The Zapata Times 4/14/2018

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HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: ZAPATA HAWKS

Lopez accepts dream job with Hawks Former Alexander football coach taking over at alma mater

By Jason Mack ZA PATA T I ME S

When Joel Lopez made the difficult decision to leave Zapata early in his coaching career, he had hoped to make it back home within five years after seeking out other opportunities. Lopez is overdue on that deadline

but making his dream job a reality becoming the head coach at his alma mater.

“It’s a childhood dream of mine to coach back home,” Lopez said. “I had applied once before and didn’t get the opportunity to go. God works in mysterious ways, and I feel Zapata is getting me at the

right time. I’m extremely excited for the opportunity the Zapata County school district has given me, and I’m certainly going to take advantage of it.

“When I left Zapata, I had told my wife we would only leave for five years so I could get some good experience and come back home. But those five years took 26 years. A lot of things have changed.

My kids have all grown up. Probably one of the saddest things when you make a move like this is you know your kids will

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION

be somewhere else. We’re hoping at some point they all decided to come back home and live with us in Zapata.”

The board approved the recommendation for Lopez’s hiring at a meeting Wednesday. Accepting his dream job allows Lopez to realize another dream of launching his son’s coaching career. After coaching as an assistant at Alexander, Jerry Lopez is coming to Zapata with his father to be the defensive coordinator.

“I’m looking forward to Lopez continues on A8

Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times file

Former Alexander football head coach and athletic coordinator Joel Lopez is being hired to the same position at Zapata.

FEDERAL COURT

EVIDENCE AGAINST EL CHAPO REVEALED FBI / Associated Press

This image shows the wanted poster for Rafael Caro Quintero.

Caro Quintero, a Mexican drug kingpin convicted in the 1985 killing of a DEA agent, was added to the FBI's list of most-wanted fugitives. He was mistakenly released from a Mexican prison in 2013.

Caro Quintero placed on Most Wanted list

By Ali Watkins N EW YORK T I ME S

Federal officials added new urgency on Thursday to the hunt for a drug kingpin convicted of orchestrating the 1985 death of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, announcing that the fugitive had been added to the FBI’s 10 most wanted list.

Rafael Caro Quintero, who rose to prominence as a marijuana and cocaine trafficker in the 1980s, has evaded the authorities since he was released on a legal technicality from a Mexican prison in 2013.

Caro Quintero was serving a 40-year sentence for the kidnapping, torture and murder of Enrique Camarena, known as Kiki, who was working undercover in Mexico as a DEA agent.

The announcement Thursday put new pressure on the Mexican authorities in a case that has long been a source of friction. Tensions between the two countries are already high, as President Donald Trump has incorrectly called Mexico the “most dangerous country in the world,” and has pointed to its problems with violence as justification for his proposed border wall.

The move also comes as the United States and Mexico struggle to contain a cartelfueled drug trade streaming

across the southwestern border.

U.S. law enforcement officials say that since his release, Caro Quintero has returned to his old ways and now leads the Sinaloa cartel.

Caro Quintero, who has denied directing the murder of Camarena, has dismissed the claims that he has returned to drug trafficking and has asked to be left in peace. David Bowdich, the FBI’s acting deputy director, said Thursday that the authorities believed he remained in Mexico.

Robert Patterson, the acting administrator of the DEA, said: “He’s not just an old man trying to live out his final days. He’s an individual who continues to run a criminal organization.”

Patterson added that he believed that the effort to find and capture Caro Quintero “transcends politics.”

The murder of Camarena remains one of the most significant losses in the history of the DEA. It galvanized the Reaganera war on drugs, leading to the nationwide institution of the “Red Ribbon Week,” an annual drug awareness effort.

Camarena is still honored regularly at DEA offices across the country, where the horror of the 1985 episode lingers. “The investigation of Kiki Camarena’s death is still an open wound,” said John C. Lawn, Wanted continues on A8

Eduardo Verdugo / AP

This 2016 file photo shows a handcuffed Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman facing the press as he is escorted to a helicopter by Mexican soldiers and marines at a federal hangar in Mexico City.

Prosecutors file 90-page memo detailing kingpin’s rise to power

By Alan Feuer NEW YORK TIME S

NEW YORK — At 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, 1992, a band of armed assassins burst into a crowded discothèque in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, looking for revenge. Drawing weapons from their coats, contemporaneous news reports said, the gunmen shot out the nightclub’s lights and then trained their fire on the reveling members of a drug gang called the Arellano Félix organization.

Six people died in the shootout that ensued, and chroniclers of Mexico’s brutal drug wars have long attributed the massacre to Joaquín Guzmán Loera, a young kingpin known as El Chapo, who was settling a score with the leaders of the gang — the brothers Francisco Javier and Ramón Arellano Félix. On Tuesday, federal

Mexico's federal government / AP

This 2016 image shows Mexico's most wanted drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, during his prison mug shot with the inmate number 3870 at the Altiplano maximum security federal prison in Almoloya, Mexico.

prosecutors in Brooklyn claimed that Guzmán was indeed involved and said that

they planned to tell the tale of the decades-old slaughter at his trial.

The gunfight — which took place, prosecutors said, as Guzmán was consolidating his control of smuggling routes as a rising power in the Sinaloa drug cartel — was mentioned in a 90-page government memo filed in the case Tuesday. With the sprawling conspiracy trial set to begin in September, the memo was designed to list the crimes that Guzmán was believed to have committed, but were not specifically laid out in his indictment. Those were legion, the memo said, and included murders, acts of torture, kidnappings, prison breaks and an attempt to smuggle 7 tons of cocaine in cans of jalapeños.

In the 15 months since Guzmán was sent from Mexico to Chapo continues on A8

In Brief A2 | Saturday, April 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE NATION

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, APRIL 14

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

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.

MONDAY, APRIL 16 Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in Spanish. 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classrooom #1. The support group welcomes adults suffering from anxiety and/ or depression to participate in free and confidential support group meetings. For more information, contact Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar at gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com or 956-307-2014.

Bob Christie / AP

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.

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.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 Villa San Agustin De Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting. 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speakers will be Cynthia Haynes Ramirez and Pat Rogers Yzaguirrre. For more information, call Syliva Reash at 956-763-1810.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey speaks Thursday at the Capitol in Phoenix. Ducey announced a 9 percent pay increase for teachers in the fall that will jump to 20 percent by the 2020 school year.

TEACHERS TO GET RAISES BY 2020 PHOENIX — Caving to demands from teachers who have protested low pay and school funding shortfalls for weeks, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey rolled out a proposal Thursday promising a net 20 percent raise by 2020 and pledged to push the proposal through the Legislature in the coming weeks.

The governor’s announcement came after more than a month of protests at the state Capitol and at schools across Arizona that were fueled in part by successful teacher walkouts in West Virginia and Oklahoma. Teachers who organized a

grassroots effort that drew more than 40,000 members did not immediately react to the proposal, but a school advocate who helped block a Ducey-backed voucher proposal was on the stage behind him and said they would likely be on board — if the proposal isn’t changed at the Legislature. The developments come after a group formed in March called Arizona Educators United signed up more than 40,000 teachers and support staff. Teachers and others held “walk-ins” at more than 1,000 schools Wednesday. — Compiled from AP reports

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 Spanish Book Club meeting. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library conference room. For more information, call Syliva Reash at 956-7631810.

Police probe death of teenage boy trapped in van

TUESDAY, MAY 1

CINCINNATI — Authorities pledged on Thursday to find out what went wrong in the death of a 16-year-old boy they say became trapped by a minivan bench seat in a school parking lot and whose body was found about six hours after he first called 911.

Police Chief Eliot Isaac said something went “terribly wrong” in Kyle Plush’s death.

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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 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.

He said a dispatcher was put on administrative leave and the actions of all personnel involved will be reviewed.

Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters said his office is trying to identify experts to help its own probe with the coroner’s office. The coroner ruled the teenager died of asphyxia, from his chest being compressed.

A telephone message was left for the boy’s parents on Thursday. Isaac called the boy’s death “a horrific tragedy.”

“We share in their heart-

break,” he said.

Plush first called 911 at about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, saying he was stuck inside a van in “desperate need of help.” But he was unable to hear the dispatcher’s questions, police said, and a callback to his cellphone after it disconnected went to voicemail. Responding police drove through the area looking for signs of anyone in distress but saw nothing out of the ordinary in the school complex, which has several parking areas. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE STATE Backpage CEO pleads guilty to Texas, US charges The chief executive of a website that authorities have dubbed a lucrative nationwide “online brothel” pleaded guilty Thursday to state and federal charges including conspiracy and money laundering, and agreed to testify in ongoing prosecutions against others at Backpage.com, authorities said.

Federal prosecutors say that Backpage brought in a halfbillion dollars since it began in 2004, mostly through prominent risque advertising for escorts and massages, among other services and some goods for sale. Authorities allege the site was often used to traffic underage victims, while company officials said they tried to scrub the website of such ads.

Chief Executive Officer Carl Ferrer will serve no more than five years in prison under a California agreement in which

Cliff Owen / AP

Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer will serve no more than five years in state prison under a plea agreement announced Thursday.

he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of money laundering in California. Also Thursday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the company pleaded guilty to human trafficking.

Texas state agents raided the Dallas headquarters of Backpage and arrested Ferrer on a California warrant after he

arrived at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport on a flight from Amsterdam on Oct. 6, 2016. The Dutch-owned company is incorporated in Delaware, but its principal place of business is in Dallas.

A federal judge unsealed an April 5 plea deal revealing that Ferrer pleaded guilty. — Compiled from AP reports

Today is Saturday, April 14, the 104th day of 2018. There are 261 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth during a performance of "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington.

On this date: In 1775, the first American society for the abolition of slavery was formed in Philadelphia.

In 1828, the first edition of Noah Webster's "American Dictionary of the English Language" was published.

In 1912, the British liner RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m. ship's time and began sinking. (The ship went under two hours and 40 minutes later with the loss of 1,514 lives.)

In 1935, the "Black Sunday" dust storm descended upon the central Plains, turning a sunny afternoon into total darkness.

In 1939, the John Steinbeck novel "The Grapes of Wrath" was first published by Viking Press.

In 1949, the "Wilhelmstrasse Trial" in Nuremberg ended with 19 former Nazi Foreign Office officials sentenced by an American tribunal to prison terms ranging from four to 25 years.

In 1956, Ampex Corp. demonstrated the first practical videotape recorder at the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters Convention in Chicago.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon nominated Harry Blackmun to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1981, the first test flight of America's first operational space shuttle, the Columbia, ended successfully with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

In 1986, Americans got word of a U.S. air raid on Libya (because of the time difference, it was the early morning of April 15 where the attack occurred.)

In 1994, two U.S. Air Force F-15 warplanes mistakenly shot down two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters over northern Iraq, killing 26 people, including 15 Americans. Turner Classic Movies made its cable debut; the first film it aired was Ted Turner's personal favorite, "Gone with the Wind."

Ten years ago: Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. announced they were combining. Kidnapped British journalist Richard Butler, who worked for CBS News, was rescued by Iraqi troops from a house in Basra after two months in captivity. Taylor Swift won video of the year and female video for her smash "Our Song" while newcomer Kellie Pickler took home three awards during the Country Music Television awards.

Five years ago: Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, won Venezuela's presidential election by a narrow margin over challenger Henrique Capriles. Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters, beating Angel Cabrera on the second hole of a playoff on a rainy day at Augusta National. Colin Davis, 85, former principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and one of Britain's elder statesmen of classical music, died in London.

One year ago: Pope Francis, at the end of a 90-minute Good Friday procession, read a prayer he had composed that alternated between expressing shame for humanity's failings and hope that "hardened hearts" would become capable of forgiving and loving. Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez, already serving a life sentence for a 2013 murder, was acquitted in Boston in a 2012 double slaying prosecutors said was fueled by his anger over a drink spilled at a nightclub. (Five days later, Hernandez hanged himself in his prison cell.)

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Loretta Lynn is 86. Actress Julie Christie is 78. Retired MLB All-Star Pete Rose is 77. Rock musician Ritchie Blackmore is 73. Actor John Shea is 69. Actor-turned-race car driver Brian Forster is 58. Actor Brad Garrett is 58.

Actor Robert Carlyle is 57. Rock singermusician John Bell is 56. Actor Robert Clendenin is 54. Actress Catherine Dent is 53. Actor Lloyd Owen is 52.

Baseball Hall of Famer Greg Maddux is 52. Rock musician Barrett Martin is 51. Actor Anthony Michael Hall is 50.

Actor Adrien Brody is 45. Classical singer David Miller is 45. Rapper DaBrat is 44. Actor Antwon Tanner is 43. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar is 41.

Actor-producer Rob McElhenney is 41.

Roots singer JD McPherson is 41. Rock singer Win Butler is 38. Actress Claire Coffee is 38. Actor Christian Alexander is 28. Actor Nick Krause is 26.

Thought for Today : "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that's my religion." — Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 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, JUNE 2 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, JUNE 6 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

AROUND THE WORLD Mexican court rules prosecutors misused video MEXICO CITY — An electoral court in Mexico ruled Thursday that the attorney general’s office illegally used public funds to interfere in the country’s July 1 presidential campaign after the office released a surveillance video of opposition candidate Ricardo Anaya. The attorney general’s office has been criticized for

leaking details of investigations against opposition candidates, especially Anaya, who is running for a left-right coalition.

In February, the office released a surveillance video of the candidate and his lawyer in the lobby of the prosecutors’ office in which one of them can be heard swearing.

The electoral court ruled that the public release of that video was an invasion of Anaya’s privacy, a misuse of public funds and could influence the election.

CONTACT US The court referred the case to the assistant prosecutor for organized crime and the head of the press office to the attorney general’s internal affairs office.

Acting Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran appeared to release the tape precisely because authorities wanted people to hear the swearing.

Anaya and the others seemed unaware they were being recorded. Taping lawyerclient meetings is prohibited. — Compiled from AP reports

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The Zapata Times

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 14, 2018 |

A3

STATE

Former congressman convicted of fraud, conspiracy ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott meets with members of the Texas Army National Guard at the Sergeant Tomas Garces Texas Army National Guard Armory on Thursday in Weslaco, Texas.

Gov. Abbott visits National Guard in Weslaco

By Lorenzo Zazueta-Castro A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

McALLEN — Gov. Greg Abbott will meet with National Guard troops Thursday, days after they arrived in the Rio Grande Valley, according to a news release from the governor's office.

Abbott is set to receive a border security briefing and also meet with Texas National Guard Troops in Weslaco, the release states.

Abbott’s visit to the Valley comes days after 250 troops were deployed to the area. President Trump last week said he wanted troops on the U.S.-Mexico border to help stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

On Tuesday, Abbott said sending troops to the region has proven to be "impactful" on immigration and crime in the past and has plans to have as many as 1,000 troops manning the border.

Trump said last week that he wants between 2,000 and 4,000 troops along the U.S.-Mexico border, which stretches approximately 2,000 miles from California to Texas.

Four years ago, thengovernor Rick Perry sent troops to the region amid an influx of unaccompanied minors, and undocumented persons from South and Central American countries fleeing violence. Their role then was to support Texas Department of Public Safety troops already working Operation Strong Safety.

Officials with the Texas National Guard have confirmed the troops will be present in a limited scope, mainly as "eyes and ears," support for U.S. Border Patrol agents, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers already working in the

area, naming the mission “Operation Secure Texas.”

In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey, beginning Friday through Tuesday, had deployed more than 330 troops to the border.

Including the troops that were sent to New Mexico’s border with Mexico, the total between the three border states will come to 1,600 total troops committed to a support role to Border Patrol and other federal agencies already working those areas.

California remains the lone holdout and has not committed any troops to the border since Trump’s announcement last week.

The Trump administration has justified the deployments after citing a Department of Homeland Security report, which stated there was a more than 200 percent increase in illegal border crossings from March 2017 through this March. Another report shows a 37 percent increase of the same infraction from February to March.

But opponents of the deployments have pushed back on those statistics, saying the numbers are a misrepresentation of the facts.

One fact arguing against another deployment is the idea that apprehensions in the South-

west border sector began decreasing before Trump took office — and that the number of apprehensions have actually gone up to rates seen during President Obama’s term.

On Tuesday Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, said policies should be put in place based in reality, and not rhetoric.

“The reality is that despite our area recently seeing a historic drop in crime and illegal entries, our federal agencies are intentionally misusing information to justify a strategy based in political rhetoric,” Gonzalez said in a prepared statement.

“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cited a 203 percent increase in illegal border crossings in March of 2018 compared to March of 2017 — but this is a misrepresentation of the facts. This 203 percent is made up of both those apprehended during an illegal border crossing and those turned away while attempting to legally cross the border.”

Gonzalez went on to say he was disappointed with Defense Secretary James Mattis’ decision to send the troops to the region under a "false pretense," and welcomed ‘reasonable and responsible’ measures to secure the border.

HOUSTON — A federal jury convicted a former Texas congressman of fraud and conspiracy on Thursday for misusing charitable donations to pay for personal and political expenses.

Steve Stockman, a Republican, was accused of conspiring with two staffers to bilk conservative foundations out of at least $775,000 that was meant for charitable purposes and voter education. A campaign worker and an aide have pleaded guilty to various charges.

Stockman, 61, showed no emotion as the verdict was read in a Houston courtroom: Jurors found him guilty of 23 of the 24 counts he faced, including mail and wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. He was found not guilty on one count of wire fraud.

The judge deemed the former congressman a flight risk and ordered him into federal custody.

Stockman could face decades in prison when sentenced in August.

“When public officials use their office to defraud donors and violate federal law, we will hold them accountable,” Houstonbased U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick said. “Corrupt officials like former congressman Stockman make it harder for the honest ones to do their jobs.”

Stockman “abused his position as a congressman,” Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said.

An FBI affidavit alleged that shortly after beginning his second term in the U.S. House in 2013,

Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle

Former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman and his wife Patti Stockman walk into the Federal Courthouse for jury deliberation on the federal corruption charges against him in Houston.

Stockman solicited $350,000 in charitable donations from an unidentified wealthy businessman on behalf of Life Without Limits. The Nevada-based nonprofit had been set up to help people through traumatic events.

The donation was solicited for the purpose of renovating a house in Washington called the Freedom House. But the check was deposited at a bank branch in Webster, Texas, into an account set up by Stockman doing business as Life Without Limits, according to the affidavit.

Financial records show that Stockman made no significant expenditures toward the purchase, renovation or operation of Freedom House, which never opened. According to the affidavit, Stockman secretly diverted the money to pay for a variety of personal expenses and to funnel contributions to his campaign under the guise that they were from other people.

Stockman’s attorney, Sean Buckley, has said Stockman committed no crime in using the money as he did. Following his arrest in March 2017, Stockman said a “deep

state” shadow government was targeting him.

His three-week trial included testimony from a conservative operative who said Stockman also hired people to spy on three Republican state lawmakers. Benjamin Wetmore told jurors that shortly after Stockman took office in 2013, he became concerned that one of the lawmakers, Rep. James White of Woodville, was considering a primary challenge to Stockman.

Stockman said in a text to Wetmore that White, who is black, worried him.

“Republicans love black conservatives,” Stockman wrote.

Wetmore said he was hired by Stockman to oversee the surveillance.

He told the court that three months of trailing White yielded nothing incriminating.

Stockman served a term in the U.S. House from 1995 until 1997, and then another from 2013 until 2015, representing an area east of Houston. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014 but lost in the Republican primary to incumbent John Cornyn, who went on to win re-election.

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A4 | Saturday, April 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Why Paul Ryan stepped aside ahead of schedule

By Albert R. Hunt B L OOM BE RG V IEW

Paul Ryan didn’t want to be speaker of House.

He grew to hate the job when serving with President Donald Trump.

The 48-year-old Republican’s announcement on Wednesday that he wouldn’t seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in November didn’t come as a huge surprise. He became speaker in 2015 only because he was an acceptable compromise between warring Republican factions. A policy wonk, he’s not a skillful political operative.

But the move has negative consequences for House Republicans.

Ryan was the party’s most prodigious fundraiser; as a lame duck, his ability to attract donations will be significantly diminished. And the battle for succession has already started, aggravating party division in a year when it faces the probability of big losses in the midterm elections.

There were compelling political reasons for Ryan to bow out. He faced his most serious challenge since he was first elected in his Republican-leaning Wisconsin district in 1998.

One Democratic opponent, ironworker Randy Bryce, already has raised $5 million and Wisconsin Republicans are worried that a national Democratic wave could sweep him to victory.

That’s also true elsewhere, and Republicans fear losing their House majority. House Republicans tend to replace their leaders after disappointing elections, though in this case much of the blame should fall to Trump.

Despite periodic efforts to gloss over big differences, Trump and Ryan never were a match. Ryan was a protege of the late Jack Kemp, the quarterback-turnedlegislator who was the prime advocate starting in the 1970s and 80s of an opportunity-based, inclusive and tolerant Republican conservatism.

Other than the tax cut passed late last year, Ryan’s only real achievement, he was AWOL on the Kemp agenda.

On immigration, trade and fiscal policy, Ryan was at odds with the Trump. He especially

was bothered by the president’s race-baiting and misogyny, but lacked the political will to make more than token objections.

The Trump factor often made running the House impossible. Unlike strong speakers from Sam Rayburn to Thomas P. O’Neill to John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi, Ryan was never feared by his colleagues and they had few reservations about taking him on.

And there was little on the legislative agenda for the rest of this year. Even if the Republicans retain a slim majority next year, Ryan’s longstanding ambition to cut back on entitlements like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is a non-starter.

Before Wednesday, it was widely assumed among some Ryan confidants that to preserve his standing and to raise lots of money for embattled House Republicans, he’d run for another term, then win and retire.

The front-runner to lead House Republicans is House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, though his rise is far from certain. The Californian began as the favorite for the speaker’s job when John Boehner quit in frustration in 2015, but was thwarted by personal problems and criticism from his party’s right wing.

McCarthy has worked hard to make peace with right-wing factions and has become fairly close to Trump. Other contenders would be the current whip, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and North Carolina Representative Patrick Henry. Others may emerge.

It is indicative of Trump’s impact on the Republican Party that Ryan, the vice presidential nominee in 2012, now faces an uncertain political future only two years after being considered a rising star.

Friends say he will bide his time and see whether the political climate and party change. Associates doubt he would challenge Trump in 2020.

But in 10 years, for the presidential election of 2028, he would be 12 years younger than Trump was when elected.

Albert R. Hunt is a Bloomberg View columnist.

COLUMN

Facebook can’t remain a benevolent dictatorship

By Conor Sen BL OOMBERG NEWS

As lawmakers grill Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg this week, it’s clear many are wrestling with whether and how the government should regulate tech companies.

A recurring question is whether they have any inherent ideological biases.

In his testimony to the Senate, Zuckerberg called Silicon Valley “an extremely left-leaning place.” While voter patterns at the regional level and likely the employee level at tech companies suggest this is true, it would be wrong to classify Silicon Valley companies themselves as leftleaning, or with any kind of partisan bent. Instead, the companies have more of an authoritarian-libertarian bias. This may have served the industry well in the past but is proving to be problematic now that the industry is so involved in our daily lives.

To see how Silicon Valley got here, I think back to my old professional experience in eBay’s “trust and safety” division in 2004 and 2005. I was a part of a team that was wrestling with some of the same challenges that face the tech industry today -although it was a few years before social media and smartphones become part of the fabric of society.

Through the lens of 2018, some of eBay’s initial values appear to be problematic, but they seemed noble and aspirational at the time. “We believe people are ba-

Truly neutral platforms on sites like Facebook and Twitter would seem to avoid the issues of partisan bias that could be problematic for legislators, but such a libertarian ethos also allows for a lot of shenanigans. “Neutral” might eliminate one kind of bias but create other vulnerabilities that companies have been unsure how to address.

sically good.” “We believe everyone has something to contribute.” At the time, the internet was seen as a democratizing force for good, where everyone should be encouraged to participate.

On eBay’s platform, small sellers were allowed to compete on the same playing field as large “power sellers.”

When the trust division was discussing rolling out a “captcha” test to ensure that there was an actual human logging into an account rather than a robot, a senior manager pointed out that the accessibility of eBay allowed some people with disabilities to run businesses. We needed to ensure that any of our policy changes didn’t have adverse impacts on them -- like a visual-only captcha test would have on users with limited vision.

EBay was in a sense one of the first “neutral platforms” on the internet. This neutrality left the company vulnerable to fraud, as people who used eBay at the time can attest. Users didn’t have to prove their identity to open an account. There were groups of fraudsters, particularly in Romania and Nigeria, who

would try to hack eBay accounts and dupe users into sending them money through payment platforms like Western Union. Yet the decisionmakers at the top of the company were reluctant to implement hard policy changes that could combat that fraud, fearing it would both go against the company’s values and hurt the company’s growth.

It’s not hard to see how the values that powered eBay in its early years have been adopted by Facebook and other companies. As Zuckerberg said in his testimony, “Facebook is an idealistic and optimistic company.”

Later, in response to a question from Senator Ted Cruz of Texas about whether Facebook was a neutral platform, Zuckerberg responded, “We consider ourselves to be a platform for all ideas.”

But “all ideas” implies there’s a place both for polite discourse and hate speech.

Truly neutral platforms on sites like Facebook and Twitter would seem to avoid the issues of partisan bias that could be problematic for legislators, but such a libertarian ethos also allows for a lot of shenanigans.

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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

“Neutral” might eliminate one kind of bias but create other vulnerabilities that companies have been unsure how to address.

These firms are run like benevolent dictatorships, where we’re forced to trust that CEOs will get it right. That structure is no accident. When companies like Facebook and Snap went public, they made sure that their CEOs would still have control of the companies through voting rights assigned to their stock.

The Snap shares issued to the public have no voting rights at all.

The rationale for CEOs having control is that they’re better able to operate with the long term in mind rather than fickle, quarter-to-quarter public markets. But this structure also raises the question of how the public can agitate for change if it’s not happy with how these companies are governed.

Big tech companies have shown that they’re willing to respond to public pressure. The sight of Zuckerberg in a suit and tie in front of Congress speaks to that. And while the platforms claim to be neutral, they do have some internal standards; you won’t see any nudity on Facebook, for instance. But as these companies move from growth into maturity, it’s hard to think monthly congressional hearings are realistic and appropriate. We’re seeing the need for a different kind of corporate governance than Silicon Valley is used to.

Conor Sen is a Bloomberg View columnist.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 14, 2018 |

A5

Business Journal

Publishers worry about pricier newsprint

By Ivan Moreno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

MILWAUKEE — Newspaper publishers across the U.S. already strapped by years of declining revenue say they’re dealing with an existential threat: Recently imposed tariffs on Canadian newsprint driving up their business costs.

The tariffs are a response to a complaint to the U.S. Department of Commerce from a hedge fund-owned paper producer in Washington state, which argues that its Canadian competitors are taking advantage of government subsidies to sell their product at unfairly low prices. The tariffs, imposed in January and increased in March, are not permanent yet. But newspaper publishers are bracing for another blow to an industry that has shrunk with the loss of advertising revenue to the internet.

Critics of the paper tariffs say the businesses that will ultimately be harmed are not Canadian paper producers, but U.S. newspapers that will have to cut staff and reduce publication days to afford higher prices of newsprint — the sheets newspapers are printed on. The newspaper industry employs just over 150,000 Americans, which is about 276,000, or 65 percent, fewer than two decades ago.

“To get an unbudgeted increase of this magnitude will be for many publishers very, very serious to catastrophic,” said Tom Slaughter, the executive director of the Inland Press Association, which represents about 1,500 daily and nondaily newspapers in every state.

A large metro newspaper can expect annual increases of about $3 million in printing costs, according to Paul Boyle, senior vice president for the News Media Alliance. While larger papers might be able to survive the increase, Boyle said smaller publications might not.

“I’ve heard from small publishers who’ve said, ‘I’m worried about shutting my doors,”’ he said.

Boyle said his organization — formerly called the Newspaper Association of

Richard Drew / Associated Press

The entrance to the New York Stock Exchange is shown Thursday.

Technology companies, banks and industrial companies all rose Thursday.

Angela Major / AP

Production workers stack newspapers at a printing plant. Publishers strapped by years of declining revenues are facing the rising costs of newsprint.

Tech, industrials and banks lead market rally

By Marley Jay ASSOCIATED PRE SS

America — is compiling a survey from its member and nearly every publisher is exploring layoffs and scaling back news coverage.

Steve Stewart, publisher of The State Journal in Frankfort, Kentucky, told readers in a March 30 column that the newspaper they were reading cost 10 percent more to produce than a few weeks earlier and could cost as much as 40 percent more in a few months. He said this will result in fewer pages, higher subscription costs and less non-local content.

The newsprint tariffs reflect President Donald Trump’s tough new approach to U.S. trade relations. Trump is engaged in a tense standoff with China over Beijing’s sharp-elbowed attempts to gain access to U.S. technology. He’s trying to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. And his administration has wrangled with Canada directly over low-priced Canadian timber imports, Canadian barriers to U.S. dairy farmers, and now cheap Canadian newsprint.

The International Trade Commission is expected to make a final determination on the tariffs in August or September.

Canadian newsprint producers began paying an average of 6.53 percent more to export their products to the U.S. in January, when the Commerce Department concluded that would help offset the foreign paper mills’ advantage over American companies.

In March, the department increased the cost by another 22 percent after its preliminary investigation concluded that one Canadian company, British Columbia-based Catalyst, was underselling the uncoated groundwood paper newspapers use by that much less.

In response to the second increase, Catalyst said the tariff was “without merit” and that it “will continue to vigorously defend itself against an unwarranted and onerous U.S. trade action.”

The North Pacific Paper Company, which New York hedge fund One Rock Capital Partners bought in 2016, petitioned for the tariffs, arguing that Canadian companies had an unfair advantage. NORPAC, which employs about 300 people, is the only U.S. paper producer making that argument.

“While our company understands the concerns recently surfaced by some newspaper publishers, which also face a challenging marketplace, we strongly disagree with the notion that their industry requires low-priced, subsidized newsprint from Canada to sustain their own business model,” Craig Annenberg, the CEO of NORPAC, said in a statement.

The U.S. currently has five operating mills, including NORPAC. Three are in Washington state, with one of them partly owned by a Canadian company. Canada owns the remaining two in Georgia and Mississippi.

NEW YORK — Technology companies, banks and industrial companies all rose Thursday as investors got ready for big banks to announce their first-quarter results and let go of some of their concerns about the trade dispute between the U.S. and China.

Big tech companies like Apple and Microsoft, the market’s leaders over the last year, rose again. Industrial companies like Boeing and Caterpillar gained ground as well, with airlines climbing after Delta reported solid results in the first quarter. Bond prices dropped and interest rates rose, which helped banks.

Friday morning, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and PNC Financial Services will report their first batch of quarterly results since last year’s corporate tax cut went into effect.

Alicia Levine, head of global investment strategy at BNY Mellon Investment Management, said that’s giving investors something new to focus on after almost six weeks of worrying about a trade war.

“Part of the reason that markets were strong this week is in anticipation of perhaps better than expected earnings,” she said. Levine said she thinks companies are likely to beat Wall Street’s expectations thanks in part to the lower tax rate.

The S&P 500 index gained 21.80 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,663.99. The Dow Jones industrial average added 293.60 points, or 1.2 percent, to 24,483.05. The Nasdaq composite climbed 71.22 points, or 1 percent, to 7,140.25. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks advanced 10.52 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,557.33.

The market has been jittery as investors worried about tariffs and other barriers to trade. Investors may have been pleased to hear that, according to a group of legislators, President Donald Trump asked advisers to explore the possibility of the U.S. rejoining trade talks with 11 Pacific nations. Those countries formalized a deal last month after Trump rejected

the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an earlier agreement that involved the U.S. The S&P 500, a benchmark that is used by many index funds, has fallen for three of the last four weeks, but it’s up 2.3 percent so far this week as investors felt new proposals by Chinese President Xi Jinping could help avert a trade war. On Thursday China’s government denied that Xi was trying to resolve the dispute and said negotiations with the U.S. aren’t possible right now.

Levine, of BNY Mellon, said the tariffs the U.S. and China have proposed won’t stop the growth of the U.S. economy, but they could cause real pain for some industries and investors sold stocks in response to that.

“If you use steel and aluminum, you might be less likely to open up another plant if you’re a manufacturer,” she said. “You might be less likely to raise wages.”

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.84 percent from 2.79 percent. That helped banks because higher yields mean they can make more money from mortgages and other types of loans. Big dividend stocks like utilities and household goods companies fell, as investors see them as an alternative to bonds and they are less interested in buying them when yields rise.

Home goods retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond plunged after it gave a weak forecast for the fiscal year. The company also said it expects its earnings to decline next year and its stock fell 20 percent to $17.21. Online rival Amazon gained 1.5 percent to $1,448.50.

Oil prices continued to trade at three-year highs. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.4 percent to $67.07 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 0.1 percent to $72.02 a barrel in London.

Precious metals prices tumbled.

Gold dropped 1.3 percent to $1,341.90 an ounce and silver fell 1.8 percent to $16.47 an ounce. Copper lost 1.7 percent to $3.06 a pound.

Sports&Outdoors

A6 | Saturday, April 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS

Cowboys release star wideout Bryant Dallas choosing cap relief over hope for bounce-back season

By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys released Dez Bryant on Friday, deciding salary-cap relief and the star receiver’s declining production outweigh the risk of him returning to All-Pro form with another team.

Bryant never lived up to the $70 million, five-year contract he signed after leading the NFL with 16 touchdowns receiving in 2014. He still had two years left on that deal with a base salary of $12.5 million per season.

“This was not an easy decision. It was made based upon doing what we believe is in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. “We arrived at this crossroad collectively with input from several voices within the organization. Ultimately we determined it was time to go in a new direction.”

The release clears about $8.5 million in cap space for the Cowboys.

Bryant, 29, sent a series of tweets addressing Cowboys fans after he met with Jones at the team’s headquarters.

On a tweet that included a copy of Jones’ statement, he wrote “Key words in this statement.. Several input.. something I already knew” “Cowboy nation I need you to

know this wasn’t my decision.. I will always love y’all... forever Dallas in my heart,” he wrote in another post, which came only minutes after he tweeted, “let’s start the process” in a reference to free agency.

Bryant is the franchise leader with 73 touchdown catches, ahead of Hall of Fame receivers Bob Hayes (71) and Michael Irvin (65). Tight end Jason Witten has 68 career TD catches.

During the 2014 season when Bryant’s 16 TD catches helped the Cowboys win the NFC East, they also won a playoff game for only the second time since the last of their five Super Bowl titles in the 1995 season.

But Bryant hasn’t had a 1,000yard season since getting the new contract. Bryant played all 16 games without a 100-yard receiving day last season for the first time in his career.

Injuries were the main reason for his decline, starting with a broken foot in the 2015 season opener.

Bryant was the Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2010, taken 24th overall out of Oklahoma State.

“As an organization we hold Dez Bryant in the highest regard, and we are grateful for his passion, spirit and contributions to this team for the past eight years. He will always be a valued member of our family,” Jones said.

Ron Jenkins / Associated Press file

The Cowboys have released Dez Bryant, deciding salary cap relief with the star receiver's declining production outweighs the risk of him returning to All-Pro form with another team.

Frontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 14, 2018 |

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CARRERA CONTRA AUTISMO 1 Carrera/Caminata 5K para la Prevención del Autismo, el 14 de abril, a las 8 a.m., iniciando en la Corte del Condado de Zapata. Mayores informes en la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata.

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 17 de abril 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.

A7

ZAPATA HIGH SCHOOL

Nuevo entrenador Joel López se une a equipo Hawks Por Andrea Castañeda TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

El ex entrenador principal de football y coordinador atlético de Alexander High School Joel López va a tomar la misma posición en Zapata

tras que la junta escolar unánimemente aprobara su recomendación para la posición el miércoles durante una reunión.

López fue reasignado de su papel en Alexander en enero, seis días después que su casa fuera

cateada como parte de una investigación de lavado de dinero y apuestas ilegales. Su esposa, Rebecca López-Villarreal, y su suegra se encuentran arrestadas en conexión con una investigación sobre máquinas de jue-

gos de azar.

“Creo que es una situación desafortunada lo que pasó”, dijo Ricardo Ramírez, presidente de la junta directiva del Distrito Escolar Independiente del Condado de Zapata. “Y a como nosotros lo entendemos, las decisiones que fueron hechas no tenían nada

que ver con eso, pero como saben, López es originario de Zapata y creo que va a traer un aspecto diferente al estilo de entrenamiento aquí en Zapata”.

López remplazó a Mario Arce quien ha estado con los Hawks por las pasadas últimas 23 temporadas.

POCAHONTAS PRINCESS COUNCIL

ANUNCIAN NOMBRE DE PRINCESA POCAHONTAS Gracie Hornedo, Presidente del Concilio de Princesa Pocahontas, Judith Marie Santos y Cayetano Isaac Tijerina posan para una fotografía durante el evento Anuncio de Princesa Pocahontas, el domingo.

NOCHE PARA LAS ARTES 1 El distrito escolar Roma Independent School District invita a una noche de arte por parte de los alumnos de primaria, secundaria y preparatoria del distrito escolar, el miércoles 18 de abril, desde las 6 p.m., en el Centro de Artes Escénicas de RISD, 2031 N. U.S. Highway 85.

RECOLECCIÓN DE LLANTAS 1 La Ciudad de Roma anuncia que llevará a cabo una recolección de llantas el sábado 21 de abril dese las 8 a.m., para lo cual requieren voluntarios. La recolección se llevará a cabo de 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. Mayores informes con Blanca Ruiz al 956-849-1411.

Christian Alejandro Ocampo / Laredo Morning Times

CÁRTEL DE SINALOA

REYNOSA

Asesinan a 6 personas en el norte de México

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 956-847-4106.

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

MEDICAMENTOS CADUCOS 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la comunidad a la recolección de medicamentos sin uso y/o caducos en la plaza Roma Guadalupe el sábado 28 de abril, de 10 a.m. a 1 p.m.

TORNEO DE CAZA 1 1er Torneo de caza de cerdo y depredadores del sur de Texas, el 28 de abril de las 10 a.m. hasta el 29 de abril a las 10 a.m. Mayores informes en Brush County Insurance Agency, 702 Hidalgo Blvd., Suite 4, en Zapata, o al teléfono 956-750-3600.

TORNEO DE SOFTBOL 1 Torneo de Softbol Batalla de las Insignias, donde particiarán bomberos y policías del Condado de Zapata, el 28 de abril, a beneficio de Israel “Ike” Gutiérrez.

Cuota de entrada 150 dólares más 10 dólares para los umpires de los equipos. Mayores informes con Martha al 956-251-3075 o con Carlos al 956269-6436.

/ Associated Press

En la imagen proporcionada por el FBI se muestra el cartel de búsqueda para Rafael Caro Quintero, un capo de la droga mexicano que ha sido agregado a la lista de los fugitivos más buscados por el FBI.

Capo entre 10 más buscados de FBI Por Luis Alonso Lugo ASSOCIATED PRE SS

WASHINGTON — Un narcotraficante mexicano condenado por el asesinato de un agente de la DEA en 1985 fue agregado el jueves a la lista de los fugitivos más buscados del FBI. El capo de la droga Rafael Caro Quintero fue liberado de prisión en 2013 tras una fallo judicial, mientras cumplía una sentencia de 40 años por el secuestro y asesinato del agente especial de la DEA Enrique Camarena Salazar.

“Creemos que aún se encuentra en México”, declaró el subdirector del FBI, David Bowdich, en una conferencia de prensa.

Bowdich señaló que la lista de los fugitivos más buscados es “una de nuestras herramientas más valiosas”, y agregó que han

sido capturadas 484 de las 518 personas que han aparecido en el listado.

Las autoridades estadounidenses también incrementaron la recompensa por información que lleve a la captura de Caro Quintero a 20 millones de dólares.

James Walsh, un subsecretario asistente del Departamento de Estado, dijo que se trata de la cifra más alta que ha ofrecido el Programa de Recompensas de Narcóticos y la mayor cantidad entre los 33 objetivos actuales.

Ningún funcionario mexicano estuvo presente en la conferencia de prensa, pero el jefe interino de la DEA, Robert Patterson, indicó que “nuestra relación de trabajo con México, a nuestro nivel, es estupenda”.

También el jueves, funcionarios del gobierno de Estados Unidos dieron a

conocer una imputación adicional contra Caro Quintero, acusándolo de tráfico de metanfetaminas, heroína, cocaína y marihuana entre 1980 y 2017.

Junto con Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, Caro Quintero ha controlado el Cártel de Sinaloa desde el arresto de Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

Se trata de la primera vez que un sospechoso buscado por la DEA es añadido a la lista del FBI, de acuerdo con las autoridades.

Si bien el gobierno mexicano ha hecho pocos avances para capturar a Caro Quintero, la periodista mexicana Anabel Hernández lo ha entrevistado en una región montañosa del norte de México sin revelar su ubicación. Caro Quintero aseveró en tales entrevistas que él ya no está involucrado en el narcotráfico.

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO— Los fiscales investigan el asesinato de dos mujeres y cuatro hombres en la ciudad mexicana de Reynosa, aparentemente en un fuego cruzado, informaron el jueves las autoridades.

La policía del estado norteño de Tamaulipas había respondido a un reporte de disparos entre hombres armados en el área donde fueron encontrados los seis cadáveres y un hombre herido, indicó la procuraduría estatal.

Ninguno de los seis cuerpos dio positivo a portación de armas, señaló la procuraduría en un reporte inicial. Tres fueron identificados como miembros de una familia que pasaba por el área, y se cree que otros tres eran empleados de una fábrica cercana. Se piensa que todos eran transeúntes.

Se desconoce quién los mató y por qué, pero ya ha ocurrido que civiles en Tamaulipas resulten heridos por fuego cruzado entre narcotraficantes y tiroteos entre delincuentes y policías.

La semana pasada, la Infantería de Marina aceptó la responsabilidad de la muerte de tres civiles que perdieron la vida al transitar en un vehículo en medio de una balacera entre marinos y narcotraficantes en la ciudad fronteriza de Nuevo Laredo a fines de marzo. El automóvil de la familia fue alcanzado por balas disparadas desde un helicóptero que combatía a hombres armados cerca de allí.

En otros sucesos el jueves, pistoleros mataron a un alcalde cerca de la ciudad de Puebla en el centro de México.

José Efraín García fue asesinado cuando hombres armados impidieron el paso de su vehículo y le dispararon, informó la procuraduría del estado de Puebla.

García era alcalde del poblado de Tlanepantla, justo al este de Puebla. En el área han proliferado los llamados “huachicoleros”, que perforan oleoductos del gobierno para robar combustible.

Al menos 55 alcaldes o alcaldes electos han sido asesinados en México desde 2006, con frecuencia por bandas criminales o policías corruptos.

Por otro lado, una candidata a diputada local por el Partido Verde en el estado de Michoacán fue asesinada, informó el miércoles esa agrupación política.

En febrero, dos candidatas a diputadas locales fueron muertas en el estado de Guerrero.

El 1 de julio se llevarán a cabo elecciones presidenciales y locales en México.

A8 | Saturday, April 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

FROM THE COVER LOPEZ From page A1 being able to work alongside my son,” Lopez said.

“I’m looking forward to starting his career on a great path. My staff at Alexander was a bunch of oak trees that had been with me for a long, long time, so it was tough for him to get in the higher ranks. He did a lot of learning this year and he’s ready to go now.”

Lopez lettered in three sports at Zapata playing football for Robert Hein, basketball for Jaime Escobar and baseball for Leo Martinez along with running some track. He started his coaching career as an assistant with the Hawks in 1989 getting hired by Bernie Delgado.

Mario Vasquez was the head coach the next year and Leo Martinez the following year. When a fourth coach was set to take over in as many years, Lopez made the difficult decision to seek out other opportunities and left for Rio Grande City.

“When they brought in a fourth coach, I decided to move on and grow my career,” he said. “It was a very tough move because I’m a die-hard Zapata Hawk and moving was very tough for me and my wife.”

From RGC Lopez left to become the defensive coordinator at Nixon in 1992. He got his first opportunity as a head coach at Roma in 1997 then was Nixon’s head coach from 1998-2005 before heading to Alexander.

At Alexander, Lopez led the Bulldogs to playoff berths in 10 of 12 seasons including a run of eight straight years that featured trips to the third round – matching Laredo’s deepest run – from 2010-13. He was 78-64 at AHS including a 10-10 mark in the postseason.

Lopez was reassigned from the position in January after Alexander went 6-6 with a trip to the second round, and he wasted no time getting back onto the sideline.

Zapata spent the past 16

CHAPO From page A1 New York, his prosecution has been bogged down in legal technicalities related to his extradition and in arguments about the harsh conditions of his confinement in the high-security wing of Manhattan’s federal jail. The government’s new filing was the first detailed account of the often gruesome evidence that prosecutors plan to present to the jury.

In 2001, the government said, as Guzmán was making war on two rival gangs — the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas — he ordered his pistoleros to capture and torture any members of the groups

“It’s a childhood dream of mine to coach back home. I had applied once before and didn’t get the opportunity to go.

Warrant: Former nurse a suspect in 2 patients’ deaths

lawyer who had represented Davis earlier this year at a Texas Board of Nursing hearing, said she’s no longer representing him.

Tyler police Chief Jimmy Toler said during a news conference Wednesday that Davis is facing additional charges.

He’s being held in the August death of 47-yearold Christopher Greenaway who, according to his obituary, was a pilot and decorated veteran. He had surgery Aug. 3 and a day later experienced an “unexpected neurological incident,” according to the warrant. He died a few days later.

Police have not identified the second patient who died and it’s not immediately clear if Davis could be charged with a second count of murder.

The seven cases connected to Davis date back to June and all took place at the hospital where he worked, Toler said. The patients ranged in age from 47 to 63 and were recovering from cardiovascular surgery when they “suddenly experienced a profound incident,” the warrant explains.

Two of the patients — a 58-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman — were left in vegetative conditions. The man’s medical condition faltered on Jan. 25 and as of late March, when investigators went to San Antonio to observe him, he was bedridden, unable to speak and relied on others to feed him, the warrant said. The woman has limited mobility, impaired vision and continues to

receive medical care.

Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System, which includes Owen Heart Hospital about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Dallas, said in a statement that Davis began working for the system in 2013. Toler said that prior to coming to Christus, Davis had worked at another hospital for two years. Toler didn’t identify that hospital.

The Texas Board of Nursing suspended Davis’ license last month and is expected to revoke it.

There have been several cases nationally dating back to the 1980s of nurses or nurse’s aides who have been charged with killing patients.

In San Antonio, an already imprisoned former nurse who prosecutors believe could be responsible in the deaths of 60 children in Texas is awaiting trial on more charges. Genene Jones pleaded not guilty in December to murder charges in the deaths of five children in the early 1980s.

Separately, an East Texas nurse is serving life in prison for killing five dialysis patients by injecting them with bleach.

Kimberly Saenz was convicted in 2012 of capital murder in the deaths of patients at a Lufkin clinic where the licensed vocational nurse worked.

jmack@lmtonline.com Twitter: @jmacklmt

who led the agency from 1985 to 1990.

“What is meaningful to DEA,” Lawn added, “is that Caro is on the loose and has been, and we don’t believe that the Mexican government is doing all they can to find him.”

Caro Quintero initially evaded the authorities in

1985 with the help of a Mexican federal police officer, who was later charged over his role in the escape. The drug kingpin was released in 2013 after his conviction was overturned by a Mexican federal judge, who ruled that Caro Quintero should have been tried in state court — not federal court — decades before. He quickly disappeared.

In a letter days after

Caro Quintero’s release, nine previous DEA administrators said it had driven “a spike in the heart of Mexican-American bilateral drug enforcement efforts.” The DEA at the time called it “deeply troubling.”

The release happened even as Justice Department authorities said they had made consistently clear to the Mexican government that they were interested in

extraditing Caro Quintero. Asked Thursday about the status of those extradition conversations, James Walsh, who heads the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, declined to comment.

“Corruption that was endemic in 1985 I believe continues to this day,” Lawn said of Mexico. “We will get closure when Caro is captured.”

they could find. Some of the men were brought to him “bound and helpless,” the memo said, for personal interrogations.

“In at least one instance,” prosecutors wrote, “the defendant himself shot the rivals at point-blank range and ordered his lackeys to dispose of the bodies.”

Nine years later, while Guzmán was fighting another competitor, the Beltrán Leyva organization, he received word that one of its top lieutenants, Israel Rincón Martínez, had been kidnapped by his henchmen, the government said. According to the memo, Rincón was shuttled between a series of Guzmán’s properties, where he was tortured and questioned by

Guzmán’s cousin, Juan Guzmán Rocha. Even though Guzmán ordered the interrogators not to kill Rincón until he got there, the memo claimed that by the time he arrived, Rincón was dead.

The memo clearly sought to portray Guzmán, 58, as a calculating and violent man. In 2006, for instance, after relaxing over lunch, he had two members of the Zetas beaten, the government said, then shot them both in the head “with a long gun.” According to the memo, Guzmán then “ordered his workers to dig a hole in the ground, throw the bodies in the hole and light the bodies on fire.”

Guzmán’s lawyer, A. Eduardo Balarezo, said

Tuesday that he was reviewing the memo and would “respond in due course.”

For several months, Balarezo has been arguing — mostly to no avail — that Guzmán cannot get a fair trial with the severe restrictions placed on him in custody and the sensational publicity surrounding the prosecution. On Monday, he filed his own court papers asking the government to provide him with the criminal histories of the various drug lords, couriers, enforcers and accountants that prosecutors may put on the stand — as many as 40 witnesses, some of whom may be allowed to testify under aliases.

Those witnesses will likely be the ones who

describe the brutalities the government included in its memo, but their accounts will not be the only evidence presented.

Prosecutors wrote that they also had satellite photos of Guzmán and his operation, seized drug ledgers, dozens of videos, thousands of intercepted phone calls and emails, and more than 300,000 pages of documents. They said they might even offer evidence about payments Guzmán made to his lawyers as “proof of the defendant’s unexplained wealth and substantial income.”

And yet there remain certain things that the government does not want the jury to hear. The memo said that included any suggestion of the

charitable works that Guzmán performed in Mexico or his recent announcement through a lawyer that he was planning to run — from his jail cell in New York — for the Mexican Senate.

The government has also asked the presiding judge, Brian M. Cogan, to exclude any mention of the interview that actor Sean Penn conducted with Guzmán for Rolling Stone magazine in 2015 while Guzmán was hiding at a safe house in the hills of Mexico. The government took issue with the interview because in it, Penn referred to Guzmán as “a Robin Hood-like figure” and alleged that the American drug-buying public was complicit in his crimes.

Joel Lopez, Zapata Hawks football coach

seasons under head coach Mario Arce. The Hawks went 5-5 last season making the playoffs for the fifth straight season. They fell in the opening round the past four years with their last postseason victory coming in 2013.

The move to Lopez will mean drastic changes to the style of football in Zapata. The Hawks ran a traditional run-heavy offense under Arce, and Lopez prefers an aggressive style on both sides of the ball including a runand-gun offense. Zapata averaged only 10.5 passing attempts last season compared to 39.2 carries per game while gaining 2,113 yards on the ground and 464 through the air. Alexander had a more balanced attack than usual in 2017 but still favored the air attack. The Bulldogs averaged 27.2 pass attempts and 25.8 carries while passing for 2,174 yards and running for 1,448. In the three previous years, they averaged 36.5 passing attempts and 23.2 carries.

“It might be a culture shock for the community,” Lopez said. “Our style of offense is kind of the same as our defense.

We’re a run-and-gun type of offense and we’re a running and hitting type of defense. It’s going to be exciting.

“When we start putting that ball in the air, there’s going to be some excitement in the air. It will be a lot of fun. There are a lot of athletes in Zapata. I’m looking forward to fostering that and developing those kids. I’m going to head to Zapata and coach my pants off.”

By David Warren ASSOCIATED PRE SS

DALLAS — A nurse who has been charged with murder intentionally caused stroke-like injuries to seven patients at a Texas heart hospital, leading to the death of two and serious injuries to the others, according to an arrest warrant.

William George Davis, 34, is seen on security video entering patients’ rooms at the hospital on the campus of Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System in Tyler, the warrant alleges. He leaves a short time later and then the patients suffered “unexpected medical emergencies.”

Davis, a registered nurse, was working a night shift when each patient suffered an emergency, according to the warrant, and authorities say in at least some cases he introduced air into their circulatory systems, leading to an air embolism.

Davis was fired in February and arrested Tuesday on a murder charge.

He was being held Thursday at the Smith County jail on a $2 million bond.

Tyler police spokeswoman Jenny Wells said it’s not clear when he will appear in court.

Online jail records don’t indicate whether he has an attorney. The office of Taralynn Mackay, a

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Chelsea Purgahn / AP

Tyler Police Chief Jimmy Toler speaks during a press conference at the Tyler Police Department regarding William George Davis, a former nurse who was arrested on a murder charge after a patient died and two others slipped into vegetative states at a Texas hospital.