The Zapata Times 7/22/2017

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ZAPATA COUNTY

Man indicted for drug possession He could face up to 99 years in prison

By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S

A man from Zapata County arrested in mid-June with more than 3000 pounds of marijuana has been indicted, according to court documents.

On July 13, a grand jury in Hidalgo County charged Alfredo Mejia-Martinez, 55, with possession of marijuana, a firstdegree felony.

If convicted, he could face up to 99 years in prison and a pos-

sible $10,000 fine.

Mejia-Martinez, of Lopeño, was released on a $50,000 bond on June 22.

Authorities Mejiasaid the seizure Martinez occurred June 14 following a traffic stop by a K-9 Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputy near the area of El Cibolo Road and Expressway 281 in Edinburg.

The K-9 allegedly alerted to

the odor of narcotics emitting from the trailer. Mejia-Martinez allegedly allowed authorities to search the vehicle.

Authorities said the search yielded 3,051 pounds of marijuana inside wooden crates in the back of the trailer. The marijuana had an estimated street value of $1,245,510.

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, Hidalgo County constables and the U.S. Border Patrol assisted in the case.

Courtesy

This photo shows the 3,051 pounds of marijuana that authorities seized on June 14 in Edinburg.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

WHITE HOUSE

SESSIONS TARGETS SANCTUARY CITIES Jim Watson / Getty Images

Outgoing White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer smiles as he walks into the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC on Friday.

Sean Spicer abruptly resigns

By Ken Thomas and Jill Colvin ASSOCIATED PRE SS

WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Sean Spicer abruptly resigned Friday, ending a rocky six-month tenure that made his news briefings defending President Donald Trump must-see TV. He said Trump’s communications team “could Spicer continues on A8

STATE DEPARTMENT

Charles Fox / TNS

The Refuse Fascism group protests outside the Philadelphia office of the U.S Attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Protestors spoke out against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Trump administration's fight against sanctuary cities.

AG: We’re not giving refuge to law-abiding citizens

By Errin Haines Whack A SSOCI AT E D PRE SS

PHILADELPHIA — Attorney General Jeff Sessions again singled out Philadelphia on Friday as an increasingly violent city made more dangerous by immigrants living in the country illegal-

ly, setting up a showdown with the nation’s top law enforcement official in a so-called sanctuary city.

In an address to federal prosecutors, Sessions Sessions pleaded with local law enforcement to “reconsider carefully the harm they are doing to their residents” through policies he said “are giving sanctuary not to lawabiding citizens in our communities, but to criminals.”

“If we’re going to stop the rise of violent crime, let’s work together,” Sessions said, adding that if people who come to America illegally “commit a crime while they’re in here, my good-

ness, what right do they have to demand that they not be deported?”

Sessions spoke to federal prosecutors and local law enforcement officials for about 20 minutes, addressing violent crime, immigration and the opioid crisis.

In a letter sent to the Justice Department last month, Philadelphia officials said the city is adhering to the law, even while refusing to collect information on residents’ immigration status. According to the city’s policy on the issue, the prison system “only responds to detainer requests to turn over a detainee to Immigration and Customs Enforcement if the agency has a judicial, criminal warrant.”

Sessions continues on A8

North Korea travel ban enforced

By Tracy Wilkinson TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON — The State Department said Friday it will prohibit U.S. citizens from traveling to North Korea starting late next month, citing the risk of arrest and imprisonment by the authoritarian regime in Pyongyang.

The decision by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson bars use of U.S. passports "to travel in, through, or to North Korea," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

Ban continues on A8

Zin brief A2 | Saturday, July 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

TODAY IN HISTORY

AROUND THE NATION

SATURDAY, JULY 22

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Laredo and South Texas Weather.

2 p.m. TAMIU Student Center, Room 236. Presented by Richard ‘Heatwave” Berler, Chief Meteorologist, KGNS-TV. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com

Today is Saturday, July 22, the 203rd day of 2017. There are 162 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History: On July 22, 1942, the Nazis began transporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp. Gasoline rationing involving the use of coupons began along the Atlantic seaboard.

Homebuying 101 Class. 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free class. Registration required. For more information, call Angelina York or Patricia Ayala at NeighborWorks 956-712-9100 or email nwl@nwlaredo.com.

THURSDAY, JULY 27 Spanish Book Club. 6 - 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library. For more information, call Sylvia Reash at 7631810.

SATURDAY, JULY 29 Habitat for Humanity LaredoWebb County fundraiser The Hottest Golf Tournament in Texas two-man scramble. 8 a.m. Casa Blanca Golf Course. $125 per golfer.

Texas Community Bank is the title sponsor. Other sponsorships are available. Proceeds benefit local victims of May 2017 storm. For more information, call Carol Sherwood or Cindy Liendo at 724-3227 or email resource@habitatlaredo.org

SATURDAY, AUG. 5 Brightwood College Back to School Event. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 6410 McPherson Road. Event is free and open to the public. Will feature refreshments, a moonwalk, face painting, a bike show, a Taekwondo exhibition, a photo booth, a variety of food booths, campus tours, program demonstrations and a school supplies drive for which everyone is invited to bring and donate supplies. Attendees will be entered to win prizes such as Amazon gift cards and backpacks filled with school supplies.

FRIDAY, AUG. 18 South Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls XI. Laredo Energy Arena.

Tex-Mex power rock trio Los Lonely Boys will perform. The event includes a dinner, a benefit concert and a silent auction featuring artworks from local and regional artists. Sponsorship tables of 10 that include dinner and access to silent auction items are available. There are different levels of sponsorship available: Diamond $20,000, Platinum $10,000, Gold $5,000, Silver $2,500 and Bronze $1,500. Individual table tickets are $150. Table tickets are available at the food bank, 1907 Freight at Riverside.

Concert only tickets are $10, $15 and $25. Tickets are available at the LEA box office, Ticketmaster.com, select Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

SATURDAY, AUG. 26 Football Tailgating Cook-Off. 2 p.m. - 11 p.m. Uni-Trade Stadium. Event will feature cook-off competitions, brisket tasting/sampling for People's Choice from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., car show, live music, food vendors, arts & crafts and merchandise vendors and much more. For more information, contact LULAC Council 14 at 956-2869055 Submit calendar items by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location, purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.

Dylan Lovan / AP

In this July 19 abortion opponents with a group called Operation Save America gather during a rally in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.

ABORTION FIGHT RAGES IN KENTUCKY

By Bruce Schreiner ASSOCIATED PRE SS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Both sides in the abortion fight raging in Kentucky agree on one thing: The stakes are as high as ever in a state that could become the first in the nation without an abortion clinic.

Political pressure has intensified since the Kentucky GOP took control of state government and moved quickly to pass new restrictions on abortions. And Republican Gov. Matt Bevin makes no apologies for waging a licensing fight against a Louisville clinic that is the last remaining facility performing abortions in the state.

Another battle-tested participant joins the fight this weekend. Operation Save America, a Christian fundamentalist group, plans to mobilize hundreds of activists to protest against EMW Women’s Surgical Center. The group’s leaders state their purpose unequivocally: to rid Kentucky of its last abortion clinic. A federal judge on Friday ordered the creation of a “buffer zone” to keep protesters out of an area in front of the clinic. The pre-emptive move was requested by federal prosecutors to prevent protesters from blocking access to the surgical center.

— Compiled from AP reports

HONOLULU — Hawaii is the first state to prepare the public for the possibility of a ballistic missile strike from North Korea.

The state’s Emergency Management Agency on Friday announced a public education campaign about what to do.

Hawaii lawmakers have been urging emergency management

officials to update Cold Warera plans for coping with a nuclear attack as North Korea develops nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that can reach the islands.

Starting in November, Hawaii will begin monthly tests of an “attack-warning” siren the state hasn’t heard since the end of the Cold War in the 1980s.

The wailing siren will be tested on the first working day of each month, after a test of an “attention-alert” steady tone

siren with which residents are already familiar.

Informational brochures, along with TV, radio and internet announcements will help educate the public about the new siren sound and provide preparedness guidance.

“If they’re not educated, they could actually be frightened by it,” agency Executive Director Toby Clairmont said of needing several months to introduce the new siren.

— Compiled from AP reports

of a task force that started studying the problem several years ago.

That 15-person panel initially looked at cases from the previous two years and identified 189 such deaths. Last July, it completed a report showing rates of maternal mortality had roughly doubled between 2010 and 2012 — and that black women were far more likely to become seriously ill and die during pregnancy or within the first year after having a baby. But the task force has yet to explain the root cause or recommend how to avert future tragedies.

For state Rep. Shawn Thierry, a Democrat from Houston and a black woman who had a compli-

cated delivery in 2012, the report hit uncomfortably close to home. “This one statistic was blazing right off the page, which is that African American women make up 11 percent of births in Texas but 30 percent of maternal deaths,” she said. “I hadn’t heard anyone discuss it.”

The data spurred her to propose a bill this spring that called for a study on how race and socioeconomic factors impact access and care for pregnant black women.

“A woman who chooses to bear life shouldn’t pay for it with her own,” Thierry stressed last week.

Despite having bipartisan support, the legislation died due

to a parliamentary move by the House Freedom Caucus - one of dozens of measures caught up in what was dubbed a “Mother’s Day massacre.”

On July 10, one minute after lawmakers could officially file bills for the special session, Thierry again filed hers. Now she’s rallying her constituents and local activists to ensure it gets a hearing.

House Bill 51 asks the task force to look at “factors and health conditions that disproportionately affect the most at-risk population” - already identified as black women - and to evaluate options for reducing maternal deaths.”

— Compiled from AP reports

Hawaii prepares for ‘unlikely’ North Korea missile threat

AROUND TEXAS Dying after childbirth: Black women at high risk Black women in Texas are dying with frightening frequency after childbirth - at a rate up to nearly three times higher than that of white women. And no one has figured out why.

In a state with the worst overall maternal mortality in the nation, the Texas legislature opened a special session this week that will address the issue as one of 20 items that Republican Gov. Gregg Abbott listed in calling lawmakers back to work.

The most they may do, however, is extend and expand the scope

AROUND THE WORLD 3 Palestinians, 3 Israelis killed in violence over holy site JERUSALEM — Escalating Israeli-Palestinian tensions over the Holy Land’s most contested shrine boiled over into violence on Friday that killed six people — three Palestinians in street clashes in Jerusalem and three Israelis in a stabbing attack at a West Bank settlement.

After nightfall, a Palestinian sneaked into a home in the Israeli settlement of Halamish in the West Bank and stabbed to death three Israelis.

The military said the attacker

Khalil Hamra / AP

Medics and protesters evacuate an injured man during clashes with Israeli soldiers on the Israeli border with Gaza on Friday.

apparently jumped over the fence and infiltrated the family’s home, surprising them as they ate the traditional Sabbath

evening meal. It said the Palestinian killed a man and two of his children, while their mother was wounded and taken to

hospital. The man’s grandchildren were present but not harmed, it said.

The army released footage showing a blood-covered kitchen floor. It said senior military officials are meeting overnight to discuss how to proceed. A military spokesman called the Palestinian attack “a massacre.”

Israel TV’s Channel 10 said the assailant was in his late teens and had posted on Facebook that he was upset by the events at the Jerusalem shrine.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, announced that he is freezing ties with Israel, dealing a blow to fledgling Trump administration efforts to try to renew longdormant peace talks.

— Compiled from AP reports

On this date: In 1587, an English colony fated to vanish under mysterious circumstances was established on Roanoke Island off North Carolina.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln presented to his Cabinet a preliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In 1916, 10 people were killed when a suitcase bomb went off during San Francisco's Preparedness Day parade; two anti-war labor radicals, Thomas Mooney and Warren K. Billings, were jailed but eventually released amid doubts about their guilt.

In 1934, bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicago's Biograph Theater, where he had just seen the Clark Gable movie "Manhattan Melodrama."

In 1937, the U.S. Senate rejected President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court.

In 1946, the militant Zionist group Irgun blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing 91 people.

In 1967, American author, historian and poet Carl Sandburg died at his North Carolina home at age 89.

In 1977, Elvis Costello's debut album, "My Aim Is True," was released

by Stiff Records.

In 1983, Samantha Smith and her parents returned home to Manchester, Maine, after completing a whirlwind tour of the Soviet Union.

Ten years ago: Padraig Harrington survived a calamitous finish in regulation and a tense putt for bogey on the final hole of a playoff to win the British Open.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama made a quick trip to Colorado to meet with families of those gunned down in an Aurora movie theater and to hear from state and local officials about the shooting that left 12 people dead and dozens more injured. The International AIDS Conference opened in Washington, D.C. with the goal of "turning the tide" on HIV. Fifteen people were killed in South Texas when a pickup truck ran off the road and hit trees about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio.

One year ago: Democrat Hillary Clinton told supporters in a text message that she had chosen Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her vice-presidential running mate. A gunman opened fire at a mall in Munich, Germany, killing nine people before taking his own life.

Thomas Sutherland, a teacher who was held captive in Lebanon for more than six years until he was freed in 1991, died in Fort Collins, Colorado, at age 85.

Today's Birthdays: Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., is 94. Actor-comedian Orson Bean is 89.

Author Tom Robbins is 85. Actress Louise Fletcher is 83. Rhythm-andblues singer Chuck Jackson is 80.

Actor Terence Stamp is 79. Game show host Alex Trebek is 77. Singer George Clinton is 76. Actor-singer Bobby Sherman is 74. Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, is 74.

Movie writer-director Paul Schrader is 71. Actor Danny Glover is 71. Singer Mireille Mathieu is 71. Actor-comediandirector Albert Brooks is 70. Rock singer Don Henley is 70. Movie composer Alan Menken is 68. Singeractress Lonette McKee is 64. Jazz musician Al Di Meola is 63. Actor Willem Dafoe is 62. Rhythm-andblues singer Keith Sweat is 56. Actress Joanna Going is 54. Actor Rob Estes is 54. Folk singer Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls) is 54. Actor John Leguizamo is 53. Actor-comedian David Spade is 53. Actor Patrick Labyorteaux is 52.

Rock musician Pat Badger is 50.

Actress Irene Bedard is 50. Actor Rhys Ifans is 50. Actress Diana Maria Riva is 48. Actor Colin Ferguson is 45. Actor/ singer Jaime Camil is 44. Retired NFL player Keyshawn Johnson is 45. Rock musician Daniel Jones is 44. Singer Rufus Wainwright is 44. Actress Franka Potente is 43. Actress A.J. Cook is 39. Actor Keegan Allen is 30. Actress Camila Banus is 27. Actress Selena Gomez is 25. Britain's Prince George of Cambridge is four.

Thought for Today: "If America forgets where she came from, if the people lose sight of what brought them along, if she listens to the deniers and mockers, then will begin the rot and dissolution."— Carl Sandburg (1878-1967).

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The Zapata Times

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 22, 2017 |

A3

STATE

Ex-drug cartel leader gets 30 years in prison

Texas VA office denies most Gulf War claims ASSOCIATED PRE SS

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

LAREDO, Texas — Prosecutors say a former highranking member of the Zetas cartel in Mexico must serve 30 years in a U.S. prison and forfeit $10 million for his drug-related crimes.

Ivan Velasquez-Caballero of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, was sentenced Friday by a federal judge in Laredo, Texas. Officials say the 47year-old Velasquez-Caballero is expected to face deportation following his release

from prison.

Velasquez-Caballero, known in Mexico as “El Taliban,” agreed to plead guilty in 2014 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

Mexican authorities in 2012 arrested VelasquezCaballero in the northern city of San Luis Potosi and extradited him to South Texas on drug-related charges.

Eduardo Verdugo / AP

In this 2012 photo, Ivan Velazquez-Caballero, of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, the alleged leader of the Zetas cartel in Mexico known as "El Taliban," is escorted to a media presentation in Mexico City.

123 immigrants arrested in Texas A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

SAN ANTONIO — Federal immigration agents in Texas say they’ve arrested 123 immigrants with criminal records or who were

living in the country illegally.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Friday that the people were apprehended during an eight-day operation that

ended Wednesday.

Most of the immigrants were arrested in San Antonio or the South Texas cities of Harlingen and Laredo, and authorities say all had prior criminal con-

victions.

Most came from Mexico but authorities say others were natives of Honduras, Guatemala and other countries.

ICE periodically carries out large operations

in which agents round up dozens of immigrants.

For instance ICE announced in April that agents had arrested 153 immigrants in South Texas.

WACO, Texas — A federal report shows that a Texas veteran affairs office has denied more than 90 percent of benefit claims related to Gulf War illnesses.

The data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office shows that Waco’s Department of Veterans Affairs denied almost 1,100 claims in 2015.

The Austin AmericanStatesman reports that a lack of a clear definition of Gulf War illness has led to issues in processing claims.

The VA estimates about 44 percent of the 700,000 Gulf War service members have developed symptoms that include joint pain, chronic fatigue syndrome and neurological problems. But just 26 percent of those veterans receive benefits.

A VA spokeswoman says Waco medical examiners are anticipated to complete a 90minute web-based training course designed to help them better identify the illness by November.

School vouchers revived Houston teen confesses to amid House opposition killing younger brother ASSOCIATED PRE SS A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas Senate committee is discussing a bill offering taxpayer-funded vouchers allowing some special education students to leave public schools for private alternatives.

Supporters say only about 30,000 students would qualify, but those

opposed worry that it will open the door to broader voucher plans.

The Senate has for years approved vouchers only to have them soundly defeated in the House.

There, Democrats and rural Republicans oppose any plans they say hurt traditional public schools.

The proposal being heard Friday is similar to

one the Senate attached to a sweeping House school finance bill during Texas’ regular legislative session that ended in May. That move killed both bills.

It’s now back for the 30-day special session and will pass the committee and full Senate.

But it remains a House non-starter.

HOUSTON — Prosecutors say the brother of a 14-year-old Houston boy who was fatally shot earlier this week during his birthday party has confessed to the killing.

Prosecutors said during a court hearing Friday for 17-year-old Messiah Breaux and his mother, 33-year-old Ellen

Breaux, that the pair was arrested Wednesday in connection to an unrelated robbery weeks before.

Authorities say Messiah Breaux confessed to the shooting while being questioned about the robbery.

It was initially thought O’Cyrus Breaux was killed by a stray bullet while sitting in the drive-

way of his home early Monday morning.

The Houston Chronicle reports that authorities haven’t revealed what prompted the shooting.

Ellen Breaux and her older son are charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

Online jail records did not indicate attorneys for the two.

Zopinion

Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com

A4 | Saturday, July 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Spicer wasn’t what’s wrong with the White House

By Jonathan Bernstein BL O O M BE RG

We’ve finally found the one thing that’s perfectly normal about the Donald Trump White House: When things go bad, blame the message (and the messenger), not the substance. And so, with things going quite badly indeed, we get to the resignation of Sean Spicer, press secretary and short-term celebrity “Saturday Night Live” sendup, and the hiring of a new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci.

Spicer reportedly resigned over his opposition to Scaramucci, although as with all such explanations, we’ll have to see whether it holds up over time. What is obvious from Friday’s news is that the White House is as chaotic and mismanaged as ever, given that the news media has already reported not only Spicer’s objection to the new press secretary but also the strong opposition of both White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and senior adviser Steve Bannon, who said Scaramucci would get the job “ over my dead body.”

That part is not normal.

It is meaningful.

And it doesn’t bode well for the future.

Nor do reports that Scaramucci got his job by impressing the president with his hard-hitting defense of the administration on cable TV shows.

While appearing on television certainly is part of the job of a White House communications director, the real job is to map out and execute an overall communications strategy, something Scaramucci doesn’t appear to be qualified for. He hasn’t worked in government or politics, much less in a White House; his background is in finance, not communications. His hiring is another disturbing indication that the president of the United States is still governing mainly by reacting to what is on TV news shows, and that he still uses a “cut of his jib” test for personnel. That’s all very bad news.

Indeed, as the Washington Examiner’s Sarah Westwood and Al Weave report: “Scaramucci would take the prestigious communications director title ‘but would not be fulfilling that responsibility because he doesn’t know how,’ the source said. “ ‘Basically, Trump wanted to give Scaramucci something to do because he thinks he’s a “good Italian kid,” ‘ the source said.”

Replacing Spicer and former White House

communications chief Mike Dubke with Scaramucci is also another step away from the Republican Party and toward a more personal presidency. That’s not good news, either, since the record of personal presidencies in the 1960s and 1970s was not very impressive.

Indeed, Sean Spicer was one of the very few people in the Trump White House who actually had the proper experience and credentials for the job he was hired to do.

Was he good at the job?

I’ll admit up front: As a former Hill press aide long ago, I have a principled bias in favor of all White House press secretaries. It’s a very difficult job in the best of times, and with the current president, it was almost certainly impossible for anyone to look good doing it. I do agree that Spicer made a serious mistake when, on Trump’s orders, he undermined his own credibility in his first days on the job by arguing an impossible position over inauguration crowd sizes.

As hard as it would have been to do, Spicer should have stood up to Trump right away and explained that no one could do the job under those circumstances.

Still, much of what Spicer was subsequently hit for seemed to me mostly about blaming the messenger. Of course he was going to spin. Of course the White House was going to limit access at times. And of course reporters would complain about it. That’s how the system works, and as far as I could see, Spicer -more than most in this White House -- was doing his job more or less the way it was supposed to be done.

One could certainly argue that Spicer simply should have resigned early on, and that no competent professional could possibly hold down that job in this administration. There’s a pretty good case for that. And obviously he made his share of mistakes over his six months in the job.

Still, anyone who thinks Sean Spicer was among the top 100 problems with Donald Trump’s presidency is confusing visibility with importance. And there’s a much-betterthan-zero chance that the press corps six months from now will be telling stories of how much everything has deteriorated since he left.

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist.

He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

COLUMN

Lashing out when pressed is simply what Trump does

By Timothy L. O’Brien BL OOMBERG

President Donald Trump told the New York Times on Wednesday that he expected Robert Mueller, the Justice Department’s special counsel, to keep his investigation of White House shenanigans narrowly focused on possible collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election.

By narrowly focused, Trump meant he didn’t want Mueller digging too deeply into the Trump family’s finances and business deals. “I think that’s a violation,” Trump told the Times. “Look, this is about Russia.”

Mueller doesn’t seem to be listening.

Bloomberg News reporters Greg Farrell and Christian Berthelsen reported Thursday that Mueller’s investigators are, in fact, casting a broad net. They are reportedly looking well beyond campaign collusion and exploring, among other things, condo sales to Russians at Trump properties; Trump’s sale of a Palm Beach estate to a wealthy Russian; a bank in Cyprus; a beauty pageant Trump hosted in Moscow; a money-laundering investigation launched by former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara; and the Trump Organization’s partnership with a mob-tied development firm, the Bayrock Group.

A Trump attorney, John Dowd, told Bloomberg News that he believes an examination of Trump’s business dealings exceeds Mueller’s mandate. That point is debatable because the Justice Department

When Trump nearly went personally bankrupt in the early 1990s, he took to the media to savage bankers who put him on an allowance while they tried to restructure more than $3 billion in business loans he couldn’t repay. empowered Mueller to look at “any matters” arising from his investigation — and investigations often take unexpected turns. That’s one of the reasons they’re feared.

Dowd also said that he wasn’t aware that Mueller’s probe had come to include an examination of Trump’s business dealings. That may be so, but it stretches the imagination to believe that Trump’s legal team, at a minimum, didn’t see this coming.

Both the Times and The Washington Post last month broke the news that Mueller’s investigation involved a probe of possible financial crimes and money laundering.

The president himself has undoubtedly been pondering what a close examination of his finances and deals might unveil.

This is why he issued the warning to Mueller, and why there’s a strong possibility that Mueller’s time at the helm of this investigation will end badly, a la James Comey. Trump fired Comey as FBI director after Comey declined to curtail an investigation of links between Russia and Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

Trump is unlikely to care if a collusion probe ensnares some of his campaign minions or even sullies his reputation, as long as it stops short of criminal charges. But he

cares deeply that Mueller, by deciding to follow the money, could unravel some of the mythmaking that the author of “The Art of the Deal” and the star of “The Apprentice” has carefully orchestrated for so many years.

As Mueller certainly knows by now, Trump’s business history doesn’t have merely a closet full of skeletons, it has warehouses full of them.

Among the many subjects Mueller is examining, Trump’s partnership with the Bayrock Group stands out for being particularly troubling.

Bayrock operated two floors below the Trump Organization in Trump Tower and developed the Trump Soho hotel and other projects with Trump and his two eldest children. One of Trump’s partners at Bayrock, Felix Sater, was a Russian immigrant to the U.S. and a career criminal with ties to Russian and American organized crime. Funds flowed into Bayrock from murky sources overseas, and Bayrock compensated Trump handsomely even though most of the deals belly-flopped. Sater, who has also worked as an informant for the U.S. government, has remained in the Trump orbit even though the Bayrock partnership ended several years ago.

Trump was well aware of Sater’s mob ties (he

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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

testified under oath about it twice) and yet maintained a close working relationship with him and his company for years (despite occasionally telling the media otherwise).

If Mueller’s team begins unpacking these kinds of relationships — and trying to answer questions about whether Russian funding or Russian influence came to bear on Trump through individuals like Sater -the president is likely to continue lashing out.

He has a history of doing that under pressure.

When Trump nearly went personally bankrupt in the early 1990s, he took to the media to savage bankers who put him on an allowance while they tried to restructure more than $3 billion in business loans he couldn’t repay.

When former Trump University students sued him for fraud, he targeted one of the judges in the case and lambasted him repeatedly.

The Mueller investigation is unlike anything Trump experienced in his business career, however.

And with his son, Donald Jr., and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also under federal scrutiny and about to testify before Congress about their own dealings with Russians during the 2016 campaign and after, the president may feel the vise tightening.

If that’s the case, then Trump and Mueller are headed for an epic collision that may occur well before the Justice Department investigation reaches its conclusion.

Timothy L. O’Brien is the executive editor of Bloomberg Gadfly and Bloomberg View.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 22, 2017 |

A5

NATIONAL

Ohio argues against execution delays for 3 condemned inmates

By Julie Carr Smyth A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio state attorneys argued on Friday against delaying three upcoming executions on grounds that the condemned killers have little chance of legal victory and repeated postponements are draining state resources.

The state’s first execution in more than three years is scheduled for Wednesday. Death row inmate Ronald Phillips is scheduled to die for the 1993 rape and killing of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter in Akron.

He and two other inmates seek more time from the U.S. Supreme Court to appeal Ohio’s lethal injection method.

Their lawyers argue the procedure’s first drug, the sedative midazolam, creates an unconstitutional risk of pain by not rendering prisoners deeply unconscious before two other drugs kick in.

Midazolam has been used in some executions

The attorneys want the delay because they believe the full Supreme Court will take their appeal of last month’s ruling by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

That’s because that decision runs counter to previous rulings by the high court, and because it “involves an issue of recurring and national importance,” the attorneys said in Tuesday’s filing.

that were problematic, including in Ohio, Arkansas and Arizona.

Phillips’ attorneys argue they need time to appeal a lower court decision allowing Ohio to use the new method.

The other drugs are rocuronium bromide, which paralyzes inmates, and potassium chloride, which stop their hearts.

The attorneys want the delay because they believe the full Supreme Court will take their appeal of last month’s ruling by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. That’s because that decision

runs counter to previous rulings by the high court, and because it “involves an issue of recurring and national importance,” the attorneys said in Tuesday’s filing.

In Friday’s response, the state disputed inmates’ claims that Ohio has made inconsistent legal arguments as it has sought to legally defend its various, evolving execution protocols.

Some changes were made necessary because of a lack of available drugs.

“Petitioners allege

Ohio made ‘unequivocal promises’ to ‘never again...use a paralytic or potassium chloride.’ Not so,” the state wrote.

“There is a wide gulf between what the affidavit says — that those drugs would not be used ‘going forward’ under the new protocol — and the argument that Ohio promised to never, under any circumstances, use those drugs.”

The request for the delay was made to Justice Elena Kagan, who handles such appeals for Ohio.

Ohio argued the state risks “ongoing irreparable harm” if the delays are granted and that “Ohio’s interests are harmed each time it has to stop and start implementation of its execution protocol.”

Lawyers note that training for an execution takes at least 30 days and requires four rehearsals.

Six are usually held.

They said delaying Phillips’ execution also runs the risk of delaying those executions scheduled after his.

New Jersey raises smoking age A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

TRENTON, N.J. — Republican Gov. Chris Christie signed a law Friday that made New Jersey the third state to raise its smoking age to 21.

Hawaii and California are the only other states where the smoking age is 21.

On Friday, Christie cited the strain on the health care system

caused by tobacco-related illnesses. He also noted that his mother died from the effects of smoking.

“By raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21, we are giving young people more time to develop a maturity and better understanding of how dangerous smoking can be and that it is better to not start smoking in the first place,” Christie wrote.

The restriction applies

to tobacco products and electronic smoking devices. Christie vetoed a similar measure last year.

Democratic Sens. Richard Codey and Joseph Vitale, the bill’s co-sponsors, said reports show smoking causes about $4 billion in health care costs to the state each year. That amount doesn’t include costs related to secondhand smoke or smokeless tobacco use, they said.

“Data surveys show that if individuals aren’t smokers by 21 years of age, they will most likely not start later in their lives,” Vitale said. “Making it harder to buy cigarettes by raising the age to legally purchase them in New Jersey will help prevent our youth from becoming lifelong smokers and suffering the long-term effects of the habit.

Experts: No duty for teens to rescue drowning man

By Curt Anderson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

MIAMI — It may be reprehensible and morally outrageous, but legal experts say a group of Florida teens had no obligation to rescue a drowning disabled man who they instead mocked, laughed at and recorded on a video that was later posted online.

Still, authorities are pursuing possible misdemeanor charges against them for failing to report a death.

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, in a 2012 legal argument, summarized that across the

U.S. there’s no general duty to render aid to someone in distress.

“You don’t Dunn have the duty to rescue someone if that person is in danger. The blind man is walking in front of a car and you do not have a duty to stop him absent some relation between you,” Kennedy said in arguments on the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare.”

Kennedy added that there are “some severe moral criticisms of that rule, but that’s generally the rule.”

The case in central Florida’s Brevard County involves the July 9 drowning of Jamel Dunn, 31, in a retention pond.

Police in the city of Cocoa discovered later that five teenagers, ages 14 to 16, had made a video of the drowning, which was published Friday by Florida Today . The teens can be heard laughing at Dunn, telling him he’s going die and that they weren’t going to help him as he struggled and screamed.

Police identified and interviewed the five teens involved. The office of State Attorney Phil Archer initially determined there was no immediate

indication that a crime was committed because state law does not require people to give or call for help when someone is in distress. But later, after the story drew widespread attention online, officials said they were pursuing misdemeanor charges of failure to report a death against the teenagers.

“While this in no way will bring justice for what occurred, it is a start,” Cocoa Mayor Henry Parrish III said. “I know that everyone working on this investigation has been tireless in their efforts to find answers. Everyone has been affected by what we have seen.”

Lannis Waters / AP

In this June 16 file photo, Dalia Dippolito listens to attorneys and Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley discuss jury instructions in her third attempted murder trial in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Woman gets 16 years for hiring hit man

By Terry Spencer ASSOCIATED PRE SS

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A former Florida escort convicted of trying to hire a hit man to murder her newlywed husband was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison, perhaps ending a drawnout case that drew notice for its startling videos and salacious characters.

Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley imposed the sentence on Dalia Dippolito, who was convicted last month of solicitation of first-degree murder. She was recorded on video and audio in 2009 as she plotted to kill Michael Dippolito, telling an undercover detective she was “5,000 percent sure” she wanted her husband dead.

Kelley said Dippolito acted in a “cold and calculated manner.”

Neither Dippolito nor her family showed any reaction when the sentence was handed down.

Prosecutors believe she wanted control of the couple’s town house and his savings. The case gained national attention when police video from the investigation went viral on the internet and it was featured on the TV shows “Cops” and “20/ 20.”

A 2011 conviction and 20-year sentence were thrown out on appeal. A retrial last fall ended with a 3-3 hung jury. This time, it took the six-member jury 90 minutes to convict Dippolito, 34, who had a child last year while under house arrest.

Kelley said he agreed with the previous judge’s sentence but gave her four years credit for the

eight years she spent on house arrest.

Typically, a defendant cannot be sentenced to more than the original sentence on a retrial because that would punish a defendant for winning an appeal. But prosecutor Craig Williams argued in court documents filed this week that Kelley, because he wasn’t the judge at the 2011 trial, could sentence Dippolito to the statutory maximum of 30 years if he found the original judge was too lenient.

Dippolito’s actions “are the most ruthless, cruel, inhumane, heartless and deliberate of any case,” Williams wrote. Dippolito “has earned every second of a 30 year prison sentence.”

Lead defense attorney Brian Claypool said in court documents that Dippolito deserved, at most, a four-year sentence with credit for time served in jail and under house arrest. He said in a statement that Dippolito deserved leniency because Boynton Beach detectives railroaded her by playing to the “Cops” cameras in hopes of becoming famous. “Cops” was coincidentally in town when the case broke and turned it into a special episode. It’s the same argument he and codefense attorney Craig Rosenfeld used during the last two trials.

“To give Dalia a hefty sentence and send her to jail for many years sends a message that it’s OK for police departments to break the rules and break the law and use contaminated evidence to get a conviction,” Claypool said. Her attorneys plan to appeal the conviction.

Zfrontera A6 | Saturday, July 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE REGRESO A CLASES 1 El distrito escolar Zapata County Independent District invita a los padres de familia a inscribir a sus hijos para el ciclo escolar 2017-2018 del 1 al 3 de agosto de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. y de 2 p.m. a 4 p.m. Las inscripciones se realizarán en cada campus; evento de arranque del año escolar , el 10 de agosto y el primer día de clases se realizará el 28 de agosto.

FERIA DE SALUD COMUNITARIA 1 El Condado de Zapata junto con organismos y entidades públicas invita a la Primera Feria Anual de Salud Comunitaria, el 16 de agosto, de 5 p.m. a 7 p.m.; Club Boys & Girls, 302 6th Avenue.

Habrá regalos para los primeros 500 niños.

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.

LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.

MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 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 956765-8983.

GRUPOS DE APOYO 1 El grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reunirá en su junta mensual, a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario.

Las reuniones se realizan el primer martes de cada mes en el mismo lugar y a la misma hora.

1 El grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. Padecer cáncer es una de las experiencias más estresantes en la vida de una persona. Sin embargo, los grupos de apoyo pueden ayudar a muchos a lidiar con los aspectos emocionales de la enfermedad.

1 Grupo de Apoyo para Ansiedad y Depresión Rayo de Luz. En Centro de Educación del Área de Salud, ubicado en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. El grupo se reúne de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430, cada primer lunes de mes.

NARCOTRÁFICO

Sentencian a ‘Talibán’ Recibe condena de 30 años en prisión Por Jason Buch y Taryn T. Walters SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS | TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Un ex líder del cartel de los Zetas que comenzó su carrera delictiva robando automóviles en Nuevo Laredo deberá cumplir una condena de 30 años en prisión tras ser sentenciado el viernes en una corte federal local.

Bajo el mando del Cartel del Golfo, Iván ‘El Talibán’ Velázquez Caballero fue jefe de plaza de Nuevo Laredo en 2004, antes de ascender de rango y convertirse en uno de los líderes del cartel de los Zetas desde 2005 hasta su arresto perpetrado por autoridades mexicanas en 2012.

Velázquez, de 47 años, ascendió de rango de los Zetas junto con Miguel ‘Z-40’ Treviño Morales, un despiadado criminal de Nuevo Laredo quién está acusado de ser el autor intelectual de masacres en México.

Velázquez y Treviño están acusados en un caso de conspiración de drogas que tenía como objetivo a los líderes de la organización criminal en Nuevo Laredo entre 2001 y 2008. La acusación establece que los sicarios que trabajaban para Treviño cometieron asesinatos en ambos lados de la frontera, pero Velázquez no está acusado de ninguno de los crímenes violentos.

En 2014, Velázquez se enfrentó a una pena de cadena perpetua tras declararse culpable de los delitos de narcotráfico y lavado de dinero. La jueza de distrito Micaela Álvarez lo sentenció a cumplir

30 años en prisión por el delito de drogas y 20 años por el cargo de lavado de dinero. En 2015, un juez federal en el norte de Texas lo condenó a casi 23 años de prisión por otro delito de conspiración de drogas. Todas las sentencias serán ejecutadas simultáneamente.

William Slemaker, un padre local cuya hijastra desapareció en 2004, se dirigió a la corte durante la sentencia del viernes, asegurando que se le ha hecho creer que Velázquez posee información sobre la desaparición de su hijastra, Yvette Martínez, de 27 años y su amiga Brenda Cisneros.

"También dice que no tuvo nada que ver con su asesinato, pero que fueron asesinadas", dijo Slemaker. "Siento que en este momento, que esta corte lo condene con cualquier tipo de indulgencia...sería un error judicial".

Posteriormente, Álvarez recordó a la madre de un adolescente que testificó cuando sentenció a uno de los coacusados de Velázquez. Los sicarios de los Zetas habían secuestrado al adolescente y un amigo en un bar en México, los torturó y mató, luego quemó sus cuerpos.

La madre sólo pedía información sobre el paradero de los restos de su hijo, dijo la jueza.

Douglas Mulder, el abogado de Velázquez, respondió que su cliente también perdió seres queridos durante la guerra contra las drogas.

"También lo están aterrorizando a él ya su familia", dijo Mulder.

"Mataron a su hijastro y mataron a su hermano".

Foto de cortesía

Iván Velázquez Caballero fue escoltado por las autoridades después de ser extraditado a los Estados Unidos.

Álvarez le dijo a Caballero que aunque no se le acusa de ordenar asesinatos, fue una figura importante de los Zetas durante una época violenta en ambos lados de la frontera.

Mientras Velázquez no ha enfrentado cargos por homicidio, la policía de Laredo lo ligó al asesinato en 2006 de Julio A. Serrano, de 19 años.

Los Zetas contrataron a miembros del Texas Syndicate para secuestrar a Serrano, que trabajó para el Cártel de Sinaloa, luego de que Treviño y Velázquez iniciaron una cacería en su contra, según registros judiciales.

Treviño Morales y Velázquez Caballero querían que Serrano fuera entregado en Nuevo Laredo, según una denuncia presentada por la policía de Laredo.

Cuando Márquez Rodríguez y sus compañeros llegaron al remolque en el que Serrano estaba viviendo en la avenida Gallagher, Serrano trató de huir y Márquez Rodríguez le disparó y lo mató, según la denuncia.

Velázquez ha insistido en que nunca ha participado en ningún homicidio.

COLUMNA

Las primeras olas de violencia que inundaron México comenzaron en Nuevo Laredo, cuando Velázquez era el jefe de plaza, o líder regional, dijo Álvarez.

En 2012 la situación empeoró después del arresto de Velázquez, cuando se suscitó una pugna entre los miembros de los Zetas liderados por Treviño y aquellos que apoyaban a Velázquez.

La disputa llegó a los encabezados locales, hubo reportes de más de 70 muertos en un mes.

Mientras que Treviño era el líder de los Zetas antes de su arresto en 2013, Velázquez se convirtió en informante de la DEA. “Antes de su arresto, dirigía a su propio grupo, pero se enfrentó al Cuarenta y a Lazcano”, dijo Arturo Fontes, ex agente del FBI, de Velázquez. “Él estaba transportando mucha droga. Era una figura importante. Es su responsabilidad haber permitido a los Zetas en Nuevo Laredo. Él jugó un papel importante en eso”.

Treviño tomó el mando de los Zetas después de la muerte de Lazcano en 2012. Él se encuentra en México esperando su

extradición a los Estados Unidos. Los Zetas se han dividido en facciones beligerantes, pero los seguidores de Velázquez siguen invocando el nombre "talibán" en sus disputas con aquellos que son leales a Treviño.

Después de emitir la sentencia, Álvarez mencionó a las victimas asesinadas por los coacusados en el caso de Velázquez.

En 2005 y 2006, sicarios que trabajaban para Treviño cometieron cinco asesinatos en Laredo, de acuerdo con la acusación.

La jueza señaló que había escuchado los alegatos de más de una docena de coacusados de Velázquez y escuchó testimonios en dos juicios del caso. Reconoció que Velázquez no fue acusado de ordenar ninguno de los homicidios descritos por testigos y que los testimonios demostraron que una vez salvó a un subalterno de ser ejecutado, pero Álvarez también dijo que es responsable de las atrocidades cometidas por los Zetas.

La evidencia en esos procedimientos judiciales muestra, dijo, que "los Zetas son responsables de crear esta ola de violencia".

CONDADO DE ZAPATA

Pueblo llega a su asombroso fin Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Bastante real, nada ficticio, el fin de Padilla, Tamaulipas, resulta sin duda asombroso y único.

Fundado por José de Escandón y Helguera, con escasos pobladores en 1749 surge Padilla a orillas del río Purificación.

Nunca consigue prosperar lo suficiente como para abrirse paso entre los principales vecindarios del rumbo. En 1821 reúne apenas 996 habitantes, incrementándolos menos de 9 por ciento cinco décadas adelante.

Manuel Payno lo considera “pueblo tristísimo, ceniciento y melancólico”. Gabriel García Márquez prefiere llamarlo “pueblo polvoriento y ardiente de la provincia mexicana”.

En 1824 aloja el primer constituyente tamaulipeco. Por esas fechas, en su plaza termina fusilado el proscrito ex monarca Agustín de Iturbide, cuya osamenta luego trasladan con gran pompa a la Catedral metropolitana, donde permanece. Ahí también en 1832 empuña su propia espada para arrancarse la vida Manuel de Mier y Terán, otrora correligionario de José María Morelos.

Algo fuera de lo común marcaría los festejos patrios de 1970 en la villa. El martes 15 de septiembre, el mandatario de la entidad preside la popular ceremonia del grito.

Las oficinas públicas van en aquellos días vaciándose. Lo mismo sucede con las casas, tiendas y demás construcciones

del “pueblo polvoriento y ardiente”.

Todo va río arriba de inmediato. Cerca y hacia el norte, sobre la ribera opuesta del Purificación los espera un centro urbano, levantado a la carrera. Lleva el nombre de Nuevo Padilla.

Nadie rebate o pospone el trasiego.

A la par, casi está lista gigantesca obra de infraestructura hidráulica, financiada con recursos federales. Le sirve de asiento la confluencia de los ríos Corona y Purificación, que bajan de la serranía. Inaugurada el lunes 27 de septiembre de 1971, sesquicentenario de nuestra independencia, la denominan “Presa Vicente Guerrero”.

Concluida ésta, principia el anegamiento de extensa área del centro tamaulipeco. La superficie incluye Viejo Padilla, vacío por eso. Ante el desinterés oficial, dejan empero olvidado al referido compañero de Morelos.

La Sociedad Tamaulipeca de Historia y Geografía de Matamoros interviene. Obtenidos los correspondientes permisos, sus directivos se reúnen el martes 5 de diciembre de 1972 frente al portón de la parroquia y exhuman con debidas formalidades los restos del general Mier y Terán. Realizan de veras intrépido rescate. Concluido a las 15:30 horas, “el agua de la presa cubre ya la banqueta del atrio […] y las olas comienzan a penetrar”, dice la constancia relativa, acaso el último documento salido del “pueblo tristísimo, ceniciento y melancólico”.

Foto de cortesía

Oficiales del Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata encontraron marihuana dentro de una bolsa de papas.

Confiscan droga en bolsa de papas Por César G. Rodriguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Autoridades dijeron que encontraron 15,85 onzas de marihuana, además la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata incautó 4.550 dólares.

El conductor Adolio Homero Gómez, fue acusado de posesión de marihuana una felonía estatal que puede ser castigada con hasta dos años en prisión.

Gómez, de 22 años de edad, fue liberado bajo fianza el martes.

El lunes, Gómez iba conduciendo un vehículo en la calle Forth y la avenida Flores cuando supuestamente ignoró un señalamiento de alto.

Durante la parada, las autoridades dijeron que detectaron un

potente olor a marihuana emanando del auto.

Ellos supuestamente observaron una báscula plateada en el asiento del copiloto. De Gomez acuerdo con oficiales, Gómez habría permitido a las autoridades buscar en el vehículo.

“La búsqueda resultó en una báscula, una bolsa de papas Lay’s la cual contenía una bolsa transparente cerrad al vacío con marihuana, pesando aproximadamente 15,85 onzas, dos rollos de papel Food Saver para cerrar al vacío y una bolsa sellada que contenía 4.550 dólares”, dijo la Oficina del Alguacil en una declaración.

Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 22, 2017 |

A7

QUARTER HORSE RACING

Courtesy photo

Juan Medina’s horse, Eagle Jazz, will compete in the Rainbow Futurity on Sunday in the second leg of the Grade 1 quarter horse triple crown at Ruidoso Downs Race Track in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Zapata’s Juan Medina seeking history Eagle Jazz favorite to take home 2nd leg of triple crown

By Bud Denega LA R ED O MORNI NG T I ME S

R

acehorse owner Juan Medina has raced, owned and bred so many horses in his lifetime that he’s lost count.

He loves horses. Plain and simple. Medina's been around horses for more than 60 years and recently he’s become quite good on the race track.

Medina’s horse, Eagle Jazz, will compete in the Rainbow Futurity on Sunday in the second leg of the Grade 1 quarter horse triple crown, having already won the first leg in the race for the crown.

Medina, 65, has resided in Zapata his whole life.

He’s seen the population of his small town — nes-

tled on the north side of Falcon Lake — more than double in his lifetime.

Medina raised his family there and got his start in quarter horse racing after being introduced to the sport in the 1970s by his father in law, Delfino Lozano.

“I love horses to begin with and I married into a family that loves horses,” Medina said.

Medina ran horses for a couple of years, but put his racing career on hold in order to focus on his family and seeing to it that all four of his daughters went to college. Following his daughters’ graduations, Medina delved back into the racing circuit in the mid 90s.

“I just decided to buy horses again and get on the cycle,” Medina said. “I

was buying horses in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Racing is like a cancer, you want to get out but you can’t.”

So Medina would make the 12-hour trek up to Ruidoso, New Mexico, along with competing in races in Oklahoma and Louisiana, to run in races every summer. It wasn’t until the mid 2000s where Medina began to experience noteworthy success.

Medina’s horses have continued to improve over the last 10-12 years and a good portion of that credit can be traced back to Baja Jazz. Medina raced Baja Jazz to wins at Ruidoso Downs Race Track in the mid 2000s and even after her racing days were done, Medina kept Baja Jazz to breed more race

NBA: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

horses.

And it’s with those siblings that Medina is eyeing a rare feat in quarter horse racing.

“Right now it’s still early, but I’m still in it for the triple crown,” Medina said. “There’s only been one triple crown winner in quarter horse racing ever.”

That one time was done so by Special Effort in 1981.

Medina has passed the first hurdle of the illusive triple crown, winning the Ruidoso Futurity in mid June and there’s reason to believe he and Eagle Jazz — the top ranked twoyear-old quarter horse in the nation — can do the same at the Rainbow Futurity as the duo logged the fastest time in the trials. The Rainbow Futu-

rity races on Sunday in Ruidoso and if the qualifying times hold up, Medina and company will be just one win away from the triple crown when they travel to the All American trials on Aug. 18-20. That rare feat also comes with $4 million bonus on top of the $3 million dollar purse at the All American.

“I just need a lot of luck,” Medina said. “Each and every finals race there are 10 horses and all of them are good, so you never know what can happen.”

So while Medina has his gaze set upon history, and a nice payday, he also stays busy with multiple race horses each and every week.

“Right now I’m running three horses (Eagle

Jazz, Juan Jazz and Teller Baja) and I started with five or six, but they all don’t make it.”

Teller Baja will also be racing on Sunday in Ruidosa with the fifth fastest time for the Rainbow Derby — a Grade 1 race for three year olds.

Medina has been around horses and quarter horse racing for the better part of his life and he has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.

“I’m 65 and as long as my health will let me travel and keep horses, I’ll keep going,” he said.

Follow @BudDenega_LMT on Twitter for the latest news on local sports.

Email: JDenega@LMTOnline.com

NBA: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Gasol agrees to three-year AP sources: Kyrie Irving deal with the Spurs asks Cavaliers to trade him

By Tom Orsborn SA N A NT ONI O

By Tom Withers

EX P R E SS-NEWS

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

SAN ANTONIO – Free agent center Pau Gasol has agreed to a three-year deal to return to the Spurs, according to ESPN. Gasol last month declined the $16 million option on his contract for next season with the Spurs with the intent of signing a longer-term deal, a move that would give the franchise some flexibility in the free agent market.

Gasol signed a twoyear deal with the Spurs last summer. He averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game last season.

Gasol called last season a "little bit of a challenge" in his exit interview with the media after Golden State swept the Spurs in the Western Conference finals.

"I knew it was going to take some time to adjust to a new situation, find out what my role was going to be," he said. "And I just tried to follow the lead and the direction of the coaching staff. And I

CLEVELAND — Kyrie Irving wants the stage for himself.

Cleveland’s All-Star point guard has asked the Cavaliers to trade him, two people familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Friday. Irving made the request last week to owner Dan Gilbert, said the people who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not commenting on the star’s demands.

Irving’s appeal was first reported by ESPN. A four-time All-Star, Irving has spent six seasons with the Cavs, who selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2011. The 25-year-old has overcome injury issues and blossomed into one of the league’s elite point guards and biggest stars.

And now that he’s finally established himself playing alongside LeBron James, Irving wants out.

He’s under contract for two more seasons with Cleveland (he has a player option in 2020), but the Cavs could be inclined to move Irving now and begin another rebuild around James, who can opt out of his contract next summer and leave

Kin Man Hui / San Antonio Express-News file

Pau Gasol averaged 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds last season in 25.4 minutes per game.

tried to fit in at first, right? You just try to fit in, try not to be disruptive and do your best at the same time. It was a little bit of an

adjustment for me, changing roles."

Gasol came to the Spurs with career averages of 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds.

Tony Dejak / Associated Press file

Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving is requesting a trade.

Ohio for the second time.

The bombshell about Irving adds to what has been a tumultuous offseason for the Cavs following their loss in five games to Golden State in the NBA Finals.

General manager David Griffin parted ways with the club after failing to work out a new contract with Gilbert and while other teams have been active in signing free agents the Cavs have been limited in their ability to revamp their roster because of salary-cap issues.

Also, the Cavs courted former NBA star Chauncey Billups but couldn’t get him to join their front office.

Irving’s request to be dealt perhaps sheds some light on the Cavs’ recent

pursuit of former league MVP Derrick Rose. The team has talked to Rose about a one-year contract in recent days, a source familiar with the negotiations told the AP on Thursday.

Rose was thought to be a potential backup, but now it appears he could be needed to start if the Cavs and Irving are indeed breaking up.

There is certain to be major interest in Irving, who averaged a career-high 25.2 points and 5.8 assists in 72 games last season. Irving averaged 25.9 points in his third straight Finals, but he and James couldn’t do enough to match the Warriors, who took back their crown after adding Kevin Durant last summer.

A potential trade partner for the Cavs could be the New York Knicks, who have been trying to unload Carmelo Anthony, a close friend of James. Irving is from New Jersey and would welcome a chance to go back to his home area. However, the Knicks may not have enough assets to intrigue the Cavs and there is a sizeable imbalance in contracts, so the Cavs would have to include other players in any potential deal.

It’s strange that Irving would choose now to ask for a trade.

A8 | Saturday, July 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

FROM THE COVER

‘Game of Thrones’ star Sophie Turner says Sansa is ‘woke now’

By Lindsey Bahr A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

SAN DIEGO — Sansa Stark is woke now, Alfie Allen has a cute dog and everyone got sick of answering all those questions about whether Jon Snow was dead or alive, but little else was revealed at the annual “Game of Thrones” panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday.

Speaking to a 6,500person crowd during the show’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Sophie Turner was joined by some of her fellow cast mates include Alfie Allen (and Allen’s dog Abby), Gwendoline Christie, John Bradley, Isaac Hempsted Wright and Nathalie Emmanuel. Hodor actor Kristian Nairn moderated the gathering.

Notably missing were the show’s biggest stars, like Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey, as well as showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

The popular HBO

SESSIONS From page A1 Philadelphia is among several cities nationwide that have vowed to maintain their “sanctuary city” status. Police Commissioner Richard Ross

BAN From page A1 The move follows the still-unexplained death of Otto F. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who was arrested in Pyongyang in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor for stealing a propaganda poster from his hotel.

After nearly 18 months in prison, Warmbier was released on medical grounds last month. He was flown in a coma to his home in Cincinnati, where he died six days later.

The State Department long has warned Americans not to visit North Korea, as it does for conflict zones and other countries with governments seen as hostile but did not forbid it outright. It thus will become the only country off-limits to U.S. passport holders.

Hundreds of Americans visit North Korea each year on tour groups that specialize in travel to the reclusive country, many citing the allure of a mysterious, little-known part of northeast Asia. Some aid workers, journalists and academics also travel there.

More than a dozen Americans have been arrested and detained in North Korea since 2009. At least three Korean-Americans are still held there, including an accounting teacher who was arrested at the Pyongyang airport in April and charged with unspecified criminal acts.

Tillerson decided to ban U.S. travel to North Korea "due to mounting concerns over the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention" there, Nauert said.

"The safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is one of our highest priorities," she added.

The restriction will be published next week in the Federal Register and take effect 30 days later. Exceptions can be

Michael Dwyer / Associated Press

Marianne van den Broek, of Key West, Florida, works on her sculpture at the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival on Friday, July 21, 2017, in Revere, Massachusetts.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

From left to right, Liam Cunninham, Sophie Turner, Jacob Anderson and Conleth Hill speak onstage at Comic-Con International 2017 on Friday in San Diego, California.

Sand sculpting fest attracts thousands

show kicked off its sevenepisode seventh season on Sunday, with a new episode called Stormborn airing this Sunday.

As usual, the cast remained tight-lipped about the current season or the next, which is planned to be the series’ last.

Turner, whose Sansa Stark has emerged as a major player in the world of Westeros, said her once-naive character no

longer sees the world through “rose-tinted glasses.”

“She’s woke now, guys, she’s real woke,” Turner said. “She’s cool, she trusts no one whether it be man or woman or family or not and I think that’s important when you play the game of thrones.”

She acknowledged the brewing tension between Sansa and her half-broth-

er Jon Snow (Harington), who are now working together. ‘ “There is still that sibling rivalry back from when they were young.

There’s still that sexism that’s ingrained in the culture,” she said. “He’s the military man, she’s the politician. I think they need to realize that they need to stop fighting for ultimate power and just work together.”

REVERE, Mass. — Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend a sand sculpting festival on a Massachusetts beach this weekend.

The International Sand Sculpting Festival on Revere Beach got underway Friday morning.

The festival runs through Sunday.

The competition draws sand sculptors from all over the United States and the world, from countries as close as Canada and as far away as Russia.

The first place prize is $5,000.

Sculptures include a 20-foot-wide depiction of the U.S.S. Constitution and a 10-foot-tall lighthouse.

— who was present for Sessions’ remarks and met briefly with the attorney general before his address — said he does not think local law enforcement “belongs in the immigration business.”

“As it relates to violent crime, our problems are

not people from other countries,” Ross said.

“Our problem is the young men here who are hopeless about a lot of things.”

Ross referred to Philadelphia instead as a “welcoming city” and said Sessions’ approach could

have a chilling effect on efforts to encourage immigrants to report crimes.

President Donald Trump has tried to cut funding from cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. A federal judge

last week said he’s not likely to reinstate Trump’s executive order to cut funding from cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.

Sessions’ trip came on the heels of a New York Times interview pub-

lished this week in which the president expressed frustration with Sessions for recusing himself from the FBI probe into Russian election tampering.

Sessions did not take questions from reporters after making his remarks.

“The president has really good karma and the world turns back to him,” Scaramucci said.

Spicer said during a brief phone conversation with The Associated Press that he felt it would be best for Scaramucci to build his own operation “and chart a new way forward.” He tweeted that it had been an “honor” and “privilege” to serve Trump and that he would remain in his post through August.

His decision to quit took advisers inside and outside the White House by surprise, according to people with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the personnel matter publicly.

Spicer’s daily press briefings had become must-watch television until recent weeks when he took on a more behind-the-scenes role.

Sanders has largely taken over the briefings, turning them into offcamera events.

The White House has been looking for a new communications director for several weeks, but struggled to attract an experienced Republican hand. Scaramuuci began seriously talking to the White House about the position this week, and Trump formally offered him the job Friday morning.

A person with knowledge of the decision said Trump has been impressed by Scaramucci’s defense of the White House on television and his handling of a recent incident with CNN. The cable channel retracted a story about Scaramucci and fired three journalists.

A shift in tone and style was immediate. A longtime television commentator, Scaramucci’s delivery was smooth and polished. Unlike Spicer, who had an at-times combative relationship with the press, Scaramucci was warm and more measured as he took questions.

He did not commit to putting the briefings back on camera full-

time. He also offered a level of support to some of Trump’s most outlandish statements, including his unproven claim that millions of illegal votes were cast in the 2016 election.

“If the president says it ... there’s probably some level of truth to that,” he said.

He also made clear that he would continue the West Wing’s plan to push back against media reports it doesn’t like — and would do a better job of selling its victories.

“The president is a winner. And we’re going to do a lot of winning,” said Scaramucci, who blew a kiss to the press corps before departing.

Spicer had long sought the strategic communications job for himself and had been managing that role along with his press secretary duties for nearly two months.

Spicer had spent several years leading communications at the Republican National Committee before helping Trump’s campaign in the general election. He is close to White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, the former RNC chair, and several of the lowerranking aides in the White House communications shop.

Priebus told The Associated Press he supports Scaramucci “100 percent,” despite reportedly trying to prevent the financier from getting multiple administration positions. Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, and her husband, powerful senior aide Jared Kushner, had known Scaramucci for years from New York and pushed for his hire.

Scaramucci, a frequent visitor to Trump Tower during the transition, is expected to play a visible role as one of Trump’s defenders on television.

But Spicer and other officials questioned his hiring as communications director ahead of the president’s push to overhaul the tax system and other policy issues.

Spicer and other staffers had been feeling that they finally had the press shop operating effective-

ly, aside from matters related to the Russia investigation, said one of the people familiar with the situation.

Scaramucci notably said he reports directly to the president, not to the chief of staff — a highly unusual arrangement for a communications director and a possible reflection that Priebus’ standing with Trump is often uncertain.

The financier had been told by the administration that he would be nominated as U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an intergovernmental economic organization that includes the world’s better-off countries.

Spicer’s tenure got off to a rocky start. On Trump’s first full day in office, he lambasted journalists over coverage of the crowd size at the inauguration and stormed out of the briefing room without answering questions.

Spicer, who often displayed a fiery demeanor in tense on-camera exchanges with reporters, became widely known, particularly through an indelible impersonation

by Melissa McCarthy on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

She portrayed Spicer as a hostile figure who tore through the briefing room on a motorized podium, willing to attack the press.

Spicer remained loyal to Trump but frequently battled perceptions that he was not plugged in to what the president was thinking, and had to worry that Trump was watching and critiquing his performance from the Oval Office.

The resignation comes a day after Mark Corallo, the spokesman for the president’s outside legal team, left his post. And in a separate move, former White House aide Katie Walsh is returning to the RNC, spokesman Ryan Mahoney said.

Walsh will serve as an adviser on data and digital issues, and the appointment is unrelated to the White House personnel changes, he said.

made on a case-by-case basis for some humanitarian travel, Nauert said.

The action comes as President Donald Trump grapples to find a strategy to pressure North Korea to rein in its robust nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests in a period of rising tensions.

In April, Trump personally sought the help of Chinese President Xi Jinping to influence North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but that strategy has largely failed to produce results.

Since then, the administration has added new sanctions on people or companies, including some in China, that do business in or with North Korea.

Earlier this month, North Korea tested a missile that flew a trajectory that U.S. experts said indicated an ability for the first time to cross the Pacific and potentially threaten the United States.

U.S. officials say the country has yet to build a nuclear weapon small enough to fit atop a missile and survive re-entry into the atmosphere, but that is probably a matter of time.

Warmbier’s family says they have not received a satisfactory explanation of what led to his death.

North Korean authorities said Warmbier contracted botulism shortly after he was imprisoned, was given a sleeping pill and never woke up. U.S. doctors did not find that version plausible.

Warmbier’s travel agency was Young Pioneer Tours, which advertised with the slogan, "Budget tours to destinations your mother wants you to stay away from."

Pioneer Tours said it on its website Friday that the ban is likely to take effect around Aug. 27. After that, "any U.S. national that travels to North Korea will have their passport invalidated by their government."

SPICER From page A1 benefit from a clean slate” as the White House seeks to steady operations amid the Russia investigations and ahead of a health care showdown.

Spicer quit in protest over the hiring of a new White House communications director, New York financier Anthony Scaramucci, objecting to what Spicer considered his lack of qualifications as well as the direction of the press operation, according to people familiar with the situation.

Scaramucci, a polished television commentator and Harvard Law graduate, quickly took center stage at a briefing, parrying questions from reporters and commending Trump in a 37-minute charm offensive.

As his first act on the job, Scaramucci announced that Sarah Huckabee Sanders would be the new press secretary. She had been Spicer’s deputy.

The shake-up on the communications team comes as Trump is suffering from dismal approval ratings and struggling to advance his agenda. The president has been frustrated by all the attention devoted to investigations of allegations of his election campaign’s connections to Russia.

Trump, who watches the press briefings closely and believes he is his own best spokesman, in a statement saluted Spicer’s “great ratings” on TV and said he was “grateful for Sean’s work on behalf of my administration and the American people.”

Scaramucci, in an appearance after his appointment was made official, flashed the television skills that Trump has long valued: He praised Trump’s political instincts and competitiveness, cracked a few self-deprecating jokes and battled with reporters who categorized the West Wing as dysfunctional, saying “there is a disconnect” between the media and the way the public sees the president.

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 22, 2017 |

A9

BUSINESS

Jobless rates fall in nearly half of U.S.

By Christopher S. Rugaber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WASHINGTON — Hiring rose last month in 14 U.S. states in June, and the unemployment rate fell to record lows in two states, evidence that the job market is getting tighter across much of the country.

The Labor Department said Friday that unemployment rates fell in 10 states and rose in only 2.

Rates were stable in the other 38 states.

After five years of steady hiring, unemployment rates have fallen below 4 percent in 23 states. Unemployment that low suggests that those states are at “full employment,” when nearly everyone who wants a job has one and the unemployment rate reflects the normal churn of hiring and firing.

The rate has fallen below 3 percent in five states: Colorado, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Dakota.

When unemployment falls that low, businesses may be forced to raise pay to compete for scarce workers. So far, wage gains nationwide remain at about 2.5 percent a

year, below the 3.5 percent pace normally associated with a healthy economy.

North Dakota’s unemployment rate fell to 2.3 percent, a record low for the state dating back to 1976 and tying for lowest in the nation with Colorado. Tennessee’s rate of 3.6 percent is also a record low for that state.

Nationwide, employers added 222,000 jobs in June, the most in four months. The unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.4 percent from 4.3 percent.

Nevada, Iowa and Georgia reported the largest percentage job gains, followed by Nebraska and West Virginia. The biggest job gain was in Texas, which added 40,200 positions, followed by Georgia with 27,400 and New York with 26,000.

Alaska’s unemployment rate of 6.8 percent is the nation’s highest, followed by New Mexico at 6.4 percent.

Michigan and Tennessee reported the largest declines in unemployment, with Michigan’s rate falling from 4.2 percent to 3.8 percent. Tennessee’s dropped from 4 percent to 3.6 percent.

US rig count decreases by 2 this week ASSOCIATED PRE SS

HOUSTON — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. decreased by two this week to 950.

A year ago, just 462 rigs were active.

Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes said Friday that 764 rigs sought oil and 186 explored for natural gas this week.

Among major oil- and gas-producing states, Louisiana gained four

rigs, California increased by two and North Dakota and Utah each gained one.

Oklahoma and Texas each declined by three, New Mexico fell by two and Alaska decreased by one.

Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming were all unchanged.

The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in May of 2016 at 404.

Stocks decline, dollar sinks as politics take a toll

By Eric J. Weiner BL OOMBERG NEWS

U.S. stocks sank Friday and the euro climbed to its highest level against the dollar since January 2015 as investors assessed an investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump that may stall his economic agenda.

European shares fell as the common currency’s rally weighed on carmakers and other exporters.

Oil slumped after reports that OPEC supply increased this month.

All major U.S. equity gauges ended lower, with energy shares leading decliners in the S&P 500 Index. Industrials also struggled as General Electric Co. dropped 3 percent on the company’s warning that its earnings for the year will likely be at near the bottom of its projected range. The Bloomberg

Bryan R. Smith / AFP/Getty Images

Traders work on the floor at the closing bell of the Dow Industrial Average at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday in New York.

Dollar Spot Index hit a 14-month low.

Politics remained at the forefront in the U.S., with reports that special counsel Robert Mueller is expanding his investigation to include Trump’s business dealings and the president telling the New York

Times that any digging into his finances would cross a red line. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigned Friday as Trump named financier Anthony Scaramucci communications director.

The euro gathered momentum following

Thursday’s comments by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi that policy makers in the fall will discuss unwinding quantitative easing.

Rising hawkishness from the ECB has helped the euro rally from lows last seen near the start of the millennium, with investors expecting tapering to start in the new year and pricing in a 10 basis point rate hike by September 2018.

“Draghi tried to talk the euro down, even going so far as to suggest that ECB’s quantitative easing could be increased and prolonged,” said Yann Quelenn, a market strategist at Swissquote Bank SA. “But the currency markets were not buying Draghi’s line, and neither are we. Available bonds are too scarce, and turn to a taper is too clear to disguise.”

Ford says it will fight latest Takata recall

By Tom Krisher A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

DETROIT — Ford is fighting the latest expansion of the Takata air bag inflator recall.

Earlier this month, Takata filed documents with the U.S. government adding 2.7 million vehicles to the recall from Ford, Nissan and Mazda.

All have inflators with a drying agent that previously were thought to be safe.

But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said that Takata tests showed the inflator propellant can degrade and will pose a safety risk if the inflators aren’t replaced.

Nissan agreed to recall about 515,000 Versa cars, but Ford and Mazda filed petitions to avoid a recall.

Takata inflators can

Paul Sancya / AP

This photo shows TK Holdings Inc. in Michigan. Takata is adding 2.7 million vehicles from Ford, Nissan and Mazda to the list of those recalled to replace potentially dangerous air bag inflators.

explode with too much force and spew shrapnel into drivers and passengers. As many as 18 people have died and more than 180 injured due to the problem. The inflators have caused the largest automotive recall in U.S. history with 42 million vehicles and up to 69 million inflators being called back for repairs.

Takata uses the chem-

ical ammonium nitrate to inflate air bags. But it can deteriorate when exposed to high airborne humidity and high temperatures. Previously the company believed that a drying agent called a desiccant stopped the chemical from degrading.

Ford, which has more than 2 million vehicles involved in the latest recall, says the propellant

has not deteriorated in any of its inflators taken from vehicles in the field.

The company says it will file a petition with NHTSA to further study its inflators. “At this point there is no data to suggest a recall is needed,” the company said in a statement.

Takata also identified about 6,000 Mazda BSeries pickup trucks

from 2007 through 2009 that also have the potentially faulty inflators.

Mazda, which used to be owned by Ford, said its trucks are based on Ford’s Ranger, so it decided to follow Ford in seeking a recall exemption.

The inflators in question were produced by Takata from 2005 to 2012.

NHTSA says there have been no ruptures in the

real world or in testing, and that other Takata inflators with the drying agent have not been recalled.

The agency said Friday that Ford and Mazda filed recall notices with the agency but also said they will turn in petitions seeking to avoid additional recalls. Such paperwork has to be filed within 30 days, and NHTSA will make the final decision.

Ford vehicles in question include the 2006 through 2012 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ sedans, the 2007 to 2011 Ford Ranger pickup and the 2007 through 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX SUVs. Nissan’s recall covers just over 515,000 Versa subcompact hatchback and sedans from the 2007 through 2012 model years.

A10 | Saturday, July 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES