Saturday, September 27, 2014

AZMEX UPDATE 27-9-14

AZMEX UPDATE 27 SEP 2014


Sep 26, 6:54 PM EDT
Mexican cartel leader's son pleads guilty in US

By ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DRUG_LORDS_SON_AZOL-?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The son of one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords pleaded guilty Friday to drug trafficking charges that carry a punishment of at least 10 years in prison, the latest development in a federal investigation targeting the Sinaloa cartel.

Serafin Zambada, 24, acknowledged conspiring to bring more than 100 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana from Mexico to the United States, prosecutors said.

The son of Sinaloa cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada could face a maximum sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced May 22 for conspiracy to import cocaine and marijuana.

The younger Zambada was arrested last year at a border crossing in Nogales, Arizona, while traveling with his wife, who was released.

Serafin Zambada, who was born in San Diego and attended high school in Phoenix, was on his way to Phoenix for an appointment with U.S. immigration authorities to arrange legal status for his wife when he was arrested, said Saji Vettiyil, his attorney. Zambada showed border inspectors his U.S. passport.

The younger Zambada was arrested in a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation that began in late 2011 in the San Diego area, according to court documents. Zambada's attorney has said the investigation involved wiretaps of 30 to 100 phone lines.

The same investigation resulted in last year's arrest of Jose Rodrigo Arechiga, known as "Chino Antrax," who authorities suspect is a Sinaloa cartel enforcer. He was taken into custody after arriving in Amsterdam on a flight from Mexico City.

Arechiga, who was extradited to face charges in San Diego, is accused by U.S. authorities of providing personal security to Ismael Zambada and his family and killing Zambada family rivals.

Vettiyil said the elder Zambada gave no legal advice to his son and did not pay his attorney. He said Serafin Zambada's clean criminal history will allow him to argue for a lighter sentence than the 10-year minimum.

"He was a young man, he has a family, he has a university degree, and his involvement was quite limited compared to other people," Vettiyil said.

END




Sep 26, 12:21 PM EDT
Marijuana found in crashed car after I-10 chase

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_DRUG_CAR_ROLLOVER_AZOL-?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Police officers officers found over 100 pounds of baled marijuana in a car that overturned after a chase that reached up to 119 miles per hour in the Phoenix area.

What they haven't found so far is the driver.

Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Raul Garcia says the tan sedan rolled early Friday morning when the driver got off Interstate 10 and then attempted to re-enter the freeway.

Garcia says the pursuit began when a DPS officer tried to stop the vehicle for reckless driving and the driver refused to stop. The driver reportedly had been swerved between lanes and erratically speeding up and slowing down.

Phoenix and Tempe police also participated in the pursuit.

END




Note: What they don't tell you is he is an illegal alien. Probation?

Man gets 8 years in prison for 2013 hit-and-run death of Phoenix police officer
ASSOCIATED PRESS, | September 26, 2014 @ 8:29 pm

http://ktar.com/22/1770064/Man-gets-8-years-in-prison-for-2013-hitandrun-death-of-Phoenix-police-officer

PHOENIX -- A man charged in the hit-and-run death of a Phoenix police officer has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Maricopa County prosecutors said 24-year-old Jesus Cabrera Molina also was sentenced Friday to seven years of probation.

He pleaded no contest to charges of negligent homicide and hit-and-run with death or injury.

Molina originally was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal collision.

Police said 29-year-old Officer Daryl Raetz was conducting a DUI stop on May 19, 2013, in west Phoenix when another vehicle struck him and fled the scene. The six-year veteran later died at a hospital.

Investigators matched pieces of the vehicle from the scene with parts missing from Molina's SUV.

Molina told police he was drinking and doing cocaine hours the accident.

end

Thursday, September 25, 2014

AZMEX I3 25-9-14 School safety

AZMEX I3 25 SEP 2014

Note: Effective measures for actual school safety remain almost non existent. TUSD is a prime example.


Immigration issue delays program to put cops in schools
11 hours ago •
By Darren DaRonco

http://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/immigration-issue-delays-program-to-put-cops-in-schools/article_ee38e73f-837b-5da5-9be3-a08d1d17c541.html

Class is back in session. But students in Tucson middle and high schools will have to wait a little longer for police in the city's newly restored School Resource Officer program to join them on campus.

The City Council delayed approving an agreement with Tucson Unified and Amphitheater school districts Tuesday night over concerns about officers asking students about their immigration status.

The SRO program was shut down five years ago to cut costs. But a scaled-back version was in the works this year utilizing a nearly $850,000 state grant to create 10-officer program.

That program is now on hold while the city negotiates new agreements with the districts incorporating immigration status provisions.

Councilwoman Regina Romero blasted the city attorney and police chief Tuesday night, accusing them of defying council orders by failing to include a provision in the agreement explicitly forbidding police officers to ask students about their immigration status under any circumstance.

Romero said the council was clear on that point when it voted in July to add school resource officers — which the city didn't have at the time — to a city policy limiting when police can ask anyone about their immigration status.

However, a transcript of the July meeting is less than clear.

While it shows Romero moved to prohibit any questioning of students, she also explains the motion is linked to a November council policy to prohibit any police officers from questioning students without a parent, guardian or attorney present, which is now TPD policy.

Council members were told in both November and July a total prohibition would be illegal.

Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor told Romero again Tuesday that he couldn't order his officers to break a law, regardless of how unpopular it is.

"There were clear statements made that day that we cannot require officers to neglect their lawful duty," Villaseñor said, reminding the council of the July discussion.

"As the chief of police, I'm obligated by charter to provide for public safety and have full control over the Police Department. I do not agree to implement an order that requires me to violate the law. This type of directive requires me to violate the law. And I will not do it," he said.

Romero then grilled Villaseñor on whether or not he was ignoring council direction.

To each accusation, Villaseñor responded he could not violate the law.

City Attorney Mike Rankin said Tucson Police Department's new rules regarding how officers questioned juveniles on immigration status applied to school resource officers as well.

In addition to requiring a parent, guardian or attorney be present, Rankin said TPD rules restrict school resource officers even further since they can only inquire about a student's immigration status if it is directly relevant to an investigation — something, Rankin said would be unlikely to occur with a school resource officer.

Councilwoman Karin Uhlich eventually made a motion to draft a new agreement with the schools that reflects current TPD rules.

Romero felt it didn't go far enough and voted against it.

"A parent should not stay at home or go to work and have any doubt in their mind that their child is going to get deported when they go to school," Romero said. "This questioning should never happen at schools."

The motion passed 6-1.

Villaseñor said he wasn't trying to subvert the council's will.

"I wholeheartedly support the position of mayor and council and the necessity of removing local law enforcement from federal immigration enforcement," he said. "However, I am bound by the restrictions of the laws that were passed under SB 1070 and the provision that was taken all the way to the Supreme Court and upheld. It's the system I work under."

The agreements will now have to be rewritten and approved by the respective school board before they take effect.

TUSD and Amphitheater received grants from the Arizona Department of Education to fund school resource officers this year.

TUSD will receive $736,920, which will pay for eight officers, and Amphitheater will get $110,000 for one officer. A sergeant will also be appointed to coordinate the school resource officers.


END

Saturday, September 13, 2014

AZMEX UPDATE 13-9-14

AZMEX UPDATE 13 SEP 2014

Note: One can only imagine the deals that were made.



Mexico closes customs checkpoint south of Nogales, Sonora
A banner at the Mexican customs checkpoint at Agua Zarca, 21 kilometers south of the U.S.-Mexico border, announces its closure.
Posted: Friday, September 12, 2014 4:47 pm | Updated: 5:58 pm, Fri Sep 12, 2014.
By Murphy Woodhouse
Nogales International

http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/mexico-closes-customs-checkpoint-south-of-nogales-sonora/article_2689536e-3ad7-11e4-aa3f-0f49fb244d55.html

The Mexican government has closed its customs checkpoint on Highway 15 south of Nogales, Sonora, eliminating a second layer of inspection at the border that President Enrique Peña Nieto said had become unnecessary and cumbersome.

For southbound commercial and tourist vehicle traffic, the closure of the Agua Zarca checkpoint will likely mean shorter wait times for those headed south to Hermosillo and beyond. Immigration services at the facility, commonly known as Kilometer 21, will be unaffected.

Miguel Pacheco, owner of Nogales-based USA-Mex-Can Transport, said that the change will speed up the truckloads of heavy machinery his company takes into Mexico up to five times daily during peak months.
"It's going to be really good because there will be no more delays at Kilometer 21," he said.
According to Pacheco, those delays lasted up to two hours, on top of crossing delays near the border, depending on "how many trucks are to be inspected."

Two other interior Sonoran checkpoints, Cabullona south of Agua Prieta and San Antonio near Imuris, were also closed, as well six others in in the border states of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas, according to an announcement Friday by Peña Nieto.

"Today we arrived at the last stage, the last step toward closing the last checkpoints that have no reason to be and which will make travel much faster, more comfortable and safer for those who previously had to pass through customs checkpoints," the president said during a speech in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.
The checkpoints are run by the Mexico's Tax Administration Service (SAT), the federal agency tasked with enforcing the country's customs laws.

Mexican customs revisions at the border itself – including those immediately south of the Dennis DeConcini and Mariposa ports of entry – are not affected by the change and travellers will still have to pass through them.

Also unchanged is the requirement that foreign travelers heading south of Kilometer 21 must obtain a tourist permit from Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM). Those who don't pick up a permit at the INM office on the south side on the DeConcini port can still apply at the office at Kilometer 21, according to INM Nogales delegate Carla Veronica Vazquez.

"Independently of the fact that there will no longer be a customs inspection, foreigners and nationals of other countries must come to the migration office to get documented," she said.

Vazquez said that she had received no word that indicated that the president's announcement will affect her agency's work south of Nogales.

"As of right now, we have not received any other instruction," she said. "We will remain at Kilometer 21 issuing permits to foreigners and nationals of the United States or any other country."

Vazquez said that Banjercito, the agency that issues vehicle import permits for drivers traveling outside of Sonora's permit-free zone, will also continue its operations at Kilometer 21. A woman who answered the phone Friday at Banjercito's Agua Zarca office also said operations there remain unchanged.

In a speech in May in Cancun announcing the closure of several customs checkpoints in Southern Mexico, Peña Nieto said the days of drivers being "daily bothered by having to pass through (interior) customs checkpoints" are over. According to a news release posted Friday on the SAT website, 26 of the nation's 40 interior customs checkpoints have now been eliminated since Peña Nieto took office in 2012.

On Friday in Reynosa, Peña Nieto also announced the lifting of a $14,000 cap on monthly U.S. dollar deposits from border-area Mexican businesses, an anti-money laundering measure that had been in place since 2010.

END




Note: and then we have this:

Feds to fly in radiation expert
In this file photo from January, a Border Patrol agent shows how the X-ray van at the Interstate 19 checkpoint detects contraband.

Posted: Friday, September 12, 2014 8:04 am | Updated: 9:18 am, Fri Sep 12, 2014.
By Curt Prendergast
Nogales International

http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/feds-to-fly-in-radiation-expert/article_284b9c82-3a8e-11e4-9a11-a7990d7ef3eb.html

In response to concerns aired by the Nogales City Council, the federal government plans to fly a radiation expert to Nogales to explain whether radiation levels at local ports of entry pose a health risk to residents, customs officers and border-crossers.

At issue is the Z-Portal that was deployed at the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry earlier this year. The system, which uses low energy X-rays to scan vehicles for contraband, was first used at the San Ysidro, Calif. port of entry in 2008. Since then, CBP has expanded its use along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The City of Nogales is the first border town government to complain about the radiation, said Joe Agosttini, assistant port director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at the council's regular meeting Wednesday.
"We appreciate that opportunity for us to give you that proof and the study so that everybody can feel comfortable and at ease," he said.
"We will fly an expert from Washington, D.C. who has an extensive background," Agosttini said. "He has a history of all the research that we conducted throughout the Mexican land border."

The item was put on the meeting's agenda by Mayor Arturo Garino, who said residents had approached him with worries about the equipment used by CBP to X-ray vehicles.
"Even if we have one concerned citizen, as a council we should address the issue," Garino said.
Nogales resident Marvin Yamamoto, who said he operated nuclear reactors for the U.S. Navy, asked why no radiation warning signs are on the equipment at local ports of entry.
"What are the levels? They're not telling us and I'd like to know what they are," Yamamoto said.
He also questioned the safety of CBP vans equipped with "backscatter" technology that can inspect cars on the street.
"If I'm standing on the street, I'm going to get zapped," he said.

The "controlled area" from a van equipped with the system extends 24 feet from the side where the X-ray beam is located and 5 feet from the other three sides, according to the environmental assessment conducted by CBP in 2008.
The vans also raise questions about illegal searches, Yamamoto said. "Isn't that search without a warrant? What's the justification for that?" he asked.

The European Union banned such scanners from their ports for safety reasons, he said, adding: "I'd like to hear why it's allowed in the United States, but it's unsafe in Europe."
After reading a story in the NI in which Garino floated the idea of the city conducting a study of health risks posed by the Z-Portal, Agosttini said, he decided to address the council.
"A study of radiation is going to be a very expensive project for the city," he said.
Private companies, in conjunction with federal nuclear regulators, conducted a study of potential radiation exposure and the expert will explain the systems that monitor pedestrians, private vehicles, and cargo, he said.

Vice Mayor Nubar Hanessian asked if the expert could speak to the council members at their next meeting, slated for Oct. 1. Agosttini said he could not commit to that date without speaking with his superiors at CBP.

Reports on risks
X-rays give off ionizing radiation that strips electrons from molecules. Those electrons then damage other cells, which in high doses can cause cancer, as well as mental disabilities in children whose mothers were exposed to radiation while pregnant, according to a 2006 report by the National Academy of Sciences.
No negative health effects have been shown among workers exposed to low doses of radiation for long periods of time, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. However, any radiation may pose some risk for causing cancer.

So far, Agosttini said, he has not received reports of health problems arising from the equipment.
Customs officers carry a radiation detection device on their belts for the dual purpose of monitoring the Z-Portal's radiation and any nuclear contraband that drivers may attempt to smuggle, he said.

Massachusetts-based American Science and Engineering, Inc. supplies CBP with the Z-Portal systems.
The company says the amount of radiation received by a person going through a Z-Portal is equivalent to one minute of flying in an airplane at 30,000 feet, due to increased exposure to cosmic rays at high altitudes, or 1 percent of what an average person receives on any given day.

The machine can handle 80 trucks, or 120 passenger vehicles, per hour, according to ASE. The machine automatically shuts off if the speed of a vehicle drops below a certain level, which would increase the amount of exposure.

The 2008 environmental assessment concluded the system would not create measurable health risks for border crossers or CBP employees operating the system.

Vehicle occupants would have to pass through the Z-Portal 33,333 times in a year to exceed exposure limits set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Radiation exposure from the vans would be even less, according to the CBP assessment, given that occupants exit the vehicle before it is scanned. For people hidden inside vehicles, the radiation exposure would be 118,000 times below permissible levels.

However, van operators face the greatest risk, reaching one-fourth of the permissible levels if they run the system 2,000 hours in a year.

Built-in shielding in the stationary Z-Portal and a "controlled area" line that customs officers stand behind while operating the system will protect officers and port employees, the assessment says. The controlled area extends 10 feet from the exit and entrance, where the shielding does not protect from radiation.

More Coverage
Radiation at local ports on city's agenda

END



Note: Background.

Nacional
Publicado septiembre 12, 2014, 11:33 pm
Anuncia Peña el cierre de garitas
enrique peña Nieto
REFORMA
Reynosa, Tamaulipas - Nuevo Día

http://nuevodia.com.mx/seccion/nacional/anuncia-pena-el-cierre-de-garitas

El presidente Enrique Peña Nieto anunció el cierre definitivo de la garita aduanal de Anáhuac, Nuevo León, llamada "Camarón", así como las del kilómetro 26 en la carretera a Nuevo Laredo y la del kilómetro 30 en la vía a Reynosa, entre otras.
En un evento celebrado en el Parque Cultural de Reynosa, denominado Mejoramiento del Régimen para Operaciones con Dólares en Efectivo y Cierre de Garitas", Peña arrancó un fuerte aplauso de más de mil 200 invitados cuando anunció el cierre de garitas de Reynosa y otros municipios tamaulipecos.
Además, también informó sobre el cierre de las garitas de Matamoros, Ciudad
Victoria, denominadas "Las Yescas", y la garita de la carretera Reynosa-San
Fernando.
Tres puntos de inspección aduaneros en Sonora, la garita Cabullona, la de Nogales y la carretera San Antonio, también cerrarán.
Dijo que era una decisión gubernamental cerrar las garitas del interior, pero ahora también las de la frontera están cerradas para incentivar el comercio internacional y agilizar el tráfico de mercancías.

FIN






Libre cruce por el Km 21 oficial cierre de garita
Detalles Publicado el Sabado 13 de Septiembre de 2014,
Escrito por Cesar Barragan / El Diario

http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/nota.php?nota=37573

Nogales

Desde la mañana de ayer, miles de vehículos han cruzado libremente por la garita Agua Zarca, ubicada en el kilometro 21 de esta frontera, ante el cierre definitivo de este punto de revisión, por parte del Gobierno Federal.

Esto se pudo apreciar desde las 10:30 horas de ayer, cuando personal que labora en dichas instalaciones se retiró del lugar, quedando solo oficiales de Comercio Exterior para el resguardo del inmueble.
Por tal motivo vehículos nacionales, fronterizos y extranjeros, así como de transporte de carga y pasajeros, han tenido libre paso por los carriles externos de la aduana, desviados por una simple línea de conos y cinta de precaución.
En el lugar se tuvo conocimiento de que las oficinas de Banjercito siguen funcionando normalmente y al cien por ciento, para los trámites regulares, pues todo cruce de vehículo debe de realizar sus trámites correspondientes.
"Vehículos extranjeros deben de realizar su importación temporal al país al igual que los fronterizos su internación temporal (180 días en el transcurso por un año)", establece el reglamento.
Por otra parte, de manera oficial no se ha informado si a raíz del cierre de la garita se intensificarán los retenes de Comercio Exterior que se instalan en varios puntos de la carretera rumbo a Hermosillo, mismos que se dan a la tarea de detectar vehículos 'chocolates'.

No sabía del cierre de garita: Administrador
El actual Administrador de la Aduana en Nogales, Rodolfo Aguilera Colón, dijo a través de su secretaria particular que no tenía conocimiento de que alguna garita de Nogales estuviera cerrada.
Momentos después la ejecutiva del funcionario señaló que sería el gobierno federal quien se encargaría de dar a conocer los detalles y de hacer oficial el cierre, pues ellos ignoran tal situación.

FIN




Publicado septiembre 13, 2014, 3:13 am
Llega nuevo administrador de la Aduana
Surtieron cambios los nombramientos de varios titulares de direcciones de Aduanas del SAT en el país, incluyendo Nogales.
Rodolfo Aguilera Colón inicia la nueva era en Nogales con el cierre de garita intermedia

Hiram G. Machi
Nogales, Sonora - Nuevo Día

http://nuevodia.com.mx/seccion/local/llega-nuevo-administrador-de-la-aduana

Cambios recientes en las administraciones de Aduanas en el país surtieron efecto entre los que destacan los nombramientos del nuevo titular en esta ciudad.
La Administración General de Aduanas del SAT, designó a José Julián Dip Leos, como administrador de Aduanas en Tijuana, quien estuvo anteriormente en las administraciones de Colima y Tamaulipas.
Sustituye a González Guilbot quien se desempeñó en el cargo desde el 16 de marzo de 2013. Los cambios se registraron junto con otras plazas del país en los que destacan algunos nombres como: Arturo Alejandro de la Vega, en Mexicali; Roberto Gabriel Vera Azar, en San Luis Río Colorado; Rodolfo Aguilera Colón, de Nogales y Patricio Arturo Elizondo León, del Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México, confirmaron autoridades del SAT. Cabe destacar que en esta ciudad, después de la renuncia de Rigoberto Valenzuela Pereyra, fue nombrado Rodolfo Aguilera Colón, así mismo, el que fuera Subadministrador Mario Alberto Rodríguez, ocupó la titularidad en de San Luis Río Colorado.

fin



Publicado septiembre 13, 2014, 3:13 am
Avala Alcalde eliminación de revisión
El Presidente Municipal, Ramón Guzmán Muñoz, avaló el cierre de la garita del kilómetro 21, decretado por el Presidente, Enrique Peña Nieto.
Decretado por el Presidente, Enrique Peña Nieto en Nogales

Redacción
Nogales, Sonora - Nuevo Día

http://nuevodia.com.mx/seccion/local/avala-alcalde-eliminacion-de-revision

El Alcalde, Ramón Guzmán Muñoz, avaló el decreto del Presidente de México, Enrique Peña Nieto, para el cierre de la garita "Agua Zarca" del kilómetro 21, que se ubica en Nogales.
El Presidente Municipal manifestó que esto beneficiará y mejorará la política de internación, ya que agilizará el comercio y el turismo, además, anunció que sólo quedarán las aduanas que están al ingresar a territorio mexicano en la Línea Fronteriza.
"Esto, definitivamente dará competitividad a esta frontera, definitivamente tenía que ocurrir, por eso, desde que se dio a conocer por el Presidente Peña Nieto, en noviembre de 2013, nosotros aplaudimos esta decisión", expresó Guzmán Muñoz.
El Alcalde expresó que también cerrarán en diferentes puntos otras ocho garitas internas, mencionó que pidió al nuevo administrador de la Aduana en Nogales Rodolfo Aguilera Colón platicar en su momento de manera amplia sobre lo que significa este cierre para que la gente sepa todos los detalles sobre esto.
,

fin

Monday, September 8, 2014

AZMEX SPECIAL 9-9-14

AZMEX SPECIAL 9 SEP 2014

Note: La Jornada: Do you believe in the right to defend oneself?
"Society's authority is delegated--all of it. All legitimate authority begins with self-defense, by people who are first willing to do something for ourselves and then for others."

The family has roots in AZ, and a long time in Chih. the Janos and Nuevos Casas Grandes areas. The family has been active in the fight against the drug cartels and corruption.

Comment: So much of this now applies to the U.S. Que triste


From the good folks at Borderland Beat
http://www.borderlandbeat.com

The Movement Goes on; "It's Criminal to Jail Self-Defense Members When Government Fails to Provide Public Security"
Sunday, September 7, 2014 | Borderland Beat Reporter dd
La Jornada: Sanjuana Martínez
Translated by Jane Brundage for Mexican Voices

http://www.borderlandbeat.com

Julian LeBaron, Social Activist

Tragedy changed Julián LeBarón. First his brother and brother-in-law were kidnapped and killed, then his friends and neighbors. He is an activist, a social fighter who does not believe either in the government of Enrique Peña Nieto, or in a system that he considers "criminal" because it does not meet its citizen's needs for freedom, security and prosperity.

LeBarón just arrived in Mexico City from his hometown of Galeana in northwestern Chihuahua. He has spent two months demanding the release of Dr. José Manuel Mireles, whom he regards as a "very decent" man:

"He sacrificed his life to defend his neighbor, something that my brother did and paid for with his life. Arresting him is a direct attack on the most sacred right in the world: the right to defend oneself. Any authority that denies us that right is a criminal authority."

Social Activist
A man of the countryside, a builder of houses and social movements, LeBarón symbolizes the struggle for a change of consciousness in a country where, faced with all kinds of abuse from power, the majority of citizens seem mired in the throes of conformity.

LeBarón first joined the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity begun by Javier Sicilia, then began making his own path in solidarity with the noblest causes seeking justice and redress for migrants, disappeared, political prisoners, victims of war:

"Not one person has been sentenced for my brother's murder. I've met thousands of victims, but I haven't seen justice done in a single case." With no fear of being wrong, LeBarón repeats: "Our system is criminal."

LeBaron is tall, sturdy, he wears a cowboy hat; his gaze is firm and direct, like his speech. The interview with La Jornada begins with a question on his part, a question that ultimately throws everybody:
"As a citizen, would you give money voluntarily to government officials in exchange for what you get?"
And he quickly replies: "Until today, I have not found any Mexican who says he would do so voluntarily. This means that originally government was conceived as a way of organizing ourselves in order to do things for the benefit of society. But it isn't that now. Today, the government is a violent, destructive and corrupt tool."

La Jornada: Why has the government become like that?
"Because it does the opposite of what it should do. Government institutions say that they know how to spend the fruit of your labor better than you do. And everyone, because some ignorant and crazy ones made a mark on a piece of paper, put those bits of paper in a box and say they counted those marks, and they have a majority. This means that the government has the right to hire police and armed people and to forbid you to defend yourself. It is a way of imposing their will and taking away the fruits of your labor, even though we may not agree."

La Jornada: It is assumed that this is called the State ...
"I don't know what that means. What is the State? The government and the State are things that do not exist. In reality, they don't work. They are people just like you and me, and we have accepted that the principles of those who govern are differ from ours." "The government is damaging the entire society. And everything that harms a human being is criminal. Our system is criminal."

La Jornada: It is presumed that we live in a democracy ...
"Our elections are secret, and we have allowed this system to perpetuate itself. The President won the election with 18 million votes in a country of 120 million Mexicans. And we don't know who voted, because voting is secret."

La Jornada: Why doesn't the system work?
"If you go and tell a government official, 'I voted for you, but you lied. You haven't done anything you promised'. The official replies that the vote is secret, and he has no way of knowing whether or not you voted for him. "The only thing that is certain is that he has the power for three or six years, and you are in the position of having to obey. If you resist, he kills you or throws you in jail. You decide what you want to do. This is the system that has swallowed us."

La Jornada: Then in Mexico there is no real democracy?
"No. We have accepted a language that distorts reality. The majority decides, but just because it is a majority doesn't give it the right to steal or hurt citizens. Democracy is a great tool for reaching agreements on issues. It is very necessary to have a government in order to organize ourselves, but when the liberty, property and life of an individual are not protected, then we live in a dictatorship."

La Jornada: And what can you do?
"We have to work compassionately as a peaceful society to get respect for the fruit of our labor and for everyone's life. Any authority that prevents the individual from defending himself (which is what self-defense groups were doing in Michoacán), that authority commits a crime. It is treason. If the government does not allow us to defend ourselves, that is a completely criminal government."

La Jornada: Are you still threatened with death?
"Not that I know of."

La Jornada: Are you still struggling for human rights?
"There are people who say they have rights to health, electricity, housing, public security ... then we also have the right to use the police and army to force them to provide us with security. I do not believe in violence of any kind."
La Jornada: And the violence continues ...
"It's a recognized fact that violence in Mexico continues to get worse for everyone. We have reached the point where the citizen knows that the delegated authority is not going to defend him. And the authority does not accept being told what to do. The government has become a dictatorship. We live in a near-absolute dictatorship. A dictatorship over life and property."

La Jornada: That much?
"The people who defend themselves are in jail because they dared to do so when they found no defense in the authority. And we have allowed self-defense members to be treated as if they were criminals."

La Jornada: Do you believe in the right to defend oneself?
"Society's authority is delegated--all of it. All legitimate authority begins with self-defense, by people who are first willing to do something for ourselves and then for others."

La Jornada: Has anything changed with Peña Nieto?
'The basic problem that we have in the country is not the violence: it is fear. If violence doesn't have the power to inspire fear, then it only provokes disgust. We citizens cannot overcome fear by putting more soldiers in the street. That's something that only makes it worse. It is something that has to be done from inside society to organize and resist institutional abuses of power.

A Bleak Future

La Jornada: Is there any future with the reforms in this administration?
"I do not see any future in the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, but I am convinced that in the long term, Mexico will be the first country to shake off the drivel of fear.
"The violence is so oppressive that the people are losing their fear. Now it's the only thing that causes adrenaline to rise. That's what happened in Michoacán. The only tools that our system has to establish order are violence and laws."

La Jornada: Have you any hope for change with Enrique Peña Nieto?
"I have no hope that solutions might come from this government. I do not agree with this system. We have more than 150,000 victims. All the evidence is right in front of our faces. We would be fools if we allow the government to continue perpetuating [the violence]."

La Jornada: Why do they kill social activists in Mexico?
"Because they represent a threat to people who do not want to work. It's as simple as that. And they are going to continue killing social activists until consciousness is sufficiently raised for citizens to unite around not allowing that to happen."

La Jornada: Why are social activists considered dangerous?
"Because they are the bearers of a new idea, a different way of doing things."

La Jornada: How are you able to survive as a social activist in Mexico?
'The only way is there are many of us."


END

Friday, September 5, 2014

AZMEX UPDATE 5-9-14

AZMEX UPDATE 5 SEP 2014


5 arrested in kidnapping case; victim treated at hospital
9 hours ago • By Carmen Duarte

http://tucson.com/news/blogs/police-beat/arrested-in-kidnapping-case-victim-treated-at-hospital/article_6bf9336e-33f3-11e4-bfb9-0019bb2963f4.html

A kidnapped teen who was beaten and held for ransom was treated at a hospital Wednesday for non-life threatening injuries.

Five men were taken into custody.

Booked into the Pima County jail were Juan Carlos Martinez-Borajas, 51, on possession of narcotic drugs; Brandon Vega, 19, Jose Pedro Molina-Durgin, 36, Cruz Carrillo, 19, and Jose Angel Reyes-Palomino, 28, each facing kidnapping, extortion and armed robbery.

Martinez-Borajas, who was a passenger in a car that left a south side house while it was under surveillance by police Wednesday, was captured after a high-speed chase into Green Valley where the vehicle crashed into a desert ditch. The crash occurred near South Camino del Sol and West Mission Twin Buttes Road, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

Both Martinez-Borajas and the driver of the vehicle ran after the crash. Authorities did not capture the driver, Dugan said.

The family of the 16-year-old boy received a telephone call Tuesday in which the caller stated the teen was being held. The caller demanded a large amount of money for the teen's return, said Dugan.

The family reported the incident to police and detectives of the home invasion unit began an investigation, which led to the house in the 200 block of West Melridge Street. The neighborhood is near West Drexel Road and South Liberty Avenue.

While the house was under surveillance, officers arrested four men who ran from the house. Police also assisted the teen who ran outside from the house with his hands tied and his face partially blindfolded.

The teen said he was beaten, and that several people had been in the house, and they had guns. The teen also said he heard people saying that there were explosives inside the house, Dugan said.

The Special Weapons and Tactics team and the bomb squad responded to the house to make sure there were no explosive devices on the property. An assault rifle, several handguns and narcotics were found. Several of the guns had been reported stolen, Dugan said.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol assisted police in the case.

Investigators ask that anyone with information call 911 or 88-CRIME.

END




Note: Growing pot north of the border will put the Mexicans out of business. For sure.


Two plead not guilty in pot field case
Posted: Thursday, September 4, 2014 8:45 am
FERNANDO DEL VALLE | STAFF WRITER

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/two-plead-not-guilty-in-pot-field-case/article_80f7b6e4-34a9-11e4-b7d5-001a4bcf6878.html

BROWNSVILLE — Two Mexican nationals arrested near the largest marijuana field found in Willacy County and a "stash house" that federal agents say was used to hold immigrants pleaded not guilty in separate cases Thursday.

Jury selection is set for Oct. 30 in the cases of Miguel Echevarria-Zuniga, 50, and Israel Santiago-Guzman, 23. Echevarria-Zuniga, who is being held on $25,000 bail, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on a felony charge of re-entering the country on Jan. 19, according to court records.

Records show Echevarria-Zuniga was sentenced to 19 months on a charge of possession with intent to deliver marijuana in 1989 before he was deported in 1990.

Santiago-Guzman, also held on $25,000 bail, faces as much as 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines on one count of conspiracy to transport immigrants and two counts of transporting immigrants who are in the country illegally, records state.

Both men were arrested Aug. 14 near the remote Willacy County stash house and the marijuana field that had $4.5 million worth of marijuana plants with a street value of $10 million, authorities said.

Agent Bradley Haines, with Homeland Security Investigations, said that Echevarria-Zuniga claimed Santiago-Guzman, described in court records as a "brush guide," had smuggled him and his son Miguel Echevarria-Guizar and a group of immigrants into the United States.

Santiago-Guzman, who denied the claim, led authorities to the stash house off Farm-to-Market Road 490 where he said he was assaulted, records show. Haines said that agents caught 12 immigrants in the country illegally along with Echevarria-Zuniga and his son in the area of the stash house and the marijuana field.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III on Aug. 21 granted Haines' request to search a warehouse at 5200 Mile 10 Rd. in Weslaco rented to Echevarria-Zuniga, records show.

Haines said that he was investigating a possible offense of "conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance," and had reason to believe that the warehouse contained evidence of narcotics and human trafficking. Echevarria-Zuniga's lawyer, Paul Hajjar, said agents have not disclosed findings of their investigation into any link his client has with the Weslaco warehouse.

end

AZMEX ACTIVITY 4-9-14 Fwd: Border Audio - McAllen, Texas - Labor Day Weekend - 159 groups, 1,110 Bodies

Note:  From friend on TEXMEX border.

Begin forwarded message:


Subject: Border Audio - McAllen, Texas - Labor Day Weekend - 159 groups, 1,110 Bodies
Date: September 3, 2014 8:06:32 PM EDT
To: Recipient list suppressed:;


How'd you spend your Labor Day Weekend ??

Here's how they spent it in the Rio Grande Valley .....




 








                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Article IV, Section 4 of the US Constitution:




Clearly, what we are witnessing with this massive and uncontrolled influx of
illegal aliens through our southern border is an Invasion of those states that
border the state of Mexico, being consciously facilitated by the United States
Federal Government through its action and inaction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OK for Distribution

Border Audio - McAllen, Texas - Labor Day Weekend -  159 groups, 1,110 Bodies

21 Minutes of condensed audio covering the  72 hour period - 8/30/14  thru 9/1/14  (
click on link below)

http://www.secureborderintel.org/BorderBlotter/BorderAudio083014_thru_090114.mp3


Groups of:  2,8,3,10,10,3,3,2,11,7+,11, "46" Drugs, 2,,4,1,1,40,8,4,"Bailout",9,8,17,5,5,3,20,3,4,2,2,3,3,5,3,
3,2,15,30,1,8,4,8,4,8,1, 8,15,"Shots Fired",16,7,24,4,"Bailout"6,5,"46"Drugs,9,12,12,10,3,2,2,2,15,12,20,8,10,
25,7,3,5,15,21,15,21,2,3,1,1,1, 4,4,1,5,3,8,6.6.1,2,2,2,"46"-Drugs,10,5,15,2,7,4,5,15,20,6,8,1,2,1,4,"46" Drugs,
3,3,4,12,1,10,8,10+,8,16,7,1,2,5,3,14 20,3,1,6,5,1,3,4,4,12,"46"-Drugs,5,2,3,4,1,"46"-Drugs,10,10,2,10,10+,
4,9,11,2,13,8,9,20+,9


-Significant Events in Audio:

-- There were MANY groups being worked during this 72 hour period where the size of the group and/or exact location could not be determined.

-- Note: Audio clips are comprised of USBP radio traffic  broadcast "in-the-clear" (un-encrypted) from the busy McAllen Sector.
It is estimated that un-encrypted radio traffic comprises less than 30% of the total activity for any given time period.



72 hour map of USBP activity
(where coordinates were given) - McAllen, Texas - 08/30/14 thru 09/1/14  - 159 Groups, 1,110 bodies

 



FYI :  BORDER PATROL "10-CODES"  (link)

** Border Patrol Jargon **

"46" = drugs.. usually marijuana
"45" = Illegal Aliens
"IAs" = Illegal Aliens
"UDAs" = Illegal Aliens
"UACs" = Unaccompanied Children (Illegal Aliens)
"Bodies" = Illegal Aliens (unless they are really "10-7" (deceased )
"10-7" = Out of Service - unavailable
"10-15" = "in custody"
  "10-97" = Begin transport of juvenile/female
  "10-98" = End transport of juvenile/female
"Packers", "Mules" = drug smugglers
"Bailout" = individuals who abscond from a traffic stop
"Got Aways" - (literally)
"TBS" = turned back south
"POE" = Port of Entry
"The Line" = the US/Mexico International Boundary
"Omaha", "Liberty", Falcon" = Helicopters and Fixed Wing aircraft
"Pushing" = tracking and literally "pushing" behind a group
"USC" = U.S. Citizen
"BOLO" = BE ON THE LOOKOUT
"FTY" = Failure to Yield
  "Whiskey Mikes" = Texas County Constables

  

      http://www.secureborderintel.org/