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ZAPATA COUNTY ISD
FEDERAL COURT
Focus on students
Court: 4 charged in pot case
Superintendent faces board evaluation on Tuesday By RICARDO R. VILLARREAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata County Independent School District Board of Trustees is scheduled to evaluate Superintendent Norma Garza Garcia on Tuesday.
Garcia said in a printed handout emailed to The Zapata Times that the district has undergone and overcome many challenges and that she hopes to “meet expectations.” “Dr. Garcia is very motivated and willing to move the district
forward,” said board President Jose M. Ramirez III. “She has had many challenges in the little over a year she’s been on the job.” In the email response, Garcia identified some of the major initiatives the district has taken
under her leadership as adopting a new vision and goals to improve student achievement, which are aligned with state and federal requirements. These include intensive staff
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ See EVALUATION PAGE 9A
NO ME OLIVIDES CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
HONORING CANCER VICTIMS
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Adriana Ramos, a member of the LMC Auxiliary, wipes a tear from her eyes as she particiaptes in the "No me olivides" candlelight vigil Monday evening at the Laredo Medical Center grounds. The event in Laredo honored cancer survivors and victims.
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Federal authorities formally pressed charges Wednesday on four men accused of packaging approximately 1 ton of pot and conspiring to distribute it, according to court documents. DEA identified the men in court records as Reymundo Tanguma Gonzalez, 39; Ramon Robles-Gonzalez, 26; Eliseo Rodriguez-Morales, 40; and Eliseo Rodriguez-Nuñez, 20. They are facing charges of conspiring and possessing with intent to distribute 2,085 pounds of marijuana. Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office deputies responded to suspicious activity reported in the 5300 block of Davis Lane in the Siesta Shores subdivision on Sept. 27. As deputies responded to the area, Gonzalez was seen leaving the area. A deputy approached Gonzalez to question him about suspicious activity in the area. Meanwhile, assisting deputies noticed the residence on Davis had the front door open. Deputies approached the home thinking the house had been burglarized, but instead they found several bundles of suspected marijuana wrapped in cellophane. “The suspected bundles of marijuana were being stored inside the residence to be packaged for transportation,” a complaint states. The complaint adds the marijuana was already packaged in plastic bags with cement mix placed inside. At the scene, deputies saw three men — RoblesGonzalez, Rodriguez-Morales and Rodriguez Nuñez — avoiding contact with authorities. Deputies detained them for questioning and took them to the sheriff ’s office. “Zapata County sheriff ’s deputies noticed gray powder residue on the shoes of all four individuals,” a complaint states, leading authorities to believe all men were at one point inside the home. A U.S. Border Patrol K-9 unit called out to the scene detected the presence of more bundles in other rooms of the home, court documents state. Based on the amount of narcotics seized, deputies contacted DEA agents. After the arrest, Gonzalez and Robles-Gonzalez told authorities they wanted to speak to a lawyer. Rodriguez-Nuñez agreed to talk to officials. “Rodriguez-Nuñez stated that all four suspects were packaging bundles of marijuana into brown boxes. Rodriguez-Nuñez stated that he was hired by an unidentified individual to package the marijuana,” the complaint states. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)