engineering Howland continues on A11
Courtesy photo
Doug Howland, president of the South Texas Food Bank, poses with past president Erasmo Villarreal.
NUEVO LAREDO
AHEC
2 girls, woman killed in crossfire
CANCER PREVENTION MONTH PROCLAMATION
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s navy said Monday that a helicopter called in to support marines after they were ambushed in Nuevo Laredo didn’t kill the bystanders who died. The navy did not say how many civilians died during clashes, but local media reported Monday that a mother and two children were killed. The navy said in a statement that the bystanders were hit from the ground — not the air — and their wounds were caused by a type of bullet not used by the helicopter crew. The operations in Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas, left a marine and four suspected gunmen dead and 12 marines wounded. The Tamaulipas state government did not respond to requests for information on the civilians killed. It only said that it “expressed its unqualified support for the Navy in its security operations in the state” and sent condolences “to the victims” in the shootouts. Gun battles late Saturday and early Sunday illustrate the level of drug gang violence in Nuevo Laredo, a city dominated by the Northeast Cartel, an offshoot of the Zetas cartel. Authorities said marines were ambushed three separate times. Marines returned fire and killed one gunman in the first attack, but suffered three Ambush continues on A11
Courtesy photo
Zapata County Judge Rathmell and commissioners join AHEC staff as they proclaim February Cancer Prevention Month in Zapata. See related story on A3.
FEDERAL COURT
15 sentenced in drug trafficking scheme By Joana Santillana ZAPATA TIME S
Over a dozen low- and highranking members of a sophisticated, worldwide drug and
money laundering organization have been sentenced in a Laredo federal court. A three-year investigation into the conspiracy, dubbed Operation Tres Equis, showed
the operation was family affair, with siblings, parents and extended family members taking part in the scheme. The operation is a long-term, worldwide investigation spear-
headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Laredo Police Department, Webb and Zapata County sheriff’s offices, U.S. Border Patrol and Court continues on A11
CONGRESS
Representatives to deliver over $100M for cattle health S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
Representatives Henry Cuellar, Filemon Vela and Vicente Gonzalez announced recently that they helped secure $96.5 million in the fiscal year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Cattle Health Program, and $5 million specifically for research and scientific tools to eradicate cattle
fever tick, as well as language encouraging the program and the Agricultural Research Service to collaborate with their Mexican counterparts to develop and implement a fever tick control program, so that infected livestock in Mexico does not cross the border and infect Texas livestock. The U.S. cattle industry is valued at roughly $81 billion. Cattle fever ticks carry micro-
scopic parasites that cause anemia, fever, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and often death for up to 90 percent of infected cattle. Along the Rio Grande, there is a Permanent Cattle Fever Tick Quarantine Zone, an area that spans eight Texas counties on the border and over a half million acres stretching from the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville to Amistad Dam north of Del Rio, intended to
prevent the spread of the often deadly tick-borne disease. Infestations have been reported elsewhere in Central and South Texas as well. “I would like to thank my fellow appropriators, Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt and Ranking Member Sanford Bishop for their leadership and assistance on this issue, along with fellow South Texas con-
gressmen Filemon Vela and Vicente Gonzalez,” Cuellar added. “I also want to thank the Texas Farm Bureau, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and the South Texans’ Property Rights Association, for their consistent efforts to help highlight and battle this issue at the local, state, and federal level for our Texas ranchers and cattle producers.” Cattle continues on A11
In Brief A2 | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
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.
THURSDAY, MARCH 29 Villa San Agustin De Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Joe A Guerra Public Library- Calton, speaker are Lola O Norris- General Alonso De Leon's Expeditions Into Mexico and Booksigning For more information, call Sylvia Reash at (956) 763-1810.
TUESDAY, APRIL 3 Community Conversation on Teen & Young Adult Mental Health. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Border Region Behavioral Health Center, 1500 Pappas St. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center at 956-712-0037. RGISC 4th Annual Post-Easter Cleanup at Lake Casa Blanca. 8:00 am Registration @ Lake Casa Blanca International State Park, 5102 Bob Bullock Loop. Help the Rio Grande International Study Center pick up after the Easter bunny. Complimentary lunch and community service hours provided. Register at www.rgisc.org.
Sergei Gavrilenko / AP
Crowds gather to pay last respects for the victims of a fire in a multi-story shopping center in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, about 1,900 miles east of Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday.
RUSSIANS RALLY AFTER MALL FIRE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 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.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 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 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.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 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.
By Nataliya Vasilyeva and Vladimir Isachenkov ASSOCIATED PRE SS
MOSCOW — Fuming with anger, thousands of Russians rallied for more than 10 hours Tuesday in a Siberian city, demanding the ouster of regional officials for a shopping mall fire that killed at least 64 people. President Vladimir Putin, on a trip to the eastern city of Kemerovo, scolded officials for neglecting safety rules that could have prevented the tragedy. The blaze engulfed the Winter Cherry mall in Kemerovo on Sunday, the first
Expert says Brexit campaign used data mined from Facebook LONDON — The computer expert who sparked a global debate over electronic privacy said Tuesday that the official campaign backing Britain's exit from the European Union had access to data that was inappropriately collected from millions of Facebook users. Christopher Wylie previ-
weekend of the school recess, trapping dozens of parents and children inside. Witnesses reported that fire alarms were silent and many doors were locked. Many of the victims were children who died in a locked movie theater after making desperate calls for help. Putin arrived early Tuesday, laying flowers at the makeshift memorial to the victims outside the mall and meeting with officials. He did not show up at the protest in front of the regional government's headquarters, but met with some demonstrators at the city's morgue.
ously alleged that political consultancy Cambridge Analytica used data harvested from more than 50 million Facebook users to help U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. Wylie worked on Cambridge Analytica's "information operations" in 2014 and 2015. Wylie on Tuesday told the media committee of the British parliament that he "absolutely" believed Canadian consultant AggregateIQ drew on Cambridge Analytica's databases for its work on the official Vote Leave campaign.
The data could have been used to micro-target voters in the closely fought referendum in which 51.9 percent of voters ultimately backed Brexit. Because of the links between the two companies, Vote Leave got the "the next best thing" to Cambridge Analytica when it hired AggregateIQ, "a company that can do virtually everything that (Cambridge Analytica) can do but with a different billing name," Wylie said. — Compiled from AP reports
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 Border Region Behavioral Health Center Volunteer Services Council’s 26th Annual Administrative Professionals' Day Luncheon & Musical Fashion Show. 11:30 a.m. Laredo Country Club. If you would like to purchase tickets or reserve a table, RSVP with Laura Kim 956-794-3130 or blaurak@borderregion.org. Tickets are $75 a person. 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.
TUESDAY, MAY 1 15th Annual Mental Health and Substance Abuse Symposium. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. UT Health Regional Campus Laredo. 1937 Bustamante St. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center at 956-7120037.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 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, MAY 5 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, MAY 9 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, MAY 16 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.
AROUND THE NATION Army veteran in US since age 8 deported after prison stint CHICAGO — An Army veteran from Chicago who served two tours in Afghanistan and had been in the U.S. since age 8 has been deported to Mexico because of a 2008 drug-trafficking conviction. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed Monday that Miguel Perez Jr., 39, who had a green card, was deported Friday. The move came after he lost an appeal to remain in the U.S. and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner refused to pardon him. Perez was flown from Gary, Indiana, to Brownsville, Texas, where officers escorted him across the border and turned him over to Mexican authorities, ICE officials said. He spoke to the Chicago Tribune in a Thursday evening call from a detention center, saying "I'm not leaving. They're
Antonio Perez / AP
Esperanza Perez, mother of veteran Miguel Perez, is comforted after receiving news that her son was denied U.S. citizenship.
taking me." "Not for 30 seconds was I illegal in this country," he said. "I went to war for this country out of love for this country." Perez's parents, Miguel Sr. and Esperanza Montes Perez, said in Spanish that they are heartbroken but will continue to fight for their son's return. "My son fought in a war (in)
which he defended people who are now throwing him out like garbage," Montes Perez said, according to the Tribune. Perez handed a laptop case containing 4.4 pounds of cocaine to an undercover officer on Nov. 26, 2008, authorities said. He served half of a 15-year prison sentence. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE STATE Water park company co-owner held without bond in Texas TOPEKA, Kan. — A water park company co-owner Kansas authorities accuse of deciding on the spur of the moment to build the world's tallest waterslide and rushing its construction without proper engineering advice, was ordered held in a Texas jail without
bond Tuesday in the 2016 decapitation death of a 10-year-old boy on the ride. Jeffrey Henry, the 62-year-old co-owner of Texas-based Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts, was booked into the jail in Cameron County, Texas, on suspicion of murder, aggravated battery and aggravated child endangerment, according to jail records. A judge Tuesday ordered that he be held in without bond pending extradition to Kansas. Henry's arrest on Monday
Today is Wednesday, March 28, the 87th day of 2018. There are 278 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 28, 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court, in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, ruled 6-2 that Wong, who was born in the United States to Chinese immigrants, was an American citizen. On this date: In 1797, Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire received a patent for a washing machine. In 1834, the U.S. Senate voted to censure President Andrew Jackson for the removal of federal deposits from the Bank of the United States. In 1930, the names of the Turkish cities of Constantinople and Angora were changed to Istanbul and Ankara. In 1941, novelist and critic Virginia Woolf, 59, drowned herself near her home in Lewes, East Sussex, England. In 1942, during World War II, British naval forces staged a successful raid on the Nazi-occupied French port of St. Nazaire in Operation Chariot, destroying the only dry dock on the Atlantic coast capable of repairing the German battleship Tirpitz. In 1943, composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, 69, died in Beverly Hills, California. In 1955, John Marshall Harlan II was sworn in as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1969, the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, died in Washington D.C. at age 78. In 1978, in Stump v. Sparkman, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld, 5-3, the judicial immunity of an Indiana judge against a lawsuit brought by a young woman who'd been ordered sterilized by the judge when she was a teenager. In 1979, America's worst commercial nuclear accident occurred with a partial meltdown inside the Unit 2 reactor at the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania. In 1987, Maria von Trapp, whose life story inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music," died in Morrisville, Vermont, at age 82. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the widow of U.S. Olympic legend Jesse Owens. Ten years ago: President George W. Bush declared that Iraq was standing at a defining moment as it struggled to put down heavily armed Shiite militias in new flare-ups of violence. Cuba made it legal for its citizens to own cellphones in their own names. Five years ago: President Barack Obama, flanked by grim-faced mothers who lost their children to guns, urged lawmakers not to "get squishy" in the face of powerful forces against gun control legislation. Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of a dozen inmates, including two young women, at a juvenile detention center in a surprising departure from church rules that restricted the Holy Thursday ritual to men. British actor Richard Griffiths, 65, remembered by movie fans for being grumpy Uncle Vernon in the "Harry Potter" movies, died in Coventry, England. One year ago: President Donald Trump proposed immediate budget cuts of $18 billion from programs like medical research, infrastructure and community grants so that U.S. taxpayers, not Mexico, could cover the down payment on the border wall. Wells Fargo said it would pay $110 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over up to 2 million accounts its employees opened for customers without getting their permission. Today's Birthdays: Author Mario Vargas Llosa is 82. Country musician Charlie McCoy is 77. Movie director Mike Newell is 76. Actress Conchata Ferrell is 75. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is 73. Actress Dianne Wiest (weest) is 72. Country singer Reba McEntire is 63. Olympic gold medal gymnast Bart Conner is 60. Actress Alexandra Billings (TV: "Transparent") is 56. Rapper Salt (Salt-N-Pepa) is 52. Actress Tracey Needham is 51. Actor Max Perlich is 50. Movie director Brett Ratner is 49. Country singer Rodney Atkins is 49. Actor Vince Vaughn is 48. Rapper Mr. Cheeks (Lost Boyz) is 47. Actor Ken L. is 45. Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson is 45. Rock musician Dave Keuning is 42. Actress Annie Wersching is 41. Actress Julia Stiles is 37. Singer Lady Gaga is 32. Electronic musician Clayton Knight (Odesza) is 30. Thought for Today: "It isn't what people think that's important, but the reason they think what they think." — Eugene Ionesco, Romanian-French playwright (born in 1909, died this date in 1994).
CONTACT US followed a Kansas grand jury's indictment last week of the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City, Kansas, and its former operations director, Tyler Austin Miles, on 20 felony charges. The charges include a single count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Caleb Schwab in 2016. Miles has been released on $50,000 bond, according to one of his attorneys, Tricia Bath. — Compiled from AP reports
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The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 |
A3
LOCAL Community spirit award The Guerrero, Mexico’s Lions Club’s parade entry won the community spirit award from the Zapata County Fair Parade on March 10. Pictured at left and right are Laura Leduc, director of the Lions Club, and Aurelio Villarreal, second vice district governor of District 2-A3. Courtesy photo Courtesy photo
Border Patrol agents seized over 500 pounds of marijuana in three separate enforcement actions this week.
Zapata County officials raise awareness of HPV vaccine S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
In observance of February as National Cancer Prevention Month, the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) of the Mid Rio Grande Border joined forces with representatives from the surrounding counties of LaSalle and Zapata to increase public awareness about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine. The HPV vaccine is recommended as a form of protection from up to six different types of cancers that are known to be caused by the human papillomavirus infection. Zapata County Judge Joseph Rathmell and members of the Zapata Commissioners Court proclaimed February as Cancer Prevention Month in the community of Zapata. Additionally, in La Salle County, City of Encinal Mayor Sylvano Sanchez along with City Council members proclaimed February as Cancer Prevention Month in the City of Encinal, Texas. Proclamations were read and presented during scheduled meetings. Elected officials from both counties welcomed AHEC staff and acknowl-
edged the AHEC team for their efforts in extending the menu of AHEC educational programs geared at improving the quality of life of all residents in South Texas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the HPV vaccine be administered to preteen boys and girls at age 11 or 12 so they may be protected before being exposed to the HPV virus. Individuals from ages 11 years through 26 years can also receive the vaccine in a dosage recommended for their age group. The proclamations highlighted that cancer awareness and prevention are key to ensuring that each individual that may be afflicted with cancer can possibly have a better quality of life and other individuals can learn cancer prevention methods including vaccinations, smoking cessation, healthy diets, avoiding direct sun exposure and other lifestyle modifications.
“AHEC continues to uphold its mission by providing educational resources to students, community members and health professionals throughout the region in order to help provide a better quality of life for every individual,” stated Julie Bazan, AHEC executive director. The Area Health Education Center of the Mid Rio Grande Border Area is an outreach program under the UT Health San Antonio and is a nonprofit organization with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the communities by increasing the number of welltrained health care workers; enhancing academic resources; and fostering a healthy life style through community education programs. For additional information about AHEC and the menu of programs, visit www.facebook.com/AreaHealthEducationCenter or www.mrgbahec.org or call 956-712-0037.
Almost 570 pounds of pot seized in Zapata, Laredo SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
Border Patrol Agents interdicted three narcotic smuggling attempts resulting in the seizure of over 568 pounds of marijuana in Zapata and Laredo. The first event took place on March 20 when Border Patrol agents seized 288 pounds of marijuana after responding to suspicious activity. Agents encountered six people carrying four bundles and after agents approached them, they immediately dropped the bundles and absconded back to Mexico. The marijuana had an estimated value of $230,400. No arrests were made in this case. The marijuana was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The second event took place on March 22 when agents seized 145.42 pounds of marijuana at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 35.
Courtesy photo
Agents recovered bundles of pot while responding to a suspicious activity report near Zapata.
Agents encountered a black Dodge Challenger at the primary inspection lane and referred the driver to secondary after a Border Patrol canine alerted agents to the presence of concealed humans or narcotics. A further search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of six bundles of marijuana. The marijuana was estimated to have a value of $116,336. The driver, a U.S. citizen, was arrested. The driver and nar-
cotics were turned over to the DEA and the vehicle was seized by Border Patrol. The third event occurred on March 22 when agents seized 134.81 pounds of marijuana after responding to suspicious activity near Zapata. Agents were able to recover six bundles of marijuana. The marijuana had an estimated value of $107,848. No arrests were made in this case. The marijuana was turned over to the DEA.
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
These trade jabs don’t look like economic warfare By Tyler Cowen B L OOM BE RG NEWS
So is a trade war upon us? President Donald Trump announced last week that the U.S. would place $60 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese goods, but what does that mean for the future of world trade? This conflict seems more likely to remain a modest spat than to blossom into a slugfest. First of all, China responded to Trump’s $60 billion in tariffs with a $3 billion tariff retaliation, 1/20th of the initial amount. That’s a sign that China is seeking reconciliation rather than escalation. In any case, the $60 billion is less than 3 percent of China’s global exports, and the move could lower its gross domestic product by as little as 0.1 percent. Don’t be surprised if the penalties are smaller yet. It is common for Trump to talk big, seeking the impressive headline or tweet, but to follow up with much less. Steel import restrictions were talked up at the beginning of March, but after all the exemptions granted, they don’t cover most U.S. steel imports. Don’t be surprised if Trump ends up granting China tariff exemptions to various American importers. In addition to helping the stock market, that would give Trump another political carrot and stick. As for the pressures on the Chinese side, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that talks to improve U.S. access to Chinese markets are quietly under way. And the market responded positively. China, of course, knows that Trump’s actions don’t always match his rhetoric, and so they are likely to hold back on their retaliation. Why send your best punch back when you don’t know how badly you’ve been hit? The Chinese leadership also knows that the logic of a trade war favors the U.S. Chinese economic growth is likely to continue to slow down, which will be one of President Xi Jinping’s biggest political problems. He is probably willing to ignore some of Trump’s antics to keep his domestic economic situation manageable. Having just seized additional power, Xi is the one in the more vulnerable position. Trump just doesn’t seem that interested in positioning himself optimally for re-election, instead preferring to pursue his various crusades and rhetorical wars. Keep in mind that the U.S. is a relatively large buyer in many markets; in economic lingo, it has some monopsony power. So if it cuts back purchases of, say, Chinese toys, China cannot simply
reroute those now-surplus toys and sell them to Canada or Indonesia at the same price. This gives the U.S. significant power in trade conflicts. And China cannot throw around its weight as a buyer in similar fashion because it does not import on the same scale. The Chinese don’t have that many ready American targets for economic retaliation. Aircraft are one of the major U.S. exports to China, where market demand for domestic flights is rapidly growing. Beijing has a backlog of about 400 orders with the Boeing Co. It could try to switch some or all of those orders to Airbus SE, but that would mean delays. Airbus would also know it could increase its prices and the Chinese would have to pay. As a buyer, China doesn’t have as much leverage in this market as it might appear. The U.S. has many more targets when it comes to restricting foreign investment, as there is plenty of Chinese capital that would love to flee. The Chinese government already limits the activities of the big technology companies and many other U.S. multinationals in China, so they don’t have as many extra sticks in this regard. The reality is China has margins for responding to the U.S., but they are mostly not in the economic realm. China could ratchet up the pressure on Taiwan, cooperate less on North Korea, pursue further expansion in the South China Sea, or work harder to court European nations and pull them further away from the American orbit. I expect some combination of those to occur, in modest form. That’s one reason Trump’s China tariffs are ill-conceived. Will then Trump’s trade war be effective on an economic front? Very likely not. The U.S. trade deficit with China already is mismeasured, and it is much smaller than it appears in the numbers. Given how much they save and how much we spend, some bilateral trade deficit is probably inevitable. Most of all, for historical reasons, China is extremely unlikely to “give in” to foreign influence, seeking to pry open its borders. The U.S. has in fact been trying since the late 19th century, usually without great success. What we’ll get is more expensive imports, more domestic political uncertainty and more trouble on the foreign policy front. That’s all for the worse, but still I don’t see a major trade war in the offing. Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University.
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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.
COLUMN
BBB: Beware of personality quizzes on Facebook By Miguel Segura SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
Personality quizzes are especially popular these days on social media platforms such as Facebook, and generally seem innocent enough. However, you might be giving away more information about yourself, and even your friends than you thought. These quizzes ask seemingly silly or useless questions, but hackers can use that information to penetrate your social accounts and gain access to your personal information or the information of your friends and
family. However, the latest news shows that it isn’t just scammers who are interested in your quiz answers. It turns out, your personal information is big business. “We always knew someone was trying to trick us with social media quizzes, because they are free” says BBB’s chief security officer Bill Fanelli, CISSP. “If there is no charge, then the value is the data they can collect. We also knew that it was for a use we probably would not like, because they went to such great lengths to hide their purpose. Now we
know we were right on both counts.” Not all social media quizzes are about unprincipled data collection, but BBB cautions users to be careful about what they share online. Profile data, quiz answers, and more can be used to steal your money, or let a scammer pretend to be you in order to steal someone else’s money. Tips to avoid social media scams: Think twice. Before you take a quiz, figure out who created it. Is it a brand you trust? Adjust privacy settings. Review your social media account’s privacy
settings and be strict about what information you share. Remove personal details from your profile. Don’t share information like your phone number or home address on social media accounts. Don't accept friend requests from people you don’t know. To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker (BBB.org/scamtracker). To protect yourself from all kinds of scams, visit the BBB Scam Tips page (BBB.org/scamtips). Segura is the regional director of the Better Business Bureau.
COLUMN
Stop feeling sorry for the Austin bomber By Dahleen Glanton CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Mark Anthony Conditt was a monster. Not the imaginary kind children fear might be hiding in the dark beneath their beds. Not the make-believe kind we are used to seeing in the movies. Not some disfigured boogeyman that would easily stand out when walking among us. Mark Anthony Conditt was a clean-cut, somewhat nerdy-looking 23year-old with an engaging smile. Sometimes, he wore glasses and polo shirts. But make no mistake. He was still a monster. Like most monsters, he often crept in the night, targeting unsuspecting victims as they slept peacefully in their homes. In the morning, they would discover his deadly calling card - a cardboard box holding a makeshift bomb left at their front doorway. He stalked the residents of Austin, Texas, for nearly three weeks, constructing a series of bombs that killed two innocent people and injured six others. But his carnage did not stop there. Across America, we watched with crippling angst, wondering if this was yet another episode of the racial abomination that we have grown so accustomed to in the era of Donald Trump. In some ways, it was a
relief to dismiss the attacks, which initially seemed to target AfricanAmericans and Hispanics, as acts of bigotry. At least then, there was a concrete motive to blame. When hatred is the culprit, we somehow are willing to live with that. As it turned out, we don’t know why Mark Anthony Conditt did what he did. And frankly, many of us find that more troubling than it would have been to simply write him off as a bigot. When young white people do horrible things, our natural tendency is to try and figure them out. What in Mark Anthony Conditt’s life was so troubling that he would deviate so far from what is expected of white youths with so much promise? Where did society go wrong in failing to recognize his trauma, ease his pain and reassure him, that as a white person in America, his prospects are better than most? Austin Police Chief Brian Manley described the "confession" the monster left behind on his cellphone as this: "It is the outcry of a very challenged young man talking about challenges in his own life." So we are left to surmise that Mark Anthony Conditt did not let us down. It was us who failed him. Let’s stop it. Now! Mark Anthony Conditt was an unemployed college dropout who was
smart enough to figure out how to make deadly homemade bombs and elude police for weeks. Yet he was stupid enough to park his SUV near a surveillance camera and think that a blonde wig and pink construction gloves were enough of a disguise to keep him from being identified on the video. Indeed, Mark Anthony Conditt may have been confused, troubled and angry. But he was not a victim. Let’s stop trying to convince ourselves that he was. His relatives might have thought that he was "a great kid. He was smart, loving, kind." Perhaps they really did have "no idea who this person is." But we all know now. He was a self-described "psychopath" who reportedly left behind a hit list of future targets along with a 25-minute unapologetic "confession" in which he said: "I wish I were sorry but I’m not," according to the Austin American-Statesman. Such a monster does not deserve our pity. If you need to feel sorry for a young person whose life was cut short in this tragic episode, don’t waste your time thinking about Conditt, who chose to blow himself up with one of his own bombs when cornered by police. Think about Draylen Mason, an accomplished musician even at the young age of 17, an honor
roll student and double bassist with the youth orchestra, Austin Soundwaves. He was looking forward to enrolling in the University of Texas’ prestigious Butler School of Music in the fall. Mason was killed and his mother was injured when the monster stopped by their home. If you need to feel bad for someone, consider the 8-year-old daughter Anthony Stephan House left behind. The bomb was delivered to his front porch while he was preparing to take his daughter to school. House was a 39-yearold finance expert who worked as a senior project manager at Texas Quarries. But mostly, according to the GoFundMe page his mother set up to raise money for his daughter’s future, House "was a caring and devoted father." His death left his wife, daughter and other family members traumatized and devastated emotionally. Could the monster responsible for these horrible acts have been redeemed? Of course, it is possible - had he wanted to change. But this monster decided that it was not worth even a try. Instead, he took the coward’s way out. So let’s stop coddling the memory of Mark Anthony Conditt. Instead, let’s be thankful that he can do no more harm.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 |
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MEXICO
Mexico official: U.S. family died from gas leak A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — A prosecutor in Mexico said Monday that a gas leak in a water heater is suspected in the death of an Iowa couple and their two children last week. The head prosecutor of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo told local media Monday that an inspection over the weekend revealed that the water heater at the rented condominium in the resort town of Tulum was leaking gas. "Unfortunately, they found the area where the water heater was letting gas escape, perhaps because of a lack of maintenance, perhaps because it was in use, perhaps because of the age of the equipment," prosecutor Miguel Angel Pech told the Radio Formula station. "In fact, a high concentration of this toxic (gas) was found in the room," Pech said. He described a grisly scene: The family was found on Friday and had been dead for 36 to 48 hours by that time, according to autopsy results. "Some were lying in their bedrooms, and the children were playing, one in one part of the room and the other in another part of the same room," Pech said. The autopsies indicate the family died from inhaling toxic gas, but the source or nature of the gas hadn't been determined. Pech said forensic
samples had been sent to labs in Mexico City on Monday, and officials hope to identify the gas within eight to 10 days. Iowa officials identified the family as Kevin Sharp, 41; his wife, Amy Sharp, 38, and their children Sterling, 12, and Adrianna, 7. They were from Creston, Iowa. The family was reported missing by relatives about a week after they left for vacation. Creston police contacted the U.S. Department of State, and the bodies were found during a welfare check at their condo in Tulum, on the Yucatan Peninsula. The Creston News Advertiser newspaper reported that the family flew to Cancun on March 14. According to her sister, Amy Sharp texted their mother the next day to say they had reached Tulum, but relatives didn't hear anything else. The sister, Renee Hoyt, said the Sharps were scheduled to depart from the Cancun airport last Wednesday and fly to St. Louis on a non-stop flight. The family had
planned to then drive about 200 miles (322 kilometers) to Danville, Illinois to watch a basketball game Thursday, Hoyt said. When the family didn't arrive in St. Louis, family members contacted authorities, she said. Contacted Friday, the developer of the condo complex where the deaths occurred declined to comment. It wouldn't be the first time that faulty gas connections killed tourists in the area. In 2010, the explosion of an improperly installed gas line at a hotel in the nearby town of Playa del Carmen killed five Canadian tourists and two Mexicans. In that case, prosecutors said the heating-gas line, apparently meant to fuel a pool heating unit, was not properly installed or maintained. They claimed a leak from the line may have been set off by a spark from an electric switch or plug. A judge later dismissed criminal charges against five contractors and employees at the hotel.
Quintana Roo Prosecutor's Office via AP
In this undated photo provided by the Quintana Roo Prosecutors Office, a firefighter examines a gas stove in the rented condo where an Iowa couple and their two children died in Tulum, Mexico.
A6 | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | LAREDO MORNING TIMES
LAREDO MORNING TIMES | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 |
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A8 | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
BUSINESS
PEMEX, Lewis Energy appear to sign gas fracking contract A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s state-owned oil company has signed what appears to be one of its first big gas fracking contracts with a subsidiary of Texas-based Lewis Energy. The Petroleos Mexicanos company said Monday it would drill
and exploit non-conventional gas deposits with Lewis Energy Mexico in the portion of the Eagle Ford shale formation in Mexico. While Pemex did not mention fracking, it is the method commonly used to drill for gas in the Eagle Ford area. Pemex said the con-
tract involves about $617 million in investments and yields potential gas production of 117 million cubic feet per day by 2021. Detractors say fracking wells have already been drilled in Mexico, but the government has not released much information about them.
El Super grocery chain to acquire Fiesta Mart By Paul Takahashi H OUSTO N CHRONI CLE
A Hispanic food retailer is buying Fiesta Mart in a $300 million deal that will infuse new capital into the Houston-based grocer’s fight to remain relevant in the increasingly competitive grocery landscape. The Fiesta Mart acquisition would make the California-based Bodega Latina Corp and its Mexican parent company Chedraui, one of the largest Hispanic food retailers in the country. They are expected to acquire the 63 Lone Star State stores, including 32 in the Houston area, by the beginning of the second quarter. "The acquisition of Fiesta allows us to meaningfully expand into Texas via an established, wellknown supermarket operator,” said Carlos Smith, CEO of Bodega, which currently operates 59 El Super stores in the Southwest U.S. “Through the combination of the strengths of our two organizations, we will be well positioned to significantly accelerate our vision of efficiently offering high quality products at the lowest possible prices.” Fiesta Mart, founded in Houston 46 years ago to cater to the Hispanic population, has struggled in recent years to maintain its customer base amid mounting competition from larger grocers eyeing the fast-growing consumer segment. Although Fiesta Mart has revamped some stores to broaden its appeal, the grocer has been outgunned by well-capitalized giants H-E-B, Kroger and Walmart and newcomers such as Aldi, who have been aggressively courting Hispanic customers with competitive prices and a more international selection of produce, meats and canned foods.
Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle
People shop at Fiesta Mart Sunday, March 25, 2018 in Houston.
“Spanish-speaking shoppers are the most coveted market in the country, with Texas being the No. 1 market,” said Burt Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, a New York retail consulting firm. Flickinger, whose firm has conducted competitive pricing analyses for major retailers in Texas for 25 years, said he expects Bodega CEO Carlos Smith to maintain the Fiesta Mart brand in Houston, but likely renovate and remodel stores to capture new customers by the busy holiday season. The new owner will likely use its broad procurement power to buy food products at lower prices and pass them on to consumers, Flickinger said. Smith will also likely bring a more personal touch to Fiesta Mart, Flickinger said. The CEO is often found personally overseeing El Super stores regularly, and knows what customers of all backgrounds want in terms of meat cuts and seasonings, Flickinger said. Fiesta Mart employs 8,000, with 4,500 of those based in Houston. “What (Carlos Smith) will do is rebuild that great Fiesta heritage and make it better,” Flickinger said. This is the latest ownership change for Fiesta Mart over the past decade.
In 2004, Fiesta Mart was acquired by Grocers Supply, a wholesale groceries distributor. In 2015, the grocer was acquired by Acon Investments, a Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm. Acon’s founding partner Ken Brotman said the Fiesta Mart sale will likely close in 30 to 45 days, pending regulatory approvals, but declined to give a statement with further comment. After the deal closes, Bodega will have 122 stores across the southwest U.S. with revenues of approximately $3 billion. More than half of the nation’s Hispanic population live in the five states Bodega will have a footprint in: California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and now Texas. Houston, with its growing Hispanic population and young families, represents a growth opportunity for Bodega. As more Californians move to Texas seeking lower cost of living, Bodega likely sees a future in Texas, said David Littwitz, a retail broker with Houston-based Littwitz Investments. “The Hispanic population in the Houston metro area is still growing,” Littwitz said. “This is fighting for every last inch of territory and last inch of market. They’ve done their research. They see Houston as a market to grow and make money.”
FTC, states increase pressure on Facebook on privacy By Barbara Ortutay and Andrew Selsky ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — U.S. regulators and state attorneys general are increasing pressure on Facebook as they probe whether the company's data-collection practices have hurt the people who use its services. Facebook's stock, which already took a big hit last week, dropped further Monday after the Federal Trade Commission confirmed news reports that it was investigating the company. Separately, the attorneys general for 37 U.S. states and territories sought details Monday on how Facebook monitored what app developers did with data collected on Facebook users and whether Facebook had safeguards to prevent misuse. Facebook's privacy practices have come under fire after revelations that a Trump-affiliated consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, got data on millions of Facebook users. That included information on friends of people who had downloaded a psychological quiz app, even though those friends hadn't given explicit consent to sharing. Facebook is also facing questions about reports that it collected years of contact names, telephone numbers, call lengths and information about
text messages from Android users. Facebook says the data is used "to improve people's experience across Facebook" by helping to connect with others. But the company did not spell out exactly what it used the data for or why it needed it. European officials also have also been investigating or seeking more information. Germany's justice minister said Monday that she wants closer oversight of companies such as Facebook after a meeting with its executives about the abuse of users' data. Last week, a U.K. parliamentary media committee summoned CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about how Facebook uses data, while U.K. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham is investigating how Cambridge Analytica got the data. In addition, the state's attorney of Cook County in Illinois has sued Facebook and Cambridge Analytica for consumer fraud after revelations that the latter obtained data on millions of Facebook users. Facebook has not commented on the lawsuit. The recent troubles follow Facebook's most difficult year yet, as the company dealt with fake news, "filter bubbles" that lead to increasing polarization, and congressional hearings over Russian agents' alleged use of social media to
meddle with the 2016 presidential elections. In January, Zuckerberg set fixing Facebook as his personal challenge for 2018. Nearly three months in, it's a taller order than ever. Tom Pahl, acting director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said the U.S. probe would include whether the company engaged in "unfair acts" that cause "substantial injury" to consumers. Facebook reached a settlement with the FTC in 2011 offering privacy assurances, though the FTC's probe may extend to Facebook's compliance with U.S.-EU principles for transferring data. Facebook said in a statement on Monday that the company remains "strongly committed" to protecting people's information and that it welcomes the opportunity to answer the FTC's questions. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, believes Facebook was in violation of the 2011 settlement in letting Cambridge Analytica harvest data on friends of Facebook users. He called the investigation "good news." Selsky reported from Salem, Oregon. AP Technology Writer Anick Jesdanun contributed to this story.
Frontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE HUEVOS DE PASCUA 1 Evento de Búsqueda de Huevos de Pascua en su sexta edición, organizado por la Ciudad de Roma, de 10 a.m. a 12 p.m., en Roma Texas Municipal Park, el sábado 24 de marzo. 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 27 de marzo 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. TORNEO DE GOLF 1 El distrito escolar Roma ISD invita a su torneo Roma ISD Scholarship Golf Classic, en Monte Cristo Golf & Country Club, 2919 N. Kenyon Road, Edinburg, Tx., el sábado 31 de marzo desde las 8 a.m. Mayores informes al 956-849-1333. VAQUERO DAY FESTIVAL 1 La Ciudad de Escobares invita al Vaquero Day Festival en su 13ava. edición, el sábado 27 de abril. Música en vivo, cabalgata, parrilladas, y más actividades para toda la familia. Entrada gratuita. Mayores informes al 956-8474106. 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 956-8491411 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 956-2467177. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
NUEVO LAREDO
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NUEVA CIUDAD GUERRERO
INSTALAN Mueren mujer y 2 APARATOS DE GIMNASIA niños en tiroteo Marina niega que balas provinieran de helicóptero ASSOCIATED PRE SS
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO— La Marina de México afirmó el lunes que un helicóptero desplegado para respaldar a sus elementos después que fueron emboscados en la ciudad norteña de Nuevo Laredo no mató a los transeúntes que murieron durante las confrontaciones. La Armada no dijo cuántos civiles fallecieron, pero la prensa local reportó el lunes la muerte de una mujer y dos niños. La Marina agregó en un boletín que las personas fueron baleadas desde tierra, no desde el aire, y que sus heridas fueron causadas por un tipo de balas que los tripulantes del helicóptero no utilizaron. Las operaciones en Nuevo Laredo, en la frontera con Texas, dejaron muertos a un infante de Marina y a cuatro presuntos atacantes, además de que 12 efectivos resultaron heridos. El gobierno del estado de Tamaulipas no respondió a la solicitud de información de los civiles fallecidos. Se limitó a indicar que “manifiesta su respaldo irrestricto a la Secretaría de Marina en las acciones de seguridad que mantiene en la entidad” y envió sus condolencias “a
las víctimas” de los enfrentamientos. Los tiroteos de la noche del sábado y la mañana del domingo reflejan el nivel de violencia relacionada con el narcotráfico en Nuevo Laredo, una ciudad dominada por el cártel del Noreste, una ramificación del cártel de Los Zetas. De acuerdo a las autoridades, los marinos fueron emboscados en tres ocasiones. Los elementos de la Armada respondieron el fuego y mataron a uno de los agresores en el primer ataque, pero tres soldados resultaron heridos. Se envió a otra patrulla para ayudar a los heridos y también fue recibida a balazos. Durante esa emboscada murió un militar y varios otros resultaron heridos. Un tercer convoy fue emboscado justo a las afueras de la base de la Marina mientras respondía a los reportes de los dos ataques iniciales. Tres agresores fueron abatidos en el último enfrentamiento. Finalmente, se desplegó un helicóptero artillado en las labores de respaldo. La Marina Armada de México indicó los agresores tenían uniformes y distintivos falsos de la Marina en sus vehículos.
Foto de cortesía
La Alcaldesa de Betty Posada con el Diputado Luis René Cantú Galván y el Director del Instituto Estatal del Deporte Carlos Fernández Altamirano utiliza uno de los aparatos para ejercicio instalados en la Plaza Ruiz Cortines en Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas. E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
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n Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas, la Alcaldesa Betty Posada y su cabildo recibieron a Enrique Salinas Garza Subsecretario de la Secretaría de Bienestar Social en representación de Gerardo Peña Flores quien encabeza dicha Secretaría, así como al Diputado Luis René Cantú Galván; quienes en compañía del Director del Instituto Estatal del Deporte Carlos
Fernández Altamirano, hicieron la entrega de aparatos para realizar ejercicio. Los aparatos de gimnasio fueron colocados en la Plaza Ruiz Cortines de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero. Al evento también asistieron José Patroclo Treviño Delegado regional de la Secretaría de Bienestar Social y Patricia Mireya Saldivar Cano Directora de Atención Psico-emocional de la Subsecretaría de Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría de Bienestar Social.
Regidor: ‘Río se encuentra a punto de desastre’ Por Melissa Santillana TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El río Bravo podría estar al borde de un “desastre ambiental bastante devastador”, si una de las dos bombas de la planta tratadora de agua en Nuevo Laredo, México falla durante los próximos días. En la reunión del Cabildo del lunes, el director de Salud Pública Dr. Héctor González mencionó que el Departamento de Estado envió una carta diplomática junto a la Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas (CILA) a funcionarios mexicanos solicitándoles tomar medidas y presentar un reporte en relación con el estatus de las bombas de la planta tratadora de agua. El regidor George Altgelt mencionó durante la reunión que el gobierno federal estadounidense y la CILA han tenido conocimiento por los últimos 18 meses que de las seis bombas que operan en la planta tratadora de agua en Nuevo Laredo, solo dos funcionan. “El problema es que la planta tratadora de agua ubicada en la parte sur de Nuevo Laredo tiene 21 años de existencia… y necesita reparaciones como todo lo que se hace viejo con el tiempo. Y así el punto destacado es que de las seis bombas, solo contamos con una y media”, dijo. “Esencialmente estamos a una bomba de agua de un desastre ambiental bastante devastador porque si la bomba falla significa que 30 millones
de galones de aguas residuales desembocarán por día en el río Bravo”. El Dr. González también manifestó que la Ciudad de Laredo está redactando una carta oficial solicitando un estatus y un cronograma. “Nos vamos a reunir con el Departamento de Estado y les vamos a solicitar una copia de su respuesta porque hasta donde sabemos México no ha respondido”, dijo. “Nos hemos reunido con ellos, hemos trabajado con ellos, y también están preocupados. Dentro de su infraestructura, están determinando qué nivel de gobierno se hará cargo, el gobierno federal, el gobierno estatal o el local”. Agustín Boone, el representante mexicano de CILA en Nuevo Laredo, declaró a Laredo Morning Times el miércoles que la planta tratadora de agua ha estado operando con tres bombas de seis desde 2014. Boone dijo que la planta tratadora fue construida en abril de 1996 con fondos federales de ambos gobiernos, previamente, las aguas residuales desembocaban directamente en el río. “Esta planta ha operado por 21 años, la CILA estuvo encargada de supervisar y dar mantenimiento a la planta por los primeros diez años, después se la pasamos a COMAPA”, dijo Boone. “Lo que hacemos ahora es supervisar la calidad del agua y asegurarnos que la planta tratadora funcione como
fue estipulado en acuerdos internacionales”. COMAPA, forma abreviada de la Comisión Municipal de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado, es la contraparte neolaredenses del Departamento de Servicios Públicos en Laredo. Boone dijo que su oficina está encargada de asegurarse que la planta tratadora y el agua que desemboca en el río cumpla con los estándares de calidad impuestos por la CILA. El riesgo, de acuerdo con Boone, es que debe haber seis bombas de agua operando en la planta tratadora. “Sin embargo, estas bombas han estado en funcionamiento por más de 20 años, su vida útil se agotó”, dijo. Hasta hace un mes, dos de las bombas de agua originales estaban funcionando así como una bomba de menor tamaño que fue adquirida en 2014. Las dos originales tienen la capacidad de procesar 600 litros de agua por segundo, mientras que la nueva solo puede procesar 300 litros por segundo. Boone dijo que en febrero una de las bombas de mayor capacidad comenzó a presentar fallas, procesando menos agua. “Cuando algo comienza a falla necesitas repararlo, o algo más grande podría averiarse”. Fue así como a principios de mes COMAPA envió la bomba de agua a un taller local para ser reparada. Por lo tanto, la planta tratadora que debería operar con seis bom-
bas de agua solo cuenta con una y media, técnicamente. Actualmente, la planta recibe alrededor de 900 litros de agua por segundo, lo cual representa la capacidad exacta de las dos bombas en funcionamiento: 600 y 300 litros por segundo, respectivamente, dijo Boone. “El problema de aquí al lunes (26 de marzo), cuando la bomba regrese de ser reparada del taller, sería que una de las otras bombas fallaran”, dijo. “Es muy poco probable que surja un problema como ese, porque hasta ahora las bombas se han mantenido funcionando correctamente”. Boone dijo que una vez que la bomba de agua sea reparada, la planta tratadora tendrá la capacidad de procesar 1.500 litros por segundo, lo cual permitirá alternar el uso de las tres bombas. Además, Boone mencionó que COMAPA y el gobierno municipal de Nuevo Laredo se encuentran en el proceso de adquirir dos bombas nuevas que sustituyan a las que operan desde mediados de los noventa, mientras que la CILA está negociando la adquisición de otras dos bombas, las cuales permitirán que la planta opere apropiadamente. Al ser cuestionado sobre la razón por la que el gobierno municipal y COMAPA recién tomaron cartas en el asunto a pesar de tener conocimiento del problema desde hace 18 meses, dijo que ambas
entidades lo saben desde 2014. “No son 18 meses, la tercera bomba de agua fue adquirida en 2014 y es todo lo que hemos tenido desde entonces. En cuanto a la razón por la cual no se ha adquirido otra bomba, COMAPA asegura que se debe a una falta de fondos”, dijo. “Tienen capacidad para operar, pero no para realizar grandes inversiones”. En un comunicado de prensa emitido por el gobierno municipal de Nuevo Laredo en diciembre de 2017 se establece que el municipio aprobó alrededor de 454 millones de pesos para COMAPA dentro del presupuesto de ingresos y egresos del ejercicio fiscal 2018. “COMAPA, en 2018 podrá ejercer 454.804.920 millones de pesos, los cuales se destinarán al gasto corriente, es decir, a la compra de materiales, equipo de construcción, productos químicos y farmacéuticos, herramientas y refacciones, entre otros”, se lee en el comunicado de prensa. De acuerdo con un reporte del periódico mexicano El Mañana, COMAPA dijo en una junta que la compra de dos bombas de agua nuevas costaría alrededor de 7,5 millones de pesos, o bien, 1,6 por ciento del presupuesto anual de COMAPA. El gerente general de COMAPA Rodolfo González Morales no pudo ser localizado el miércoles para hacer comentarios.
Sports&Outdoors
A10 | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Player of the Week Aldridge honored for 2nd time in career By Tom Orsborn SA N AN T ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
WASHINGTON — After Spurs big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol combined to score 56 points in Sunday’s 106-103 loss to Milwaukee, Bucks center John Henson was effusive in his praise. “Pau’s had a Hall of Fame career,” Henson said, “and Aldridge is on his way.” If Aldridge does make it to Springfield, video of his play last week would be perfect to run at his induction ceremony to illustrate what he looked like in his prime. The NBA announced Monday that Aldridge was its Western Conference Player of the Week for March 19-25. In leading the Spurs to a 3-1 record, he averaged 34.8 points 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 blocks in 34.8 minutes while shooting 59.6 percent (56 of 94) from the field and 86.7 percent (26 of 30) from the foul line. It was Aldridge’s second player of the week honors since joining the Spurs in summer 2015, and his 10th overall. He has led the team in scoring 52 times this season, second only to LeBron James’ 56, and is just the fifth player in fran-
chise history to do it 50-plus times, joining Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and George Gervin. “He’s been a horse all year long,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Aldridge, who scored a game-high 34 points in Milwaukee two days after he had a regular-season careerbest 45 in the 124-120 overtime victory over Utah. “The game goes along and goes along,” Popovich added, “and then you realize his heart is as big or bigger than anybody’s. He’s on the board getting rebounds, putting the stuff back, blocking shots, doing a little bit of everything that we have to do to win games.” Homecoming hassles Even though he’s back in his old stomping grounds, Spurs forward Rudy Gay is treating this stop strictly as a business trip. “Honestly, I hate going home,” said Gay, who was born in Brooklyn but spent most of his childhood in Baltimore. “When I get there I turn my phone off because I’m going to get a million text messages, and hear things like, ‘I need tickets,’ and ‘What are you doing tonight? Let’s hang out, go to
dinner,’ and all that. At this point, I just like to relax, man. Go see who I want to see and then after that just chill.” Gay was the Baltimore Sun’s Co-Player of the Year as a senior in 2003-04 at Archbishop Spalding High School. As an NBA player, he has funded the construction of playgrounds in the area, and hosted a tournament last summer for local players to showcase their talents against some of the top competition in the nation. “It’s a chance for the city to be glamorized for something other than the negative,” Gay told the Sun last August. “Baltimore City has been negative for a long time, and this is something good that we can do out there and say that we have kids doing the right thing.” Double-double dude With 22 points and 13 rebounds, Gasol recorded his 15th double-double of the season, second on the Spurs to Aldridge’s 24. Gasol is the first player 37 or older with 10-plus double-doubles since Duncan in 2015-16. Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News
torsborn@express-news.net @tom_orsborn
LaMarcus Aldridge averaged 34.8 points 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 blocks while leading the Spurs to a 3-1 record last week.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
COWBOYS ANNOUNCE WR WILLIAMS BROKE FOOT Dallas signs OT Fleming, considers moving Collins By David Moore THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Ryan Kang / Associated Press file
Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams had 53 catches for 538 yards in 2017.
ORLANDO — The Cowboys did not sign Allen Hurns to push Dez Bryant out the door. No one has spoken to Bryant's representatives yet about the need for the wide receiver to take a pay cut but those discussions will take place. Oh, and by the way, Terrance Williams broke his foot a few weeks ago. Stephen Jones dropped these tidbits Monday during a break at the NFL Annual Meeting. The club's executive vice president didn't actually tell reporters that Williams broke his foot - he was repeatedly circumspect on the nature and cause of the injury - but he did acknowledge it while discussing the team's ever-growing ranks at wide receiver. After a slow start to free agency the Cowboys have added five players, re-signed two of their own and traded for another. But Bryant's uncertain status has commanded center stage. The club's unsuccessful pursuit of receiver Sammy Watkins, followed by the additions of Hurns and Deonte Thompson in free agency, has fueled speculation. Jones quickly shut down questions designed to determine the club's level of interest in Watkins, who signed a threeyear, $48 million deal with Kansas City. "We only talk about players that are on our team,"Jones said. "It would be tampering."
Landing Watkins would have meant the end of Bryant's career with the Cowboys. It's impossible to reach any other conclusion given the club's current salary-cap restraints. Hurns and Thompson don't hold the same economic clout. Their contracts combined consume only $7.8 million of the team's payroll in 2018. Bryant is on the books for $16.5 million. He has a base salary of $12.5 million, a figure the Cowboys want to reduce to reflect his recent production. Where are the Cowboys in those discussions? "We'll talk about Dez when it's time," Jones replied. Have there been any contract discussions with Bryant's representatives? "No," Jones said. Does that conversation still need to take place? "Yes," he said. Jones fielded several more questions about Bryant's contract, reiterating that now isn't the time to talk about it. He said Hurns and Thompson are here to complement Bryant, not undercut his leverage or threaten his place on the team. "We want competition at all positions," Jones said. "You look at what we have. And Terrance has his injury. "We feel like we needed some competitiveness at the position in terms of the numbers. We felt like both of these players were good values in terms of what we were trying to get accomplished." About that injury... Williams has been in
the league for five years and hasn't missed a game. But after alluding to an offseason injury the receiver suffered, Jones declined to say how it happened, what it was or whether surgery was required. Sources said Williams broke a bone in his right foot and had surgery four weeks ago. He's expected to miss the majority of the team's offseason program but should be cleared for the start of training camp in July. "It's nothing we are concerned about for the season," Jones said. The injury to Williams should help put the acquisition of Hurns into context. The Jacksonville receiver was signed to compete with Williams, not supplant Bryant. Hurns could bump Williams down the depth chart, but he won't bump him or Bryant off the team. Another important point: Hurns and Thompson don't rule out the Cowboys taking a receiver in the first round if the club determines that's the best player on the board. "It sure does not," Jones said. If that scenario unfolds and the Cowboys add a first-round receiver to their offseason haul, Dez Bryant's status will no longer be unclear. It will be obvious. Cowboys sign Fleming, consider moving Collins back to LG The Cowboys have had a cursory discussion with La'el Collins about returning to left guard. Whether that happens depends on two of the offensive linemen the club signed Monday. Tackle Cameron Flem-
ing and guard Marcus Martin are now part of the team's free agent haul. They joined veteran offensive lineman Joe Looney, who played for the Cowboys the past two seasons, in signing new deals at The Star. Martin has started 24 games in his career and will be given a chance to compete for the starting left guard job that belonged to Jonathan Cooper. But the player to watch is Fleming. Fleming has started 20 games in his career, six of them this past season at right tackle for New England. If he asserts himself during the Cowboys offseason program the club would be inclined to move Collins back to left guard. "They've had some brief discussion with him (Collins) but I wouldn't say in depth because we don't really know for sure yet,'' executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "That will be something obviously in the coming weeks that we'll be trying to get our hands around a little better. And of course a lot of that too will depend on how we draft.'' Sources said Fleming signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal. Why would a 25-year old swing tackle with a proven track record in the league sign for only one year? He's betting on himself to hit it big in free agency next year. The only way to do that is to earn a starting spot now. "We'll just see,'' Jones said of where everyone winds up in the offensive line. “We'll leave that open. "We want to get the five best guys and then see who's best.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 |
A11
FROM THE COVER
GOP-led states back Trump in California 'sanctuary' lawsuit By Sudhin Thanawala A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SAN FRANCISCO — Texas and more than a dozen other states led by Republican governors got behind the Trump administration on Monday in its lawsuit over California's so-called sanctuary laws that protect people in the U.S. illegally. California's laws are designed to interfere with or block federal immigration enforcement but the state does not have that authority, the other states said in a court filing in the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit against Califor-
HOWLAND From page A1 and returned to Laredo where he worked for TxDOT for three years. He then moved on into road construction and road materials and eventually sold the business and retired in 2011. Howland served on the boards of the Laredo Development Foundation (lifetime member), several citywide planning boards and Texas Builders Insurance Co. He also served as director of IBC Commerce
AMBUSH From page A1 wounded. Another patrol was sent
COURT From page A1 the Webb County District Attorney’s Office participated in the investigation. Visiting U.S. Appellate Judge Kimberly A. Moore presided over the sentencing hearings of 15 codefendants: Olinda Romero, Karina MancillasRubio, Daniel Villegas Jr., Jason Aguilar-Blake, Homar Guerrero, Jesus Miguel Torres, Stephanie Ozuna, Maria Lilia Ozuna, Jose Luis Ruiz, Nora Arlette Romero, Tito Garcia, Eric Arturo Ocampo, Dennis Alvarez Boquin, Loreto Castañeda Macedo and Francisco Javier Salazar-Diaz. The string of sentencings was the first of this magnitude, with only two of the 35 co-defendants allegedly involved in the case having been sentenced prior to this week. In January, Olga Calzada de Mancillas was sentenced to time already served and Martin Ramirez was sentenced to 15 months in custody and had to forfeit $5,000. Charges against another co-defendant, Oscar Mancillas Santos, were dismissed last year, according to a motion filed by the prosecution. The remaining named defendants are Antonio Romero Jr., Oscar N. Mancillas, Isael Joddai Romero, Luis Felipe Santos-Alejandro, Daniel Laurel, Marco Antonio Salazar, Hector Ortiz and Bede Hawkins Jr. With the exception of Laurel and Salazar, all of them have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Court records show that there are nine defendants who have not yet been named. They each face various charges including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl; conspiracy to launder drug proceeds; and numerous
CATTLE From page A1
nia. The filing in federal court in Sacramento supports the Justice Department's attempt to block the laws. An email to the California Attorney General's office was not immediately returned. The Justice Department sued California in March over three state laws, including one that requires the state to review detention facilities where immigrants are held and another that limits the ability of state and local law enforcement officials to turn people over to immigration authorities. Federal officials have said California officials
have prevented them from removing dangerous people who are in the U.S. illegally. California officials have responded that their sanctuary policies increase public safety by promoting trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement. The filing by Texas and the other states argues that California's laws should be blocked on the same grounds that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 2010 Arizona immigration law. The Arizona law required police, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of people suspect-
ed of being in the country illegally, made it a crime to harbor immigrants here illegally, and banned them from seeking work in public places. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the law in 2012. Justice Anthony Kennedy said Arizona may have "understandable frustrations" with immigrants who are in the country illegally, but added that it can't pursue policies that "undermine federal law." If Arizona's laws are overridden by federal law, then so are California's, the court filing for Texas and the other states said.
Bank for 22 years. He is currently a director of IBC Bancshares, serves as chairman of the audit committee and serves on investment, risk and trust committees. He currently serves as director and treasurer of the Webb County/City of Laredo Regional Mobility Authority. Howland is married to Linda Lopez Howland, who is also active in civic organizations. They have four children and two grandchildren. “I look forward to working with all the
board members, the food bank staff and supporters to continue moving the mission forward and find new ways in which we can better serve our clients,” Howland said. Howland will serve a two-year term as board president. His tenure will conclude on March 2020. The 2018-19 board of directors are: 1 Doug Howland, president 1 Hugo Flores, presidentelect 1 Roberto Diaz, treasurer 1 Kevin Romo, secretary 1 Cristina Garcia, histori-
an 1 Erasmo Villarreal, past president 1 Leslie G. Benavides (Jim Hogg County) 1 Aide Brooks 1 Robert Cuellar 1 Gabriela De Leon 1 Annie Dodier 1 Anna B. Galo 1 Laura Narvaez 1 Valerie C. Rubalcaba (Dimmit County) 1 Romeo Salinas (Zapata County) 1 Ed Sherwood 1 John Solis Advisory members 1 Romelia Cardona 1 Galo Garcia
to help the wounded when it also came under fire; that ambush killed one marine and wounded several others. A third patrol was
ambushed just outside the marine base as it responded to the first two attacks. In that shootout, three gunmen were killed. Finally, a helicopter
gunship was called in. Mexico’s navy said in a statement that the gunmen had fake marine uniforms and markings on their vehicles.
Cuellar continued, “Our cattle producers contribute greatly to the economy and way of life in South Texas. They deserve our assistance in the face of threats to their vitality. Fighting these ticks has been an ongoing, uphill battle since 2008, when I included language in the Farm Bill for the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program that provided research grants to study cattle fever ticks and their eradication. The funds for the USDA-APHIS Cattle Health program this year are an important step in helping control the tick population and stop the spread of their disease.” The fiscal year 2018 funding is equal to the funding included in last year’s funding bill. In a restricted budget environment in which the president has planned cuts to nearly every federal nondefense program, this level funding is a big win for the cattle industry, a news relcase from Cuellar’s office states. In fiscal year 2017, USDA allocated $12.2 million from this account to fight the ticks in areas like Starr, Zapata and Webb counties in Texas. Cuellar also included language calling on USDA-APHIS to report to the Committee on their plan to help eradicate the ticks and control their spread. "The South Texans' Property Rights Association considers Congressman Cuellar to be the leading champion of fever tick control in this country,” said Susan Kibbe, executive director of the South Texans' Property Rights Association. “He understands the issue
other money laundering violations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not return requests for comment about the case. ‘You’ve killed people’ Boquin, 32, received the lengthiest sentence at 210 months. He was also ordered to forfeit $1 million in drug proceeds. Moore told Boquin that, as a mid-level organizer who oversaw the transportation of different narcotics to several states, he was essentially guilty of many drug-related deaths. “You put so many people at risk,” she told him. “You’ve killed people. You’ve destroyed lives with all these drugs. And you’ve been doing over a long period of time.” Boquin, who lived in Atlanta, Georgia, had frequent communication with the organization’s leaders and was involved in the planning and transporting of drugs across state lines, according to his plea agreement. Court documents state that Boquin traveled to Orlando, Florida in November 2014 to oversee the transportation of 4 kilograms of methamphetamine, which had been sent via FedEx from Laredo. He also participated in the supervision of the delivery of a methladen vehicle in Pompano Beach, Florida. Additionally, Boquin supervised and arranged the movement of a refrigerated trailer carrying 23 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States. Agents also found 357 pills, or 104 grams, of heroin tablets hidden in the trailer, his plea agreement states. He also sent $2,000 of drug proceeds via wire transfer to Guayaquil, Ecuador in January 2015, court records show. Mancillas-Rubio, 29, was sentenced to serve 30 months and was ordered to forfeit $2,000. Eduardo Castillo, Mancillas-Rubio’s attorney, said her client had no
criminal history and that her involvement and actions in the case did not reflect her way of life. “All of us deserve a second chance, and that’s what I’m asking for,” Mancillas-Rubio told the court. “I’m ashamed of what I did.” Mancillas-Rubio is currently out on bond and was allowed to voluntarily surrender. She will commence her period of incarceration at an unspecified later date. Funneling drug proceeds Through intercepted telephone calls, law enforcement discovered Mancillas-Rubio was storing drug proceeds at her home for her brother, Oscar Mancillas, and other co-conspirators, her plea agreement states. Olinda Romero, 31, was also sentenced to serve 30 months in prison and will forfeit $50,000. Her husband, Antonio Romero, is the suspected head of the drug trafficking group that operated out of Orlando, Florida. Her involvement included using a home construction scheme to conceal drug proceeds from the group’s sales. She also took responsibility for facilitating the laundering of proceeds through her personal bank accounts, court records state. She received over $850,000 into her personal bank account between 2010 and 2016, according to court documents. The investigation showed her husband attempted to launder his drug trafficking earnings by funneling them through her bank accounts and the home construction scheme, records state. Nora Romero, Olinda Romero’s sister-in-law, will serve an 87-month sentence and forfeit $20,000. Romero was directed to assist in contacting drivers, conducting surveillance and transporting for the group during the course of the conspiracy,
according to court documents. In her plea agreement, she took responsibility for assisting with the distribution of at least 23 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1.1 kilograms of heroin. Guerrero, 29, was ordered to serve a prison sentence of 120 months. His plea agreement states that he assisted in coordinating the transportation of 13.64 kilograms of cocaine from Laredo to Atlanta. Villegas Jr. received a 50-month sentence. His brother, Aguilar-Blake, was sentenced to 57 months. The siblings will each have to forfeit $5,000 and were also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service upon their release. Their plea agreements state that although not familiar with all aspects of the trafficking organization, Aguilar-Blake and Villegas admit that they worked for or assisted others in the possession with intent to distribute of narcotics by attempting to transport narcotics on one occasion. On May 8, 2014, agents intercepted a phone call between Oscar Mancillas and Aguilar-Blake, according to court documents. The call allegedly included discussion of Villegas assisting the drug trafficking organization by moving imported cocaine from Mexico. “Based on intercepted calls, agents set up surveillance and know that Mancillas picked up seven bundles of narcotics and was to hide five bundles in a vehicle that was to be driven by someone else, later identified as (Villegas),” records state. After the transfer of the cocaine, officers conducted a traffic stop on Villegas. Inside the vehicle, approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine were found. The plea agreements state both men admit they worked for or assisted others in attempting to
transport between 3.5 to 5 kilograms of cocaine from Laredo to San Antonio. Ocampo was sentenced to 87 months in prison for his involvement in the movement of drugs, operating a stash house and using his personal bank account to receive drug money. In March 2014, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrested him after finding a cocaine-laden FedEx package addressed to Ocampo, records state. Upon his arrest, authorities searched his apartment and found a money counter, a drug ledger, shipping paperwork and air filters. He also admitted to laundering $32,000 worth of drug proceeds, his plea agreement states. He will have to forfeit $10,000. Two co-defendants who were deemed to have played a minor role within the organization and who received the lightest sentences were Stephanie Ozuna, 27, and her mother, Maria Lilia Ozuna, 62. The Ozunas were sentenced to six months of location monitoring. They will not serve any prison time, but will have to wear an ankle monitor. Moore said they were not allowed to go to any “fun” places such as bars or parties. They will only be allowed to travel to and from work, church, doctors visits, attorney appointments and court appearances. The pair was also ordered to forfeit $15,000 each. The duo, along with others, assisted the organization by receiving and collecting drug proceeds. The Ozunas’ plea agreements state that through a search of bank records and intercepted communications, agents found that they used their personal bank accounts to receive out-of-state cash deposits from different locations, including Florida, Philadelphia, North Carolina, New York and others. They would then immediately withdraw
better than anyone in political office and he has fought the hardest to maintain funding that is desperately needed to control this scourge that has plagued us since the 1940's and the research that will ultimately eliminate it." “Texas Farm Bureau appreciates Congressman Henry Cuellar for his work in cattle fever tick control. He’s led efforts to provide ranchers and landowners the resources to help combat this devastating pest.” said Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening. “The Congressman recognizes the impact of fever ticks on hardworking ranching families in Texas. His work has been vital to progress in containing the pest. We are happy to have Congressman Cuellar as a partner in eradicating the fever tick.” “I am thankful that Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Bishop are taking this necessary step toward protecting the livestock community throughout the state of Texas, and ultimately, the United States,” said Rep. Vela. “This funding will play an essential role in providing researchers with the needed resources to aid in the process of eradicating the cattle fever tick once and for all.” “I would like to extend my gratitude to the House Committee on Appropriations for supporting South Texas ranchers,” Gonzalez said. “With this funding, the USDA will have additional resources to augment existing eradication, treatment, and research efforts. When we invest in the well-being of livestock in Texas, we promote economic stability in our region and across the country.”
the cash and hand deliver to others, while receiving a nominal fee as payment, records state. Similarly, Ruiz would also use his personal bank account to receive cash deposits and then would withdraw the money and hand-deliver it to Mancillas, according to his plea agreement. Ruiz was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison and agreed to forfeit $3,800. Additionally, Moore sentenced Torres to serve 70 months in prison. She also ordered him to forfeit $19,500 and complete 200 hours of community service. Torres assisted other members of the drug trafficking organization in locating buyers and coordinating drug shipments, according to court documents. Garcia, whose real name is Carlos PeñaGarza, was another highranking member within the organization. He was sentenced to 108 months for his participation and will also forfeit a significant amount, $200,000. In his plea agreement, Garcia admits that he imports cocaine from Nuevo Laredo. Garcia’s attorneys, Silverio Martinez and Sergio Lozano, said his client owned up to transporting 41 kilograms of cocaine. Castañeda Macedo and Salazar-Diaz, who were neighbors in Florida, were also sentenced for their involvement in the organization. The pair transported of 9.5 kilograms of methamphetamine that traveled from San Antonio, Texas, to Pompano, Florida. Castañeda Macedo received an 87-month sentence and will forfeit $200,000. Salazar-Diaz, who was deemed to be an begrudging participant, was sentenced to 41 months. “He made a stupid decision to go along while someone else was doing something illegal,” Moore said.
A12 | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL Decision to add citizenship question to census draws protest By Kevin Freking A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The 2020 U.S. Census will add a question about citizenship status, a move that brought swift condemnation from Democrats who said it would intimidate immigrants and discourage them from participating. The population count taken every 10 years is more than an academic exercise. It's required by the Constitution and used to determine the number of seats each state has in the House as well as how federal money is distributed to local communities. It helps communities determine where to build schools, hospitals, grocery stores and more. Congress delegates to the commerce secretary the authority to determine census questions. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had until the end of March to submit the list of questions to Congress. The department said the citizenship information would help the Justice Department enforce the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting rights and helps prevent the unlawful dilution of the vote on the basis of race. "Secretary Ross determined that obtaining complete and accurate information to meet this legitimate government purpose outweighed the limited potential adverse impacts," the department said in its announcement. A coalition of state attorneys general urged the department last month to not add such a question, saying it could lower participation among immigrants and cause a
population undercount. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the state will sue the Trump administration over its decision. "We're prepared to do what we must to protect California from a deficient Census," he said. Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin, a Democrat, told AP on Tuesday that he expected his state would also join in a lawsuit. He called the move by Ross an attempt to suppress the count in states such as Massachusetts that have large immigrant populations. "The Constitution requires us to count every person living in the United States, not every citizen," Galvin said. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that adding such a question "will inject fear and distrust into vulnerable communities and cause traditionally undercounted communities to be even further underrepresented, financially excluded and left behind." Democratic lawmakers had been bracing for the decision in recent months. They've held press conferences and made it a point to question Ross about his thinking during appearance at congressional hearings. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., introduced legislation last week that would prohibit the commerce secretary from enacting any major operational design that had not been researched and tested for less than three years prior to the opening day of the census. The bill has nine Democratic co-sponsors, but no Republicans have signed on, demonstrating the bill's dim prospects in the
GOP-led Congress. Some Republican lawmakers hailed the decision on Tuesday. GOP Sens. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas had sent a letter to the Commerce Department asking Ross to add the question. "It is imperative that the data gathered in the census is reliable, given the wide ranging impacts it will have on U.S. policy," Cruz said in a press release. "A question on citizenship is a reasonable, commonsense addition to the census." The Commerce Department said that between 1820 and 1950, almost every decennial census asked a question on citizenship in some form. The Census Bureau now asks about place of birth, citizenship and year of entry on a separate survey conducted every year called the American Community Survey, sampling only a portion of the population. The citizenship data help agencies and policymakers evaluate immigration policy and understand how different immigrant groups are assimilated. The Justice Department said in a statement it was important to restore the use of a citizenship question in the 10-year census because it's used for redistricting purposes and the yearly survey is not the most appropriate data to use for that purpose. "The Justice Department is committed to free and fair elections for all Americans and has sought reinstatement of the citizenship question on the Census to fulfill that commitment," the department statement read.
LAREDO MORNING TIMES | Wednesday, March 28, 2018 |
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