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U.S.-NORTH KOREA SUMMIT
Trump-Kim commit to stop nukes
ATLANTA FEDERAL COURT
‘La Barbie’ sentenced to 49 years in prison
By Zeke Miller, Catherine Lucey, Josh Lederman and Foster Klug A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SINGAPORE — Clasping hands and forecasting future peace, President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un committed Tuesday to “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula during the first meeting in history between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. Yet as Trump toasted the summit’s results, he faced mounting questions about whether he got too little and gave away too much — including an agreement to halt U.S. military exercises with treaty ally South Korea. Meeting with staged ceremony on a Singapore island, Trump and Kim came together for a summit that seemed unthinkable months ago when the two nations traded nuclear threats. The gathering of the two unpredictable leaders marked a striking gamble by the American president to grant Kim long-sought recognition on the world stage in hopes of ending the North’s nuclear program. Both leaders expressed optimism throughout roughly five hours of talks, with Trump thanking Kim afterward “for taking the first bold step toward a bright new future for his people.” Kim, for his part, said the leaders had “decided to leave the past behind” and promised: “The world will see a major change.” Soon, Kim was on a plane headed home, while a clearly ebullient Trump held forth for more than an hour before the press on what he styled as a historic achievement to avert the prospect of nuclear war. Along the way, Trump tossed out pronouncements on U.S. alliances, human rights, and the nature of the accord that he and Kim had signed. Light on specifics, the agreement largely amounted to an agreement to continue discussions, as it echoed previous public statements and past commitments. It did not, for instance, include an agreement to take steps toward ending the technical state of warfare between the U.S. and North Korea. Nor did it include a striking concession by Trump, who told reporters he would freeze U.S. military “war games” with ally South Korea while negotiations between the U.S. and the North continue. Trump cast the decision as a cost-saving measure, but also called the exercises “inappropriate” while talks continue. North Korea has long objected to the drills as a security threat. It was unclear whether South Korea was aware of Trump’s decision before he announced it publicly. U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement Tuesday it was unaware of any policy change. Trump phoned South Korean President Moon Jae-in after leaving Singapore to brief him on the discussions. Trump also said he’d obtained a separate concession from Kim to demolish a missile engine testing site, though it was just one site of many connected to the nuclear program.
Alexandre Meneghini / AP
In this Aug. 31, 2010 file photo, Laredo-born fugitive Edgar Valdez Villarreal, also known as "La Barbie," center, reacts during his presentation to the media after his arrest in Mexico City. The former United High School football player, who authorities say rose to the top ranks of a Mexican drug cartel, was sentenced to prison on Monday in Atlanta on drug and money-laundering charges.
Villarreal’s relatives pack courtroom, ask judge for leniency By Kate Brumback ASSOCIATED PRE SS
ATLANTA — Native Laredoan Edgar Valdez Villarreal, who prosecutors say rose to the top ranks of a Mexican drug cartel using ruthless violence to defeat rivals and secure control of drug trafficking routes, was sentenced Monday by a federal judge in Atlanta to serve nearly five decades in prison. Villarreal, known as "La Barbie" because of his light eyes and complexion, was sentenced to serve 49 years and one month and was also
ordered to forfeit $192 million, which prosecutors say is a conservative estimate of the value of the cocaine Valdez was responsible for importing into the United States. Valdez, 44, was born and raised in Laredo, and began dealing marijuana when he was still a linebacker on the United High School football team, prosecutors said. He climbed the ranks of the Beltran Leyva cartel at a time when the gang's leaders were associated with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel, they said.
Eric Gay / AP
Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar shows 1997 booking photos of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, also know as "the Barbie," at his office in 2010. Villarreal, who was sentenced to prison on Monday in a federal court in Atlanta, grew up in Laredo, where he had his first bouts with the law.
He enjoyed a flashy lifestyle and cultivated an image in the media to impress
people and intimidate his rivals, prosecutor Elizabeth Court continues on A3
LAREDO SECTOR BORDER PATROL
Agents report spike in cases ZAPATA TIME S
Courtesy photo
Over 900 pounds of marijuana were seized during a recent enforcement action by Border Patrol and the Webb County Sheriff’s Office.
Laredo Sector Border Patrol has reported a higher than usual number of drug and human smuggling attempts intercepted by agents. In total, Border Patrol said that over $4.4 million in narcotics were seized and almost 60 undocumented immigrants detained in various incidents in the Laredo, San Ygacio and Zapata area last week. Several of the cases involved agents working with the National Guard and authorities in Mexico. $1.9M in meth seized
Border Patrol agents seized more than 60 pounds of methamphetamine while conducting regular operations at the checkpoint on I-35 on Monday. The narcotics were found in the gas tank of a vehicle. Additionally, agents discovered a small amount of cocaine inside the vehicle. The estimated value of the drugs was about $1,925,760. Both the driver and the passenger of the vehicle were arrested at the scene. The case was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. 22 bundles Agents working assigned
duties at the checkpoint on I-35 seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana on Monday. After a service canine alerted them to the possible presence of narcotics, the search of an SUV and a flatbed trailer revealed the contraband. All 22 packages of drugs were hidden under the wood floorboards of the trailer. The driver, a U.S. citizen, was arrested at the scene. Subsequent records checks revealed that the driver had an active arrest warrant for possession of heroin. The driver, narcotics, vehicle and trailer were all turned over to the DEA. The estimated value of the drugs Cases continues on A5