AZMEX EXTRA2 31 OCT 2014
The San Diego, CA UT newspaper reports that USMC Sgt. AndrewTahmooressi crossed the border into San Diego about 9:00 pm local time. Is expected to be flown to FL to reunite with his family.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/oct/31/andrew-tahmooressi-marine-veteran-released-mexico/
END
Friday, October 31, 2014
AZMEX EXTRA 31-10-14
AZMEX EXTRA 31 OCT 2014
Note: some actual good news, although we waiting for confirmation of his crossing back into the U.S, or CA.
http://www.frontera.info/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Policiaca/31102014/904397-Autoridades-ordenan-liberacion-de-Tahmooressi.html
Oct 31, 9:13 PM EDT
MEXICO JUDGE ORDERS IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF MARINE
BY JULIE WATSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MARINE_RELEASED?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-10-31-20-17-02
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Mexican judge on Friday ordered the immediate release of a jailed U.S. Marine veteran who spent eight months behind bars for crossing the border with loaded guns.
Family spokesman Jonathan Franks told The Associated Press on Friday that the judge decided to release retired Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi (Tah-mor-EE-si), an Afghanistan veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder whose detention brought calls for his freedom from U.S. politicians, veterans groups and social media campaigns.
The judge released him without making a determination on the charges against Tahmooressi, who said he took a wrong turn on a California freeway that funneled him into a Tijuana port of entry with no way to turn back.
"It is with an overwhelming and humbling feeling of relief that we confirm that Andrew was released today after spending 214 days in Mexican Jail," the family said in a statement.
In Mexico, possession of weapons restricted for use by the Army is a federal crime, and the country has been tightening up its border checks to stop the flow of US weapons that have been used by drug cartels.
His attorney, Fernando Benitez, had pushed for the 26-year-old Florida man to be released because Mexico has no experience in treating combat-related PTSD, even in its own soldiers.
Benitez had argued that Tahmooressi carries loaded guns with him because his weapons, which were bought legally in the U.S., make him feel safer. He added that the veteran is often distracted, which could have contributed to him becoming lost.
Still, Mexican prosecutors maintained Tahmooressi broke the law, and they have denied claims by his attorney that he was held for about eight hours without a translator before authorities notified the U.S. Consulate.
But a psychiatrist hired by Mexican prosecutors to examine the Afghanistan veteran agreed with the defense that he should get PTSD treatment in the United States, noting in a Sept. 30 report that Tahmooressi, who now serves in the Marine reserve, feels like he is constantly in danger.
Tahmooressi did not admit wrongdoing, and he still maintains his innocence, his attorney said.
His mother, Jill Tahmooressi, has said her son's time in a Mexican jail has been worse than his two tours in Afghanistan.
Tahmooressi left Florida for San Diego in January to get help after dropping out of college, unable to concentrate or sleep, his mother said.
end
Note: some actual good news, although we waiting for confirmation of his crossing back into the U.S, or CA.
http://www.frontera.info/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Policiaca/31102014/904397-Autoridades-ordenan-liberacion-de-Tahmooressi.html
Oct 31, 9:13 PM EDT
MEXICO JUDGE ORDERS IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF MARINE
BY JULIE WATSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MARINE_RELEASED?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-10-31-20-17-02
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Mexican judge on Friday ordered the immediate release of a jailed U.S. Marine veteran who spent eight months behind bars for crossing the border with loaded guns.
Family spokesman Jonathan Franks told The Associated Press on Friday that the judge decided to release retired Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi (Tah-mor-EE-si), an Afghanistan veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder whose detention brought calls for his freedom from U.S. politicians, veterans groups and social media campaigns.
The judge released him without making a determination on the charges against Tahmooressi, who said he took a wrong turn on a California freeway that funneled him into a Tijuana port of entry with no way to turn back.
"It is with an overwhelming and humbling feeling of relief that we confirm that Andrew was released today after spending 214 days in Mexican Jail," the family said in a statement.
In Mexico, possession of weapons restricted for use by the Army is a federal crime, and the country has been tightening up its border checks to stop the flow of US weapons that have been used by drug cartels.
His attorney, Fernando Benitez, had pushed for the 26-year-old Florida man to be released because Mexico has no experience in treating combat-related PTSD, even in its own soldiers.
Benitez had argued that Tahmooressi carries loaded guns with him because his weapons, which were bought legally in the U.S., make him feel safer. He added that the veteran is often distracted, which could have contributed to him becoming lost.
Still, Mexican prosecutors maintained Tahmooressi broke the law, and they have denied claims by his attorney that he was held for about eight hours without a translator before authorities notified the U.S. Consulate.
But a psychiatrist hired by Mexican prosecutors to examine the Afghanistan veteran agreed with the defense that he should get PTSD treatment in the United States, noting in a Sept. 30 report that Tahmooressi, who now serves in the Marine reserve, feels like he is constantly in danger.
Tahmooressi did not admit wrongdoing, and he still maintains his innocence, his attorney said.
His mother, Jill Tahmooressi, has said her son's time in a Mexican jail has been worse than his two tours in Afghanistan.
Tahmooressi left Florida for San Diego in January to get help after dropping out of college, unable to concentrate or sleep, his mother said.
end
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 31-10-14
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 31 OCT 2014
Note: There are grenades everywhere in Mexico now. Both hand and the 40mm for grenade launchers.
A common item in gun "buybacks".
The "botched" F&F scheme has directly led to the deaths of probably over a thousand "Hispanics/Latinos/Mexicans.
The strange silence of the "Hispanic/Latino" political class continues.
So far no one behind the scheme has been brought to justice.
Fast and Furious II? Justice Department watchdog faults agency over grenade probe
Published October 31, 2014
Associated Press
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/10/31/fast-and-furious-ii-justice-department-watchdog-faults-agency-over-grenade/?intcmp=latestnews
In this file photo, a soldier holds a grenade in Mexico City, Mexico. (Reuters)
Federal agents and prosecutors in Arizona made multiple errors in their investigation of a U.S. citizen who was suspected of smuggling grenade components to Mexico, including failing to arrest him when there was more than enough evidence to do so, the Justice Department watchdog said in a harshly critical report Thursday.
The inspector general's report found parallels between the investigation into Jean Baptiste Kingery by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and "Operation Fast and Furious," an ATF gun-running operation along the Southwest border that relied on flawed tactics and became a political firestorm for the Justice Department. Those similarities include poor supervision, weak oversight and a failure "to take or insist on overt enforcement action against the subjects of the investigations."
"Our reviews of both cases concluded that, in failing to act, they did not adequately consider the risk to public safety in the United States and Mexico created by the subjects' illegal activities," the report states.
In a statement, the Justice Department said that in the past six years it had taken "aggressive action" to ensure that the mistakes of the Kingery case "are not repeated."
The department said the officials responsible for the operation have either left the department or have been reassigned. It also noted that the deputy attorney general last year issued guidance to U.S. attorney's offices around the country about "overseeing sensitive operations." The ATF has also developed specialized training to deal with intelligence matters and legal issues.
According to the report, the ATF learned in 2009 that Kingery was ordering grenade components from an online military surplus dealer that agents suspected were being transported into Mexico and converted into live grenades for use by drug cartels.
Agents over the next few months intercepted two deliveries of grenade components that were intended for Kingery. But instead of trying to arrest him for the illegal export, agents marked the components so they could be identified later, delivered the items to his shipping address and set up surveillance to determine whether the parts were being taken into Mexico.
The operation came under public scrutiny in 2011 after Mexican soldiers involved in a shootout with members of a drug cartel found grenade hulls bearing markings similar to the ones the ATF made as part of its investigation.
The inspector general's report also faults the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona for failing to prosecute Kingery after he was stopped at the border in June 2010 transporting hundreds of grenade hulls and fuses. A prosecutor said Kingery was not arrested because the ATF wanted him as an informant, though ATF agents said he was never used as an informant and that prosecutors simply refused at the time to bring charges, according to the report.
Kingery returned to Mexico, where he was arrested in August 2011. Mexican authorities are prosecuting him for allegedly violating organized crime laws.
In "Operation Fast and Furious," federal agents permitted illicitly purchased weapons to be transported unimpeded in an effort to track them to high-level arms traffickers.
Federal agents lost control of some 2,000 weapons, and many of them wound up at crime scenes in Mexico and the U.S. Two of the guns were found at the scene of the December 2010 slaying of border agent Brian Terry near the Arizona border city of Nogales.
end
Note: There are grenades everywhere in Mexico now. Both hand and the 40mm for grenade launchers.
A common item in gun "buybacks".
The "botched" F&F scheme has directly led to the deaths of probably over a thousand "Hispanics/Latinos/Mexicans.
The strange silence of the "Hispanic/Latino" political class continues.
So far no one behind the scheme has been brought to justice.
Fast and Furious II? Justice Department watchdog faults agency over grenade probe
Published October 31, 2014
Associated Press
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/10/31/fast-and-furious-ii-justice-department-watchdog-faults-agency-over-grenade/?intcmp=latestnews
In this file photo, a soldier holds a grenade in Mexico City, Mexico. (Reuters)
Federal agents and prosecutors in Arizona made multiple errors in their investigation of a U.S. citizen who was suspected of smuggling grenade components to Mexico, including failing to arrest him when there was more than enough evidence to do so, the Justice Department watchdog said in a harshly critical report Thursday.
The inspector general's report found parallels between the investigation into Jean Baptiste Kingery by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and "Operation Fast and Furious," an ATF gun-running operation along the Southwest border that relied on flawed tactics and became a political firestorm for the Justice Department. Those similarities include poor supervision, weak oversight and a failure "to take or insist on overt enforcement action against the subjects of the investigations."
"Our reviews of both cases concluded that, in failing to act, they did not adequately consider the risk to public safety in the United States and Mexico created by the subjects' illegal activities," the report states.
In a statement, the Justice Department said that in the past six years it had taken "aggressive action" to ensure that the mistakes of the Kingery case "are not repeated."
The department said the officials responsible for the operation have either left the department or have been reassigned. It also noted that the deputy attorney general last year issued guidance to U.S. attorney's offices around the country about "overseeing sensitive operations." The ATF has also developed specialized training to deal with intelligence matters and legal issues.
According to the report, the ATF learned in 2009 that Kingery was ordering grenade components from an online military surplus dealer that agents suspected were being transported into Mexico and converted into live grenades for use by drug cartels.
Agents over the next few months intercepted two deliveries of grenade components that were intended for Kingery. But instead of trying to arrest him for the illegal export, agents marked the components so they could be identified later, delivered the items to his shipping address and set up surveillance to determine whether the parts were being taken into Mexico.
The operation came under public scrutiny in 2011 after Mexican soldiers involved in a shootout with members of a drug cartel found grenade hulls bearing markings similar to the ones the ATF made as part of its investigation.
The inspector general's report also faults the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona for failing to prosecute Kingery after he was stopped at the border in June 2010 transporting hundreds of grenade hulls and fuses. A prosecutor said Kingery was not arrested because the ATF wanted him as an informant, though ATF agents said he was never used as an informant and that prosecutors simply refused at the time to bring charges, according to the report.
Kingery returned to Mexico, where he was arrested in August 2011. Mexican authorities are prosecuting him for allegedly violating organized crime laws.
In "Operation Fast and Furious," federal agents permitted illicitly purchased weapons to be transported unimpeded in an effort to track them to high-level arms traffickers.
Federal agents lost control of some 2,000 weapons, and many of them wound up at crime scenes in Mexico and the U.S. Two of the guns were found at the scene of the December 2010 slaying of border agent Brian Terry near the Arizona border city of Nogales.
end
Thursday, October 30, 2014
AZMEX UPDATE 30-10-14
AZMEX UPDATE 30 OCT 2014
Note: These fun dengue fever stats from Sonora's Secy of Health.
http://tucson.com/news/local/border/man-killed-by-border-patrol-agent-near-tucson-id-d/article_a77003b4-5fbd-11e4-8a60-53d87c3e9c56.html
Sonora reports seven deaths from dengue now. There are registered so far this year, 1,972 in the state, with 367 confirmed the past week. 408 are the hemorragic, and 1,564 are the classic variety of dengue.
As of yesterday 92 are hospitalized.
end
Man killed by Border Patrol agent near Tucson ID'd
Agent-involved shooting by Border Patrol
23 hours ago • Perla Trevizo Arizona Daily Star
http://tucson.com/news/local/border/man-killed-by-border-patrol-agent-near-tucson-id-d/article_a77003b4-5fbd-11e4-8a60-53d87c3e9c56.html
The man shot and killed southwest of Tucson Friday morning by a Border Patrol agent has been identified as 23-year-old Edgar Amaro López, a Mexico national.
Amaro López died of a single gunshot to the head, data from the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office show. No other information has been released about the incident.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the leading agency in the case, said they are still looking for additional suspects.
Mexico Consulate officials in Tucson said in a written statement that their office has been in touch with relatives of Amaro López to offer them their assistance and will continue to follow up the investigation.
Two agents were after several men in the area of South Vahalla and West Zorro roads Friday morning when one of the men tried to shoot one of the agents, said Sean Chapman, an attorney who is representing one of the agents.
"One agent fired his weapon in response to being threatened by the man with a side arm," he said. "The other members of the group ran off, and then agents found rifles on the ground in the area."
No agents were wounded in the shooting about 10:30 a.m. east of West Valencia Road and Arizona 86.
end
Agents seize $2.8M worth of marijuana, 3 vehicles from suspected smugglers
By Phil Villarreal. CREATED 1:09 PM
http://www.jrn.com/kgun9/news/Agents-seize-28M-worth-of-marijuana-3-vehicles-from-suspected-smugglers-280980592.html
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized more than 5,600 pounds of marijuana, as well as three vehicles, while stopping suspected smugglers.
The street value of the seized drugs is $2.8 million. Agents making the seizures were part of the West Desert Task Force, which includes the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
One sweep occurred Oct. 21 near Ventana, Ariz., when agents found an abandoned pickup truck -- which was reported stolen in Phoenix -- containing 1,900 pounds of marijuana.
On Saturday, agents spotted a suspicious truck via detection technology south of Arizona City, Ariz. Agents searched the truck and found 1,900 pounds of marijuana within.
Later that day, agents responded to reports of smugglers moving narcotics near Gu Vo, Ariz. Agents followed tire tracks and found 1,800 pounds of marijuana in an abandoned pickup truck, which was reported stolen in Phoenix.
END
Oct 27, 2014 9:22 PM by Anthony Victor Reyes
CBP officers seize $411 worth of cocaine Sunday
http://www.kvoa.com/news/cbp-officers-seize-411-worth-of-cocaine-sunday/
NACO - U.S. Customs and Border officers arrested a Mexican national for attempting to smuggle about 39 pounds of cocaine through the Port of Naco on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Hector Manuel Madrid-Valencia was apprehended after the officers discovered 16 packages of cocaine under the dashboard of his Toyota. The drugs were estimated to be worth about $411,000.
The officers seized the vehicle and the contraband. The 48-year-old was referred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Not the end
The rest of the story
At Naco, Arizona POE the brother-in-law of Lopez Caballero arrested with 17 kilos of cocaine
http://www.elregionaldesonora.com.mx/noticia/44931
A Mexican citizen was arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP, for its acronym in English) when he tried to cross with 39 pounds (17 kilograms) of cocaine.
According to an official report by the federal agency, the cargo valued at more than $ 411,000, was transported by Hector Manuel Madrid Valencia, 48 years old, who was arrested at the port of Naco, Arizona.
The subject took the drug divided into 16 packages hidden under dash unit, in a Toyota. The cargo was discovered during a secondary inspection.
CBP officers seized the drug and vehicle, while Madrid Valencia was released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE, for its acronym in English), for investigation and prosecution.
The detainee is the brother of the wife of Jose Humberto López Caballero, who is president of the foundation Progress of Sonora (Progreso por Sonora) and brother of the mayor of Hermosillo (Alejandro Lopez Caballero )
end
Note: These fun dengue fever stats from Sonora's Secy of Health.
http://tucson.com/news/local/border/man-killed-by-border-patrol-agent-near-tucson-id-d/article_a77003b4-5fbd-11e4-8a60-53d87c3e9c56.html
Sonora reports seven deaths from dengue now. There are registered so far this year, 1,972 in the state, with 367 confirmed the past week. 408 are the hemorragic, and 1,564 are the classic variety of dengue.
As of yesterday 92 are hospitalized.
end
Man killed by Border Patrol agent near Tucson ID'd
Agent-involved shooting by Border Patrol
23 hours ago • Perla Trevizo Arizona Daily Star
http://tucson.com/news/local/border/man-killed-by-border-patrol-agent-near-tucson-id-d/article_a77003b4-5fbd-11e4-8a60-53d87c3e9c56.html
The man shot and killed southwest of Tucson Friday morning by a Border Patrol agent has been identified as 23-year-old Edgar Amaro López, a Mexico national.
Amaro López died of a single gunshot to the head, data from the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office show. No other information has been released about the incident.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the leading agency in the case, said they are still looking for additional suspects.
Mexico Consulate officials in Tucson said in a written statement that their office has been in touch with relatives of Amaro López to offer them their assistance and will continue to follow up the investigation.
Two agents were after several men in the area of South Vahalla and West Zorro roads Friday morning when one of the men tried to shoot one of the agents, said Sean Chapman, an attorney who is representing one of the agents.
"One agent fired his weapon in response to being threatened by the man with a side arm," he said. "The other members of the group ran off, and then agents found rifles on the ground in the area."
No agents were wounded in the shooting about 10:30 a.m. east of West Valencia Road and Arizona 86.
end
Agents seize $2.8M worth of marijuana, 3 vehicles from suspected smugglers
By Phil Villarreal. CREATED 1:09 PM
http://www.jrn.com/kgun9/news/Agents-seize-28M-worth-of-marijuana-3-vehicles-from-suspected-smugglers-280980592.html
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized more than 5,600 pounds of marijuana, as well as three vehicles, while stopping suspected smugglers.
The street value of the seized drugs is $2.8 million. Agents making the seizures were part of the West Desert Task Force, which includes the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
One sweep occurred Oct. 21 near Ventana, Ariz., when agents found an abandoned pickup truck -- which was reported stolen in Phoenix -- containing 1,900 pounds of marijuana.
On Saturday, agents spotted a suspicious truck via detection technology south of Arizona City, Ariz. Agents searched the truck and found 1,900 pounds of marijuana within.
Later that day, agents responded to reports of smugglers moving narcotics near Gu Vo, Ariz. Agents followed tire tracks and found 1,800 pounds of marijuana in an abandoned pickup truck, which was reported stolen in Phoenix.
END
Oct 27, 2014 9:22 PM by Anthony Victor Reyes
CBP officers seize $411 worth of cocaine Sunday
http://www.kvoa.com/news/cbp-officers-seize-411-worth-of-cocaine-sunday/
NACO - U.S. Customs and Border officers arrested a Mexican national for attempting to smuggle about 39 pounds of cocaine through the Port of Naco on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Hector Manuel Madrid-Valencia was apprehended after the officers discovered 16 packages of cocaine under the dashboard of his Toyota. The drugs were estimated to be worth about $411,000.
The officers seized the vehicle and the contraband. The 48-year-old was referred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Not the end
The rest of the story
At Naco, Arizona POE the brother-in-law of Lopez Caballero arrested with 17 kilos of cocaine
http://www.elregionaldesonora.com.mx/noticia/44931
A Mexican citizen was arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP, for its acronym in English) when he tried to cross with 39 pounds (17 kilograms) of cocaine.
According to an official report by the federal agency, the cargo valued at more than $ 411,000, was transported by Hector Manuel Madrid Valencia, 48 years old, who was arrested at the port of Naco, Arizona.
The subject took the drug divided into 16 packages hidden under dash unit, in a Toyota. The cargo was discovered during a secondary inspection.
CBP officers seized the drug and vehicle, while Madrid Valencia was released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE, for its acronym in English), for investigation and prosecution.
The detainee is the brother of the wife of Jose Humberto López Caballero, who is president of the foundation Progress of Sonora (Progreso por Sonora) and brother of the mayor of Hermosillo (Alejandro Lopez Caballero )
end
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
AZMEX SPECIAL 28-10-14
AZMEX SPECIAL 28 OCT 2014
Note: MCSO, along with so many other law enforcement agencies, has been successfully infiltrated.
The other issue is the too often misuse of RICO statutes by agencies across the country, not just Maricopa County.
Oct 27, 1:02 PM EDT
Latinos say cash goes missing in Arizona arrests
By JACQUES BILLEAUD
Associated Press
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SHERIFF_DEPUTIES_MISSING_CASH_AZOL-?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
PHOENIX (AP) -- Armando Gutierrez was headed to Las Vegas with cash from his 2011 tax refund when he and his friends were pulled over by a sheriff's deputy.
Deputy Charley Armendariz found that the driver and another passenger had a small amount of pot and spotted nearly $5,000 in the glove box. He seized the money and arrested Gutierrez for having an outstanding warrant for fishing without a license, the police report said.
"He kept saying, `I know you are a drug dealer and you are going to pick up the pot,'" Gutierrez recalled. "I told him, `Dude, we are headed to Vegas.'"
Gutierrez spent about 10 hours in jail and wasn't charged with a crime arising from the traffic stop. But he didn't get his money until nine months later - and only after a series of emails were sent to the deputy, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office and others.
The episode underscores an ongoing complaint by Latinos in the Phoenix area that cash in their possession turned up missing during arrests by deputies. The complaints come from U.S. citizens like Gutierrez but are more common among immigrants who are in the country illegally.
The allegations are emerging as Arpaio's office investigates whether Armendariz was shaking down immigrants who were in the country illegally.
Armendariz was arrested in May after investigators found more than 150 driver's licenses, bags of evidence and more than 100 license plates at his Phoenix home. He said he was innocent and implicated former colleagues on Arpaio's immigrant smuggling squad.
Officials say Armendariz was later found dead in his house in a suicide by hanging.
A court hearing is scheduled Tuesday for attorneys to discuss the sheriff's investigation.
Several lawyers and advocates said they have heard dozens of complaints of missing money over the years from immigrants who were stopped by deputies. Mexican officials say they fielded about 10 calls last year from detainees in Arpaio's jails about missing property.
Arpaio's office, which disputed the allegations, said it receives one or two complaints a week of missing possessions from people being released from jail, but they rarely complete forms documenting their grievances.
The agency added that those complaints arise from arrests made by both the sheriff's office and other police departments that book people into the county's jail system.
It's unclear whether the complaints are attributed to theft or mismanagement of personal belongings that are taken away when people are booked into jail. But efforts by some immigrants to get back their money were to no avail, the attorneys said.
Lawyers say immigrants are easy prey for such abuses. They carry cash because many are often paid under the table, have difficulties opening bank accounts in the U.S. and worry that making complaints will result in deportations.
The attorneys also say it's nearly impossible to prove that an officer stole a client's money.
"They are afraid of death to complain," said attorney Lance Wells, who estimates his firm has heard missing money complaints from about 100 immigrants in cases brought by Arpaio's office. Wells said he has made some efforts to recover his clients' property, but often doesn't succeed.
Arpaio criticized the lawyers who are making the missing money complaints. "A good lawyer would have reported this immediately if there were problems," Arpaio said.
The sheriff's office said the missing money complaints are unsubstantiated but noted anyone can bring similar grievances to a court-appointed official who is monitoring the agency after a judge found it systematically racially profiled Latinos.
The agency's cash-handling practices have previously been called into question. Federal prosecutors in 2011 examined complaints about the agency's management of an account that held cash taken from inmates during booking and money deposited by inmates' family.
In the end, prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying the money was mostly accounted for and that there was no evidence of embezzlement.
New procedures were enacted, however, such as a kiosk deposit system aimed at reducing cash-handling by sheriff's employees. The system allows inmates to deposit cash when they are booked, get cards showing their balance and redeem them at their release.
For Gutierrez, it ended up being a long ordeal to find his money. His attorney, Herman Alcantar Jr., provided the AP with emails showing his effort to get back Gutierrez's cash.
Armendariz responded to one email, but Alcantar said the deputy didn't reply to subsequent emails. Finally, the money was returned after the attorney emailed a sheriff's official with a threat to file a legal claim if the money wasn't returned.
Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Jones said the agency wasn't able to say why it took so long for Gutierrez to get his money back. "I don't have a deputy to ask," Jones said.
Associated Press Writer Astrid Galvan contributed to this report.
Note: MCSO, along with so many other law enforcement agencies, has been successfully infiltrated.
The other issue is the too often misuse of RICO statutes by agencies across the country, not just Maricopa County.
Oct 27, 1:02 PM EDT
Latinos say cash goes missing in Arizona arrests
By JACQUES BILLEAUD
Associated Press
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SHERIFF_DEPUTIES_MISSING_CASH_AZOL-?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
PHOENIX (AP) -- Armando Gutierrez was headed to Las Vegas with cash from his 2011 tax refund when he and his friends were pulled over by a sheriff's deputy.
Deputy Charley Armendariz found that the driver and another passenger had a small amount of pot and spotted nearly $5,000 in the glove box. He seized the money and arrested Gutierrez for having an outstanding warrant for fishing without a license, the police report said.
"He kept saying, `I know you are a drug dealer and you are going to pick up the pot,'" Gutierrez recalled. "I told him, `Dude, we are headed to Vegas.'"
Gutierrez spent about 10 hours in jail and wasn't charged with a crime arising from the traffic stop. But he didn't get his money until nine months later - and only after a series of emails were sent to the deputy, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office and others.
The episode underscores an ongoing complaint by Latinos in the Phoenix area that cash in their possession turned up missing during arrests by deputies. The complaints come from U.S. citizens like Gutierrez but are more common among immigrants who are in the country illegally.
The allegations are emerging as Arpaio's office investigates whether Armendariz was shaking down immigrants who were in the country illegally.
Armendariz was arrested in May after investigators found more than 150 driver's licenses, bags of evidence and more than 100 license plates at his Phoenix home. He said he was innocent and implicated former colleagues on Arpaio's immigrant smuggling squad.
Officials say Armendariz was later found dead in his house in a suicide by hanging.
A court hearing is scheduled Tuesday for attorneys to discuss the sheriff's investigation.
Several lawyers and advocates said they have heard dozens of complaints of missing money over the years from immigrants who were stopped by deputies. Mexican officials say they fielded about 10 calls last year from detainees in Arpaio's jails about missing property.
Arpaio's office, which disputed the allegations, said it receives one or two complaints a week of missing possessions from people being released from jail, but they rarely complete forms documenting their grievances.
The agency added that those complaints arise from arrests made by both the sheriff's office and other police departments that book people into the county's jail system.
It's unclear whether the complaints are attributed to theft or mismanagement of personal belongings that are taken away when people are booked into jail. But efforts by some immigrants to get back their money were to no avail, the attorneys said.
Lawyers say immigrants are easy prey for such abuses. They carry cash because many are often paid under the table, have difficulties opening bank accounts in the U.S. and worry that making complaints will result in deportations.
The attorneys also say it's nearly impossible to prove that an officer stole a client's money.
"They are afraid of death to complain," said attorney Lance Wells, who estimates his firm has heard missing money complaints from about 100 immigrants in cases brought by Arpaio's office. Wells said he has made some efforts to recover his clients' property, but often doesn't succeed.
Arpaio criticized the lawyers who are making the missing money complaints. "A good lawyer would have reported this immediately if there were problems," Arpaio said.
The sheriff's office said the missing money complaints are unsubstantiated but noted anyone can bring similar grievances to a court-appointed official who is monitoring the agency after a judge found it systematically racially profiled Latinos.
The agency's cash-handling practices have previously been called into question. Federal prosecutors in 2011 examined complaints about the agency's management of an account that held cash taken from inmates during booking and money deposited by inmates' family.
In the end, prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying the money was mostly accounted for and that there was no evidence of embezzlement.
New procedures were enacted, however, such as a kiosk deposit system aimed at reducing cash-handling by sheriff's employees. The system allows inmates to deposit cash when they are booked, get cards showing their balance and redeem them at their release.
For Gutierrez, it ended up being a long ordeal to find his money. His attorney, Herman Alcantar Jr., provided the AP with emails showing his effort to get back Gutierrez's cash.
Armendariz responded to one email, but Alcantar said the deputy didn't reply to subsequent emails. Finally, the money was returned after the attorney emailed a sheriff's official with a threat to file a legal claim if the money wasn't returned.
Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Jones said the agency wasn't able to say why it took so long for Gutierrez to get his money back. "I don't have a deputy to ask," Jones said.
Associated Press Writer Astrid Galvan contributed to this report.
AZMEX POLICY 25-10-14
AZMEX POLICY 25 OCT 2014
Note: A "system" in serious need of reform?
AG bringing smuggling prosecutions to local courts
Posted: Friday, October 24, 2014 7:59 am | Updated: 10:38 am, Fri Oct 24, 2014.
By Curt Prendergast
Nogales International
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/ag-bringing-smuggling-prosecutions-to-local-courts/article_6b947a60-5b8e-11e4-abc0-33d846acc0cf.html
Drug-related arrests made by federal law enforcement officers at federal facilities have found yet another avenue for prosecution in Santa Cruz County courts.
The Arizona Attorney's Office has recently begun taking federal case referrals and filing state charges in the local court system, such as the felony offense it levied against Jesus Islava-Rojo, a 47-year-old Nogales man allegedly caught March 3 at the Border Patrol's checkpoint on Interstate 19 with 29 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a spare tire.
Cases like Islava-Rojo's have poured into the local court system in recent years, adding a heavy load of prosecutions that involve people arrested by federal authorities at federal facilities for violating federal laws – but that can also be prosecuted under state statutes. During a candidate forum in Nogales last week, long-time local defense attorney and recently appointed Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink said that as many as 50 percent of criminal cases that now go through the Santa Cruz County court system involve federal crimes.
But while the county court system does not receive any additional funding to cover the costs of processing these cases, they can mean big bucks for local prosecuting agencies, which receive federal grants to aid their efforts and who reap the benefits of civil forfeitures that often accompany cross-border crime. At the Santa Cruz County Attorney's Office, which has traditionally prosecuted these cases, racketeering seizures bring in about $1 million annually.
Now the Arizona Attorney General's Office is getting in on the action. But it won't say why.
"We're not going to talk right now about any of the targeted enforcement operations we've got going on now down there," said Stephanie Grisham, press officer for the AG's Office.
The prosecutions brought by the AG's Office add more cases to the county court system, said County Attorney George Silva.
That's because the cross-border criminal cases prosecuted by Silva's office are generated by the multi-agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-led HIDTA Task Force, and there have been no changes in that process that would "share" those prosecutions with the state prosecutor.
ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley confirmed that there had been no change to her agency's process for presenting cases, and Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said there was no new arrangement with his office to refer cases to the Arizona AG. It appeared – though was not confirmed – that the AG's Office is accepting referrals directly from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol.
Some of the AG's cases, such as the 29-pound pot bust at the I-19 checkpoint in March, likely will result in seizure of the vehicle used in the alleged offense. Seized assets can be auctioned off and turned into revenue following a formal civil forfeiture, and cash seized in an alleged offense can also be added to government coffers.
"We have worked out an agreement where the County Attorney's Office will get the majority of the asset funds," Silva said, but added that the AG's Office will "definitely" be seeing revenue from asset seizures.
Additional impact
The lack of funding to compensate local courts for handling federal arrest cases has been an issue in the current campaign for judge at Santa Cruz County Superior Court.
Fink, who is running for the judge's seat he currently holds by appointment, said during the Oct. 8 candidate debate in Nogales that the drugs that cross the border in Santa Cruz County are "going to some other place in the United States" and are the responsibility of the federal government, "not the burden or responsibility of the taxpayers of this county."
His opponent, Nogales City Magistrate Mayra Galindo, called the addition of federal crimes to the court's workload "onerous." "I do believe that we should receive some sort of federal funding to alleviate this burden," she said.
In addition to the impact on the courts, when federal detainees become state court defendants, they turn from a source of revenue for the cash-strapped Santa Cruz County Adult Detention Center to an additional financial burden.
According to Sheriff Antonio Estrada, the prosecutions now being brought by the AG's Office have resulted in a "handful" of inmates being housed at the county jail. And while a federal detainee brings in $65 per day, the jail cannot charge the state government for housing its inmates.
When state charges are filed against a suspect arrested at a port of entry or Border Patrol checkpoint, "the whole system kicks in," including the jail, prosecution, defense, juries and probation, Estrada said.
"Obviously, that has a financial impact on the county," he said.
Estrada said he met with representatives from the AG's Office and they promised to be "mindful" of the economic impact on Santa Cruz County. But he also noted the federal government's role in creating the burden. "Everything that comes over, across this border illegally is a federal responsibility," he said.
Estrada recalled a time in the 1960s when there was a very different arrangement for prosecuting cross-border crime in Santa Cruz County. In those days, he said, when a local police officer caught someone smuggling drugs, they would turn them over to federal customs officers, who would assume the costs of processing the cases.
However, "things changed" in the 1970s, he said, and since then the feds have been shifting the burden to local entities. "For too long, the taxpayers of Santa Cruz County have been paying for this," he said.
END
Note: A "system" in serious need of reform?
AG bringing smuggling prosecutions to local courts
Posted: Friday, October 24, 2014 7:59 am | Updated: 10:38 am, Fri Oct 24, 2014.
By Curt Prendergast
Nogales International
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/ag-bringing-smuggling-prosecutions-to-local-courts/article_6b947a60-5b8e-11e4-abc0-33d846acc0cf.html
Drug-related arrests made by federal law enforcement officers at federal facilities have found yet another avenue for prosecution in Santa Cruz County courts.
The Arizona Attorney's Office has recently begun taking federal case referrals and filing state charges in the local court system, such as the felony offense it levied against Jesus Islava-Rojo, a 47-year-old Nogales man allegedly caught March 3 at the Border Patrol's checkpoint on Interstate 19 with 29 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a spare tire.
Cases like Islava-Rojo's have poured into the local court system in recent years, adding a heavy load of prosecutions that involve people arrested by federal authorities at federal facilities for violating federal laws – but that can also be prosecuted under state statutes. During a candidate forum in Nogales last week, long-time local defense attorney and recently appointed Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink said that as many as 50 percent of criminal cases that now go through the Santa Cruz County court system involve federal crimes.
But while the county court system does not receive any additional funding to cover the costs of processing these cases, they can mean big bucks for local prosecuting agencies, which receive federal grants to aid their efforts and who reap the benefits of civil forfeitures that often accompany cross-border crime. At the Santa Cruz County Attorney's Office, which has traditionally prosecuted these cases, racketeering seizures bring in about $1 million annually.
Now the Arizona Attorney General's Office is getting in on the action. But it won't say why.
"We're not going to talk right now about any of the targeted enforcement operations we've got going on now down there," said Stephanie Grisham, press officer for the AG's Office.
The prosecutions brought by the AG's Office add more cases to the county court system, said County Attorney George Silva.
That's because the cross-border criminal cases prosecuted by Silva's office are generated by the multi-agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-led HIDTA Task Force, and there have been no changes in that process that would "share" those prosecutions with the state prosecutor.
ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley confirmed that there had been no change to her agency's process for presenting cases, and Cosme Lopez, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said there was no new arrangement with his office to refer cases to the Arizona AG. It appeared – though was not confirmed – that the AG's Office is accepting referrals directly from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol.
Some of the AG's cases, such as the 29-pound pot bust at the I-19 checkpoint in March, likely will result in seizure of the vehicle used in the alleged offense. Seized assets can be auctioned off and turned into revenue following a formal civil forfeiture, and cash seized in an alleged offense can also be added to government coffers.
"We have worked out an agreement where the County Attorney's Office will get the majority of the asset funds," Silva said, but added that the AG's Office will "definitely" be seeing revenue from asset seizures.
Additional impact
The lack of funding to compensate local courts for handling federal arrest cases has been an issue in the current campaign for judge at Santa Cruz County Superior Court.
Fink, who is running for the judge's seat he currently holds by appointment, said during the Oct. 8 candidate debate in Nogales that the drugs that cross the border in Santa Cruz County are "going to some other place in the United States" and are the responsibility of the federal government, "not the burden or responsibility of the taxpayers of this county."
His opponent, Nogales City Magistrate Mayra Galindo, called the addition of federal crimes to the court's workload "onerous." "I do believe that we should receive some sort of federal funding to alleviate this burden," she said.
In addition to the impact on the courts, when federal detainees become state court defendants, they turn from a source of revenue for the cash-strapped Santa Cruz County Adult Detention Center to an additional financial burden.
According to Sheriff Antonio Estrada, the prosecutions now being brought by the AG's Office have resulted in a "handful" of inmates being housed at the county jail. And while a federal detainee brings in $65 per day, the jail cannot charge the state government for housing its inmates.
When state charges are filed against a suspect arrested at a port of entry or Border Patrol checkpoint, "the whole system kicks in," including the jail, prosecution, defense, juries and probation, Estrada said.
"Obviously, that has a financial impact on the county," he said.
Estrada said he met with representatives from the AG's Office and they promised to be "mindful" of the economic impact on Santa Cruz County. But he also noted the federal government's role in creating the burden. "Everything that comes over, across this border illegally is a federal responsibility," he said.
Estrada recalled a time in the 1960s when there was a very different arrangement for prosecuting cross-border crime in Santa Cruz County. In those days, he said, when a local police officer caught someone smuggling drugs, they would turn them over to federal customs officers, who would assume the costs of processing the cases.
However, "things changed" in the 1970s, he said, and since then the feds have been shifting the burden to local entities. "For too long, the taxpayers of Santa Cruz County have been paying for this," he said.
END
Monday, October 27, 2014
AZMEX UPDATE2 27-10-14
AZMEX UPDATE 2 27 OCT 2014
Note: We do not write these.
Authorities continue to investigate border patrol shooting probe
Posted: Oct 27, 2014 4:06 PM MST
Updated: Oct 27, 2014 4:06 PM MST
By Craig Reck
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27053621/authorities-continue-to-investigate-border-patrol-shooting-probe
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Authorities continue to investigate an Oct. 24 incident when a border patrol agent shot and killed a suspect on Tucson's southwest side, near Vahalla Road and West Zorro.
The FBI office in Phoenix said this is now a case of assault on a federal officer.
Special agents said this situation started with border patrol agents out on patrol when they noticed a group around the area. They approached the suspects, and it ended with gunfire.
All of the agents are OK, one suspect is dead and the remaining suspects are still on the loose.
The FBI is working with the state department to figure out who these people are.
On Friday, agents continued the search on ATVs and helicopters were overhead, though no arrests were made over the weekend.
Several weapons were recovered.
Stay with Tucson News Now on air and online for updates.
Note: We do not write these.
Authorities continue to investigate border patrol shooting probe
Posted: Oct 27, 2014 4:06 PM MST
Updated: Oct 27, 2014 4:06 PM MST
By Craig Reck
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27053621/authorities-continue-to-investigate-border-patrol-shooting-probe
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Authorities continue to investigate an Oct. 24 incident when a border patrol agent shot and killed a suspect on Tucson's southwest side, near Vahalla Road and West Zorro.
The FBI office in Phoenix said this is now a case of assault on a federal officer.
Special agents said this situation started with border patrol agents out on patrol when they noticed a group around the area. They approached the suspects, and it ended with gunfire.
All of the agents are OK, one suspect is dead and the remaining suspects are still on the loose.
The FBI is working with the state department to figure out who these people are.
On Friday, agents continued the search on ATVs and helicopters were overhead, though no arrests were made over the weekend.
Several weapons were recovered.
Stay with Tucson News Now on air and online for updates.
AZMEX UPDATE 27-10-14
AZMEX UPDATE 27 OCT 2014
Note: re; AZMEX UPDATE 24-10-14, hearing from usually reliable sources that it was likely a rip crew.
The deceased said to been armed with handgun and wearing body armor.
Might be a second suspect wounded.
Near the casino on I-19 which is believed to be a often used drug transfer location.
Unknown at the moment if it is the perps or the agents who will be investigated.
Posted: Saturday, October 25, 2014 8:36 am
Associated Press |
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/border-patrol-agent-involved-in-shooting/article_b9d12970-5c5c-11e4-abd9-fb048e8c49e7.html
TUCSON — A U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed an armed suspect on Friday about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, authorities said.
The shooting occurred as two agents conducted a standard surveillance effort known as sign cutting in which agents search for footprints in the desert, said Art del Cueto, president of the Tucson Sector Border Patrol union.
It's unclear how the agents encountered the suspect and companions.
Agents are known to patrol the desert area near the Pascua Yaqui reservation in Pima County.
"Agents recovered multiple weapons and no injuries to the agents involved have been reported," Border Patrol spokeswoman Nicole Ballistrea said.
The shooting took place near residential neighborhoods.
Authorities said the suspect who was killed was a man, but his name wasn't immediately released.
Neither agent was hurt, according to authorities.
Ballistrea said agents continued to search for others who fled the scene.
Officers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine had just finished a media demonstration in Nogales near the Mariposa Port of Entry when they responded to the shooting.
The FBI was named the lead investigative agency with CBP's internal affairs also looking into the death.
END
Border agent shoots, kills man southwest of Tucson
Agent-involved shooting by Border Patrol
Perla Trevizo / Arizona Daily Star
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the scene of a agent-involved shooting on Friday south of Ryan Field west of Tucson.
October 25, 2014 10:30 am • By Perla Trevizo, Carmen Duarte
http://tucson.com/news/blogs/police-beat/border-agent-shoots-kills-man-southwest-of-tucson/article_348413cd-ce6e-506f-a1f0-0b40cc4e0148.html
A Border Patrol agent shot and killed an armed man during a chase southwest of Tucson on Friday morning.
Two agents were after several men in the area of South Vahalla and West Zorro roads when one tried to shoot one of the agents, said Sean Chapman, an attorney who is representing one of the agents.
"One agent fired his weapon in response to being threatened by the man with a side arm," he said. "The other members of the group ran off, and then agents found rifles on the ground in the area."
Chapman said he could not elaborate further.
According to The Associated Press, the shooting "occurred as two agents conducted a standard surveillance effort known as sign cutting, in which agents search for footprints in the desert."
In a prepared statement, Border Patrol Agent Nicole Ballistrea said that at 10:23 a.m. agents assigned to the Tucson Sector reported they were involved in a shooting incident with armed suspects about 10 miles southwest of downtown Tucson.
No agents were wounded, she said.
Customs and Border Protection officials told reporters near the scene they couldn't answer follow-up questions.
Agency officials did not describe the circumstances that led to the shooting, nor did they release information about the man killed.
The agency only said agents found multiple firearms at the site and that the area was searched for additional suspects. Helicopters were seen hovering overhead Friday afternoon.
Paramedics with the Drexel Heights Fire District were dispatched at 10:48 a.m. to be on standby in case medical assistance was needed, said spokeswoman Tracy Koslowski. Paramedics left at about 1 p.m. without having been used, she said.
At one point, Pima County Sheriff's Department used cones and a truck to block off Vahalla Road, at the intersection with Valencia Road, saying CBP had expanded its search area. Later, it was moved back a few blocks to around Zorro Road.
Residential neighborhoods are in the area of the shooting.
The FBI is the lead agency in the shooting inquiry with support from CBP's office of internal affairs.
So far this year, there have been two fatal Border Patrol shootings in the Tucson Sector, one in Cochise County and one in Pima County.
The local sheriff departments were the lead investigative agencies in both cases. The county attorney offices in both instances declined to prosecute the agents involved.
END
Note: re; AZMEX UPDATE 24-10-14, hearing from usually reliable sources that it was likely a rip crew.
The deceased said to been armed with handgun and wearing body armor.
Might be a second suspect wounded.
Near the casino on I-19 which is believed to be a often used drug transfer location.
Unknown at the moment if it is the perps or the agents who will be investigated.
Posted: Saturday, October 25, 2014 8:36 am
Associated Press |
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/border-patrol-agent-involved-in-shooting/article_b9d12970-5c5c-11e4-abd9-fb048e8c49e7.html
TUCSON — A U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed an armed suspect on Friday about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, authorities said.
The shooting occurred as two agents conducted a standard surveillance effort known as sign cutting in which agents search for footprints in the desert, said Art del Cueto, president of the Tucson Sector Border Patrol union.
It's unclear how the agents encountered the suspect and companions.
Agents are known to patrol the desert area near the Pascua Yaqui reservation in Pima County.
"Agents recovered multiple weapons and no injuries to the agents involved have been reported," Border Patrol spokeswoman Nicole Ballistrea said.
The shooting took place near residential neighborhoods.
Authorities said the suspect who was killed was a man, but his name wasn't immediately released.
Neither agent was hurt, according to authorities.
Ballistrea said agents continued to search for others who fled the scene.
Officers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine had just finished a media demonstration in Nogales near the Mariposa Port of Entry when they responded to the shooting.
The FBI was named the lead investigative agency with CBP's internal affairs also looking into the death.
END
Border agent shoots, kills man southwest of Tucson
Agent-involved shooting by Border Patrol
Perla Trevizo / Arizona Daily Star
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the scene of a agent-involved shooting on Friday south of Ryan Field west of Tucson.
October 25, 2014 10:30 am • By Perla Trevizo, Carmen Duarte
http://tucson.com/news/blogs/police-beat/border-agent-shoots-kills-man-southwest-of-tucson/article_348413cd-ce6e-506f-a1f0-0b40cc4e0148.html
A Border Patrol agent shot and killed an armed man during a chase southwest of Tucson on Friday morning.
Two agents were after several men in the area of South Vahalla and West Zorro roads when one tried to shoot one of the agents, said Sean Chapman, an attorney who is representing one of the agents.
"One agent fired his weapon in response to being threatened by the man with a side arm," he said. "The other members of the group ran off, and then agents found rifles on the ground in the area."
Chapman said he could not elaborate further.
According to The Associated Press, the shooting "occurred as two agents conducted a standard surveillance effort known as sign cutting, in which agents search for footprints in the desert."
In a prepared statement, Border Patrol Agent Nicole Ballistrea said that at 10:23 a.m. agents assigned to the Tucson Sector reported they were involved in a shooting incident with armed suspects about 10 miles southwest of downtown Tucson.
No agents were wounded, she said.
Customs and Border Protection officials told reporters near the scene they couldn't answer follow-up questions.
Agency officials did not describe the circumstances that led to the shooting, nor did they release information about the man killed.
The agency only said agents found multiple firearms at the site and that the area was searched for additional suspects. Helicopters were seen hovering overhead Friday afternoon.
Paramedics with the Drexel Heights Fire District were dispatched at 10:48 a.m. to be on standby in case medical assistance was needed, said spokeswoman Tracy Koslowski. Paramedics left at about 1 p.m. without having been used, she said.
At one point, Pima County Sheriff's Department used cones and a truck to block off Vahalla Road, at the intersection with Valencia Road, saying CBP had expanded its search area. Later, it was moved back a few blocks to around Zorro Road.
Residential neighborhoods are in the area of the shooting.
The FBI is the lead agency in the shooting inquiry with support from CBP's office of internal affairs.
So far this year, there have been two fatal Border Patrol shootings in the Tucson Sector, one in Cochise County and one in Pima County.
The local sheriff departments were the lead investigative agencies in both cases. The county attorney offices in both instances declined to prosecute the agents involved.
END
Saturday, October 25, 2014
AZMEX UPDATE 24-10-14
AZMEX UPDATE 24 OCT 2014
Note: All quiet on the AZMEX border. For sure. You betcha.
Note: Still trying to get details. Possible "rip crew", perhaps similar to the one involved in death of Agent Terry.
Border Patrol agent involved in fatal shooting
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_BORDER_PATROL_FATAL_SHOOTING_AZOL-?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- A federal agency spokesman says a suspect is dead in Tucson from a shooting involving a Border Patrol agent.
Customs and Border Protection spokesman Victor Brabble confirmed that there was a shooting Friday involving an agent and he says a suspect is dead.
However, Brabble declined to immediately provide specifics on the circumstances of the shooting, so it's not immediately known whether the agent shot the person who died.
Also, no information is immediately available on the dead person, including gender and age.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department is responding to the shooting, which occurred on the city's southwest side.
A sheriff's spokesman, Deputy Tracy Suitt (suit), said he did not immediately have any information on the shooting.
END
26 minutes 54 seconds ago by Lauren Reimer
Suspect died in crossfire after Border Patrol involved shooting
http://www.kvoa.com/news/suspect-died-in-crossfire-after-border-patrol-involved-shooting/
TUCSON - U.S. Border Patrol agents were involved in a shooting incident with armed suspects near southwest Tucson at around 10:23 a.m. One suspect died in the crossfire. No agents were injured.
According to Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Tracy Suitt, the incident occurred near South Vahalla Road and West Zorro Road, 10 miles southwest of downtown Tucson.
Multiple weapons were recovered and Border Patrol agents are continuing their search for suspects who were involved with the shooting according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department.
In order to secure the area and aid the search for possible suspects, the CBP has deployed aircrafts and additional Border Patrol agents were also sent to the scene.
According to the CBP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue the investigation with aid from the CBP's Office of Internal Affiars.
end
FBI investigating shooting involving Border Patrol agent
Posted: Oct 24, 2014 12:13 PM MST
Updated: Oct 24, 2014 4:16 PM MST
The Pima County Sheriff's Department also responded to the shooting, which occurred at South Vahalla and West Zorro Roads, near Ryan Airfield. (Source: Tucson News Now)
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/26885790/cbp-suspect-dies-in-shooting-involving-border-patrol-agent
TUCSON, AZ (AP) - The Federal Bureau of Investigations is investigating a shooting incident on Friday involving Border Patrol agents in which one suspect died.
According to a Border Patrol public information officer, the agents involved reported the incident involving armed suspects about 10 miles southwest of downtown Tucson at about 10:23 a.m.
Acting supervisory Border Patrol agent Nicole Ballistrea said the agents involved were not injured. She said agents recovered multiple weapons and continued to search for additional suspects who were reported to be at the scene.
Customs and Border Protection's Office of Internal Affairs is assisting the FBI in the investigation.
CBP spokesman Victor Brabble declined to immediately provide specifics on the circumstances of the shooting, so it's not known whether an agent shot the person who died.
Also, no information is available on the dead person, including gender and age.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department also responded to the shooting, which occurred at South Vahalla and West Zorro Roads, near Ryan Airfield. A sheriff's spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
end
1 hour 10 minutes ago by Anthony Victor Reyes
Border Patrol arrests individuals with past charges of sexual abuse and homicide
http://www.kvoa.com/news/border-patrol-arrests-individuals-with-past-charges-of-sexual-abuse-and-homicide/
TUCSON - Border Patrol agents arrested three Mexican and Guatemalan nationals and one U.S. citizen between Sunday, Oct. 12 and Thursday, Oct. 16. The four individuals were apprehended in relation to sexual abuse, homicide and sexual actions with children.
Agents detained three of the individuals from Mexico and Guatemala who were previously convictions.
Silas Saul Guerra-Aguirre was convicted with first-degree sexual abuse. Marcos De Jesus-Zeferino was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. Eden Ajeljandro Armenta-Baez was convicted with indecent liberties with a child.
These subjects were detained by Border Patrol for immigration violations and will be processed for prosecution and for removal proceedings.
The U.S. citizen was previously convicted for homicide. He was arrested after attempting to pass through the I-19 checkpoint, where a canine alerted the agents to a loaded .357 magnum revolver and a digital scale with residue from possibly contraband.
The agents tested the digital scale and it came out positive for cocaine and cannabis. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department then took custody of the U.S. citizen and seized his vehicle and contraband.
Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity can report anonymously to Border Patrol at 1-877-872-7435.
end
MCSO cracking down on drug trafficking at border
by Christina O'Haver
azfamily.com
Posted on October 24, 2014 at 5:04 PM
http://www.azfamily.com/home/MCSO-cracking-down-on-drug-trafficking-at-border-280375552.html
PHOENIX -- The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is cracking down on drug trafficking at the border.
The sheriff's office is entering the final phase of a large-scale drug enforcement interdiction launched this month.
"Operation Borderline" has netted 10 pounds of heroin, 35 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 1 ton of marijuana and 10 arrests, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said at a news conference Friday. His office has also seized $35,000 in cash and a few vehicles.
During the final push, Arpaio plans to utilize helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft and all-terrain vehicles to probe the desert for drug smugglers.
"We have to do something about the drug problem," he said. "That's going to be a new priority for this office, and try to do something about the border, too."
Arpaio said heroin in particular is a problem nationwide and said violent crimes are often tied to drugs.
"We're sending the word out to the drug traffickers that we're going to be in the desert and we're going to arrest them," he said.
end
Note: All quiet on the AZMEX border. For sure. You betcha.
Note: Still trying to get details. Possible "rip crew", perhaps similar to the one involved in death of Agent Terry.
Border Patrol agent involved in fatal shooting
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_BORDER_PATROL_FATAL_SHOOTING_AZOL-?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- A federal agency spokesman says a suspect is dead in Tucson from a shooting involving a Border Patrol agent.
Customs and Border Protection spokesman Victor Brabble confirmed that there was a shooting Friday involving an agent and he says a suspect is dead.
However, Brabble declined to immediately provide specifics on the circumstances of the shooting, so it's not immediately known whether the agent shot the person who died.
Also, no information is immediately available on the dead person, including gender and age.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department is responding to the shooting, which occurred on the city's southwest side.
A sheriff's spokesman, Deputy Tracy Suitt (suit), said he did not immediately have any information on the shooting.
END
26 minutes 54 seconds ago by Lauren Reimer
Suspect died in crossfire after Border Patrol involved shooting
http://www.kvoa.com/news/suspect-died-in-crossfire-after-border-patrol-involved-shooting/
TUCSON - U.S. Border Patrol agents were involved in a shooting incident with armed suspects near southwest Tucson at around 10:23 a.m. One suspect died in the crossfire. No agents were injured.
According to Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Tracy Suitt, the incident occurred near South Vahalla Road and West Zorro Road, 10 miles southwest of downtown Tucson.
Multiple weapons were recovered and Border Patrol agents are continuing their search for suspects who were involved with the shooting according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department.
In order to secure the area and aid the search for possible suspects, the CBP has deployed aircrafts and additional Border Patrol agents were also sent to the scene.
According to the CBP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue the investigation with aid from the CBP's Office of Internal Affiars.
end
FBI investigating shooting involving Border Patrol agent
Posted: Oct 24, 2014 12:13 PM MST
Updated: Oct 24, 2014 4:16 PM MST
The Pima County Sheriff's Department also responded to the shooting, which occurred at South Vahalla and West Zorro Roads, near Ryan Airfield. (Source: Tucson News Now)
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/26885790/cbp-suspect-dies-in-shooting-involving-border-patrol-agent
TUCSON, AZ (AP) - The Federal Bureau of Investigations is investigating a shooting incident on Friday involving Border Patrol agents in which one suspect died.
According to a Border Patrol public information officer, the agents involved reported the incident involving armed suspects about 10 miles southwest of downtown Tucson at about 10:23 a.m.
Acting supervisory Border Patrol agent Nicole Ballistrea said the agents involved were not injured. She said agents recovered multiple weapons and continued to search for additional suspects who were reported to be at the scene.
Customs and Border Protection's Office of Internal Affairs is assisting the FBI in the investigation.
CBP spokesman Victor Brabble declined to immediately provide specifics on the circumstances of the shooting, so it's not known whether an agent shot the person who died.
Also, no information is available on the dead person, including gender and age.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department also responded to the shooting, which occurred at South Vahalla and West Zorro Roads, near Ryan Airfield. A sheriff's spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
end
1 hour 10 minutes ago by Anthony Victor Reyes
Border Patrol arrests individuals with past charges of sexual abuse and homicide
http://www.kvoa.com/news/border-patrol-arrests-individuals-with-past-charges-of-sexual-abuse-and-homicide/
TUCSON - Border Patrol agents arrested three Mexican and Guatemalan nationals and one U.S. citizen between Sunday, Oct. 12 and Thursday, Oct. 16. The four individuals were apprehended in relation to sexual abuse, homicide and sexual actions with children.
Agents detained three of the individuals from Mexico and Guatemala who were previously convictions.
Silas Saul Guerra-Aguirre was convicted with first-degree sexual abuse. Marcos De Jesus-Zeferino was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. Eden Ajeljandro Armenta-Baez was convicted with indecent liberties with a child.
These subjects were detained by Border Patrol for immigration violations and will be processed for prosecution and for removal proceedings.
The U.S. citizen was previously convicted for homicide. He was arrested after attempting to pass through the I-19 checkpoint, where a canine alerted the agents to a loaded .357 magnum revolver and a digital scale with residue from possibly contraband.
The agents tested the digital scale and it came out positive for cocaine and cannabis. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department then took custody of the U.S. citizen and seized his vehicle and contraband.
Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity can report anonymously to Border Patrol at 1-877-872-7435.
end
MCSO cracking down on drug trafficking at border
by Christina O'Haver
azfamily.com
Posted on October 24, 2014 at 5:04 PM
http://www.azfamily.com/home/MCSO-cracking-down-on-drug-trafficking-at-border-280375552.html
PHOENIX -- The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is cracking down on drug trafficking at the border.
The sheriff's office is entering the final phase of a large-scale drug enforcement interdiction launched this month.
"Operation Borderline" has netted 10 pounds of heroin, 35 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 1 ton of marijuana and 10 arrests, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said at a news conference Friday. His office has also seized $35,000 in cash and a few vehicles.
During the final push, Arpaio plans to utilize helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft and all-terrain vehicles to probe the desert for drug smugglers.
"We have to do something about the drug problem," he said. "That's going to be a new priority for this office, and try to do something about the border, too."
Arpaio said heroin in particular is a problem nationwide and said violent crimes are often tied to drugs.
"We're sending the word out to the drug traffickers that we're going to be in the desert and we're going to arrest them," he said.
end
Friday, October 24, 2014
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 24-10-14
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 24 OCT 2014
Note: Burke was a top aid to then DHS Secy. Napolitano for years in her various positions.
Valerie Jarrett Key Player in Fast and Furious Cover-Up After Holder Lied to Congress
OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/10/valerie-jarrett-key-player-fast-furious-cover-holder-lied-congress/
President Obama's trusted senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett, was a key player in the effort to cover-up that Attorney General Eric Holder lied to Congress about the Fast and Furious scandal, according to public records obtained by Judicial Watch.
The information is part of a Department of Justice (DOJ) "Vaughn index" detailing records about the gun-running operation known as Fast and Furious. JW had to sue the agency for the records after the Obama administration failed to provide them under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A federal court ordered the DOJ to provide the records over the agency's objections. Yesterday JW reported on the broad information in the records, including that Obama asserted executive privilege for Holder's wife as part of the administration's efforts to cover up the scandal.
Practically lost in the 1,000-plus pages of records is an index that shows Jarrett was brought in to manage the fact that Holder lied to Congress after the story about the disastrous gun-running operation broke in the media. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ran the once-secret program that allowed guns from the U.S. to be smuggled into Mexico so they could eventually be traced to drug cartels. Instead, federal law enforcement officers lost track of hundreds of weapons which have been used in an unknown number of crimes, including the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona.
The files received by JW include three electronic mails between Holder and Jarrett and one from former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke to Jarrett. The e-mails with Holder are all from October 4, 2011, a significant date because, on the evening of October 3rd, Sheryl Attkisson (then at CBS news) released documents showing that Holder had been sent a briefing paper on Operation Fast and Furious on June 5, 2010. The paper was from the director of the National Drug Intelligence Center, Michael Walther.
This directly contradicted Holder's May 3, 2011 testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, during which he stated that he, "probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks." The October 4, 2011 date may also be significant because it came shortly after the August 30, 2011 resignation of U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke and reassignment of acting ATF director Kenneth Melson to the position of "senior forensics advisor" at DOJ.
The description of one of the e-mails, written from Jarrett to Holder, reads, "re: personnel issues." Another, also from Jarrett, reads, "outlining and discussing preferred course of action for future responses in light of recent development in congressional investigation." Unfortunately, the index is vague and that's all the information we have about them. Nevertheless, given the timing and subject of these e-mails, it seems clear that Jarrett quickly became a key player in the Fast and Furious cover-up in the immediate aftermath of the revelation that Holder had lied to Congress.
Sign Up for Updates!
Obama Asserts Fast and Furious Executive Privilege Claim for Holder's Wife
OCTOBER 23, 2014
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/10/obama-asserts-fast-furious-executive-privilege-claim-holders-wife-2/
Judicial Watch announced today that it received from the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) a "Vaughn index" detailing records about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal. The index was forced out of the Obama administration thanks to JW's June 2012 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and subsequent September 2012 FOIA lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 1:12-cv-01510)). A federal court had ordered the production over the objections of the Obama Justice Department.
The document details the Attorney General Holder's personal involvement in managing the Justice Department's strategy on media and Congressional investigations into the Fast and Furious scandal. Notably, the document discloses that emails between Attorney General Holder and his wife Sharon Malone – as well as his mother – are being withheld under an extraordinary claim of executive privilege as well as a dubious claim of deliberative process privilege under the Freedom of Information Act. The "First Lady of the Justice Department" is a physician and not a government employee.
This is the first time that the Obama administration has provided a detailed listing of all records being withheld from Congress and the American people about the deadly Fast and Furious gun running scandal. The 1307-page "draft" Vaughn index was emailed to Judicial Watch at 8:34 p.m. last night, a few hours before a federal court-ordered deadline. In its cover letter, the Department of Justice asserts that all of the responsive records described in the index are "subject to the assertion of executive privilege."
The Vaughn index explains 15,662 documents. Typically, a Vaughn index must: (1) identify each record withheld; (2) state the statutory exemption claimed; and (3) explain how disclosure would damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption. The Vaughn index arguably fails to provide all of this required information but does provide plenty of interesting information for a public kept in the dark for years about the Fast and Furious scandal.
Based on a preliminary review of the massive document, Judicial Watch can disclose that the Vaughn index reveals:
Numerous emails that detail Attorney General Holder's direct involvement in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter.
President Obama has asserted executive privilege over nearly 20 email communications between Holder and his spouse Sharon Malone. The administration also claims that the records are also subject to withholding under the "deliberative process" exemption. This exemption ordinarily exempts from public disclosure records that could chill internal government deliberations.
Numerous entries detail DOJ's communications (including those of Eric Holder) concerning the White House about Fast and Furious.
The scandal required the attention of virtually every top official of the DOJ and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Communications to and from the United States Ambassador to Mexico about the Fast and Furious matter are also described.
Many of the records are already publicly available such as letters from Congress, press clips, and typical agency communications. Ordinarily, these records would, in whole or part, be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Few of the records seem to even implicate presidential decision-making and advice that might be subject to President Obama's broad and unprecedented executive privilege claim.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton criticized President Obama and his disgraced Attorney General in a statement today:
This document provides key information about the cover-up of Fast and Furious by Attorney General Eric Holder and other high-level officials of the Obama administration. Obama's executive privilege claims over these records are a fraud and an abuse of his office. There is no precedent for President Obama's Nixonian assertion of executive privilege over these ordinary government agency records. Americans will be astonished that Obama asserted executive privilege over Eric Holder's emails to his wife about Fast and Furious.
Once again, Judicial Watch has proven itself more effective than Congress and the establishment media in providing basic oversight of this out-of-control Administration. This Fast and Furious document provides dozens of leads for further congressional, media, and even criminal investigations.
On June 28, 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt by the House of Representatives over his refusal to turn over records explaining why the Obama administration may have lied to Congress and refused for months to disclose the truth about the gun running operation. It marked the first time in U.S. history that a sitting Attorney General was held in contempt of Congress.
A week before the contempt finding, to protect Holder from criminal prosecution and stave off the contempt vote, President Obama asserted executive privilege over the Fast and Furious records the House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed eight months earlier. Judicial Watch filed its FOIA request two days later. Holder's Justice Department wouldn't budge (or follow the law), so JW filed a FOIA lawsuit on September 12, 2012.
But then the Justice Department convinced U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates to stay our lawsuit, in part to allow ongoing settlement discussions between the Holder's government lawyers and the House Committee to continue. Unsurprisingly, the "negotiations" between politicians running the House and the Justice Department went nowhere.
Fed up with the interminable delay caused Holder's gamesmanship and stonewalling, JW renewed its request to the Court to allow our transparency lawsuit to continue. Thankfully, this past July, Judge John D. Bates ended the 16-month delay and ordered the Obama administration to produce a Vaughn index of the alleged "executive privilege" records by October 1. Judge Bates noted that no court has ever "expressly recognized" President Obama's unprecedented executive privilege claims in the Fast and Furious matter.
Unhappy with having to produce the records prior to the elections, Justice lawyers asked the judge to give them one extra month, until November 3 (the day before Election Day!) to produce the info. Judge Bates rejected this gambit, suggested that the Holder's agency did not take court order seriously. Rather than a month, Judge Bates gave Justice until yesterday to cough up the Vaughn index. Judge Bates issued his smack down on September 23.
Attorney General Eric Holder announced his resignation two days later.
Many share our opinion it was "no coincidence" that Holder's resignation came "on the heels of another court ruling that the Justice Department must finally cough up information about how Holder's Justice Department lied to Congress and the American people about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, for which Eric Holder was held in contempt by the House of Representatives."
The House had been separately litigating to obtain the records but had gotten nowhere until after Judge Bates ruled that the DOJ finally had to disclose information to Judicial Watch.
On September 9, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, citing Judicial Watch's success, ordered the Justice Department to produce information to Congress by November 3.
Fast and Furious was a DOJ/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) "gun running" operation in which the Obama administration reportedly allowed guns to go to Mexican drug cartels hoping they would end up at crime scenes, advancing gun-control policies. Fast and Furious weapons have been implicated in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and hundreds of other innocents in Mexico. Guns from the Fast and Furious scandal are expected to be used in criminal activity on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border for years to come.
Guns from the Fast and Furious scandal continue to be used in crimes. Just last week, Judicial Watch disclosed that a Fast and Furious gun was used in gang -style assault on a Phoenix apartment building that left two people wounded. We figured this out from information we uncovered through another public records lawsuit against the City of Phoenix.
Congress officially confirmed the AK-47 was used in the assault that terrorized residents in Phoenix. In an October 16 letter sent from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA) to Deputy Attorney General James Cole discloses that "we have learned of another crime gun connected to Fast and Furious. The [Justice] Department did not provide any notice to the Congress or the public about this gun….This lack of transparency about the consequences of Fast and Furious undermines public confidence in law enforcement and gives the impression that the Department is seeking to suppress information and limit its exposure to public scrutiny."
We have many other active lawsuits over the Fast and Furious scandal:
On October 11, 2011, Judicial Watch sued the DOJ and the ATF to obtain all Fast and Furious records submitted to the House Committee on Oversight.
On June 6, 2012, Judicial Watch sued the ATF seeking access to records detailing communications between ATF officials and Kevin O'Reilly, former Obama White House Director of North American Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council.
On September 5, 2013, Judicial Watch sued the DOJ seeking access to all records of communications between DOJ and the Oversight Committee relating to settlement discussions in the Committee's 2012 contempt of Congress lawsuit against Holder. The contempt citation stemmed from Holder's refusal to turn over documents to Congress related to the Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal.
On May 28, 2014, Judicial Watch sued the DOJ on behalf of ATF Special Agent John Dodson, who blew the whistle on Operation Fast and Furious and was then subjected to an alleged smear campaign designed to destroy his reputation.
Sign Up for Updates!
Note: Burke was a top aid to then DHS Secy. Napolitano for years in her various positions.
Valerie Jarrett Key Player in Fast and Furious Cover-Up After Holder Lied to Congress
OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/10/valerie-jarrett-key-player-fast-furious-cover-holder-lied-congress/
President Obama's trusted senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett, was a key player in the effort to cover-up that Attorney General Eric Holder lied to Congress about the Fast and Furious scandal, according to public records obtained by Judicial Watch.
The information is part of a Department of Justice (DOJ) "Vaughn index" detailing records about the gun-running operation known as Fast and Furious. JW had to sue the agency for the records after the Obama administration failed to provide them under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A federal court ordered the DOJ to provide the records over the agency's objections. Yesterday JW reported on the broad information in the records, including that Obama asserted executive privilege for Holder's wife as part of the administration's efforts to cover up the scandal.
Practically lost in the 1,000-plus pages of records is an index that shows Jarrett was brought in to manage the fact that Holder lied to Congress after the story about the disastrous gun-running operation broke in the media. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ran the once-secret program that allowed guns from the U.S. to be smuggled into Mexico so they could eventually be traced to drug cartels. Instead, federal law enforcement officers lost track of hundreds of weapons which have been used in an unknown number of crimes, including the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona.
The files received by JW include three electronic mails between Holder and Jarrett and one from former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke to Jarrett. The e-mails with Holder are all from October 4, 2011, a significant date because, on the evening of October 3rd, Sheryl Attkisson (then at CBS news) released documents showing that Holder had been sent a briefing paper on Operation Fast and Furious on June 5, 2010. The paper was from the director of the National Drug Intelligence Center, Michael Walther.
This directly contradicted Holder's May 3, 2011 testimony to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, during which he stated that he, "probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks." The October 4, 2011 date may also be significant because it came shortly after the August 30, 2011 resignation of U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke and reassignment of acting ATF director Kenneth Melson to the position of "senior forensics advisor" at DOJ.
The description of one of the e-mails, written from Jarrett to Holder, reads, "re: personnel issues." Another, also from Jarrett, reads, "outlining and discussing preferred course of action for future responses in light of recent development in congressional investigation." Unfortunately, the index is vague and that's all the information we have about them. Nevertheless, given the timing and subject of these e-mails, it seems clear that Jarrett quickly became a key player in the Fast and Furious cover-up in the immediate aftermath of the revelation that Holder had lied to Congress.
Sign Up for Updates!
Obama Asserts Fast and Furious Executive Privilege Claim for Holder's Wife
OCTOBER 23, 2014
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/10/obama-asserts-fast-furious-executive-privilege-claim-holders-wife-2/
Judicial Watch announced today that it received from the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) a "Vaughn index" detailing records about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal. The index was forced out of the Obama administration thanks to JW's June 2012 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and subsequent September 2012 FOIA lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 1:12-cv-01510)). A federal court had ordered the production over the objections of the Obama Justice Department.
The document details the Attorney General Holder's personal involvement in managing the Justice Department's strategy on media and Congressional investigations into the Fast and Furious scandal. Notably, the document discloses that emails between Attorney General Holder and his wife Sharon Malone – as well as his mother – are being withheld under an extraordinary claim of executive privilege as well as a dubious claim of deliberative process privilege under the Freedom of Information Act. The "First Lady of the Justice Department" is a physician and not a government employee.
This is the first time that the Obama administration has provided a detailed listing of all records being withheld from Congress and the American people about the deadly Fast and Furious gun running scandal. The 1307-page "draft" Vaughn index was emailed to Judicial Watch at 8:34 p.m. last night, a few hours before a federal court-ordered deadline. In its cover letter, the Department of Justice asserts that all of the responsive records described in the index are "subject to the assertion of executive privilege."
The Vaughn index explains 15,662 documents. Typically, a Vaughn index must: (1) identify each record withheld; (2) state the statutory exemption claimed; and (3) explain how disclosure would damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption. The Vaughn index arguably fails to provide all of this required information but does provide plenty of interesting information for a public kept in the dark for years about the Fast and Furious scandal.
Based on a preliminary review of the massive document, Judicial Watch can disclose that the Vaughn index reveals:
Numerous emails that detail Attorney General Holder's direct involvement in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter.
President Obama has asserted executive privilege over nearly 20 email communications between Holder and his spouse Sharon Malone. The administration also claims that the records are also subject to withholding under the "deliberative process" exemption. This exemption ordinarily exempts from public disclosure records that could chill internal government deliberations.
Numerous entries detail DOJ's communications (including those of Eric Holder) concerning the White House about Fast and Furious.
The scandal required the attention of virtually every top official of the DOJ and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Communications to and from the United States Ambassador to Mexico about the Fast and Furious matter are also described.
Many of the records are already publicly available such as letters from Congress, press clips, and typical agency communications. Ordinarily, these records would, in whole or part, be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Few of the records seem to even implicate presidential decision-making and advice that might be subject to President Obama's broad and unprecedented executive privilege claim.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton criticized President Obama and his disgraced Attorney General in a statement today:
This document provides key information about the cover-up of Fast and Furious by Attorney General Eric Holder and other high-level officials of the Obama administration. Obama's executive privilege claims over these records are a fraud and an abuse of his office. There is no precedent for President Obama's Nixonian assertion of executive privilege over these ordinary government agency records. Americans will be astonished that Obama asserted executive privilege over Eric Holder's emails to his wife about Fast and Furious.
Once again, Judicial Watch has proven itself more effective than Congress and the establishment media in providing basic oversight of this out-of-control Administration. This Fast and Furious document provides dozens of leads for further congressional, media, and even criminal investigations.
On June 28, 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt by the House of Representatives over his refusal to turn over records explaining why the Obama administration may have lied to Congress and refused for months to disclose the truth about the gun running operation. It marked the first time in U.S. history that a sitting Attorney General was held in contempt of Congress.
A week before the contempt finding, to protect Holder from criminal prosecution and stave off the contempt vote, President Obama asserted executive privilege over the Fast and Furious records the House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed eight months earlier. Judicial Watch filed its FOIA request two days later. Holder's Justice Department wouldn't budge (or follow the law), so JW filed a FOIA lawsuit on September 12, 2012.
But then the Justice Department convinced U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates to stay our lawsuit, in part to allow ongoing settlement discussions between the Holder's government lawyers and the House Committee to continue. Unsurprisingly, the "negotiations" between politicians running the House and the Justice Department went nowhere.
Fed up with the interminable delay caused Holder's gamesmanship and stonewalling, JW renewed its request to the Court to allow our transparency lawsuit to continue. Thankfully, this past July, Judge John D. Bates ended the 16-month delay and ordered the Obama administration to produce a Vaughn index of the alleged "executive privilege" records by October 1. Judge Bates noted that no court has ever "expressly recognized" President Obama's unprecedented executive privilege claims in the Fast and Furious matter.
Unhappy with having to produce the records prior to the elections, Justice lawyers asked the judge to give them one extra month, until November 3 (the day before Election Day!) to produce the info. Judge Bates rejected this gambit, suggested that the Holder's agency did not take court order seriously. Rather than a month, Judge Bates gave Justice until yesterday to cough up the Vaughn index. Judge Bates issued his smack down on September 23.
Attorney General Eric Holder announced his resignation two days later.
Many share our opinion it was "no coincidence" that Holder's resignation came "on the heels of another court ruling that the Justice Department must finally cough up information about how Holder's Justice Department lied to Congress and the American people about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, for which Eric Holder was held in contempt by the House of Representatives."
The House had been separately litigating to obtain the records but had gotten nowhere until after Judge Bates ruled that the DOJ finally had to disclose information to Judicial Watch.
On September 9, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, citing Judicial Watch's success, ordered the Justice Department to produce information to Congress by November 3.
Fast and Furious was a DOJ/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) "gun running" operation in which the Obama administration reportedly allowed guns to go to Mexican drug cartels hoping they would end up at crime scenes, advancing gun-control policies. Fast and Furious weapons have been implicated in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and hundreds of other innocents in Mexico. Guns from the Fast and Furious scandal are expected to be used in criminal activity on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border for years to come.
Guns from the Fast and Furious scandal continue to be used in crimes. Just last week, Judicial Watch disclosed that a Fast and Furious gun was used in gang -style assault on a Phoenix apartment building that left two people wounded. We figured this out from information we uncovered through another public records lawsuit against the City of Phoenix.
Congress officially confirmed the AK-47 was used in the assault that terrorized residents in Phoenix. In an October 16 letter sent from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA) to Deputy Attorney General James Cole discloses that "we have learned of another crime gun connected to Fast and Furious. The [Justice] Department did not provide any notice to the Congress or the public about this gun….This lack of transparency about the consequences of Fast and Furious undermines public confidence in law enforcement and gives the impression that the Department is seeking to suppress information and limit its exposure to public scrutiny."
We have many other active lawsuits over the Fast and Furious scandal:
On October 11, 2011, Judicial Watch sued the DOJ and the ATF to obtain all Fast and Furious records submitted to the House Committee on Oversight.
On June 6, 2012, Judicial Watch sued the ATF seeking access to records detailing communications between ATF officials and Kevin O'Reilly, former Obama White House Director of North American Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council.
On September 5, 2013, Judicial Watch sued the DOJ seeking access to all records of communications between DOJ and the Oversight Committee relating to settlement discussions in the Committee's 2012 contempt of Congress lawsuit against Holder. The contempt citation stemmed from Holder's refusal to turn over documents to Congress related to the Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal.
On May 28, 2014, Judicial Watch sued the DOJ on behalf of ATF Special Agent John Dodson, who blew the whistle on Operation Fast and Furious and was then subjected to an alleged smear campaign designed to destroy his reputation.
Sign Up for Updates!
AZMEX SPECIAL 24-10-14
AZMEX SPECIAL 24 OCT 2014
Note: Hermosillo and other municipalities have started aggressive spraying efforts.
Dengue fever appears in San Luis Rio Colorado
A health worker in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., sprays against mosquitoes in efforts to prevent an outbreak of dengue fever in the city.
Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2014 5:50 pm | Updated: 6:02 pm, Thu Oct 23, 2014.
By Cesar Neyoy, Bajo El Sol
http://www.yumasun.com/news/dengue-fever-appears-in-san-luis-rio-colorado/article_adfb497c-5b18-11e4-8a2d-0017a43b2370.html
SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. – Five people here have shown symptoms of dengue fever since the beginning of the month, with two confirmed as suffering from the illness, according to health officials in the border city.
Although more than 1,000 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed throughout Sonora since the start of the year, the appearance of a disease associated with the tropics is rare in San Luis Rio Colorado, given the area's hot and dry desert climate, officials said.
They say recent rains and spate of humidity may have bred the mosquito variety known to carry and transmit dengue fever, Aedes aegypti. The illness cannot be spread by human-to-human contact.
Symptoms of what is known as "classic dengue" are fever, joint or muscle pain and skin irritations. The less-common hemorrhagic dengue poses greater health risk, with more intense symptoms including changes in blood pressure, bleeding in the gums and presence of blood in vomit or diarrhea.
Sergio Kelly, the Sonora state health department's representative in San Luis Rio Colorado, said dengue fever was found earlier this month in mosquito samples collected in and around the city.
The two patients confirmed as suffering dengue are under medical treatment, said health officials, who did not clarify whether they are currently hospitalized.
Apart from those patients and the three others who are probable cases, four other people are under observation for possible infection, he said.
Since the start of the year, 1,114 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed throughout Sonora, compared with 1,208 confirmed cases statewide in all of 2013. Most of the cases occurred in cities and communities in the southern half of the state that borders Arizona.
Aide Patino, a spokeswoman in San Luis Rio Colorado for the state government, said the health department has sought to prevent further spread of the disease in the border city through spraying and a media campaign encouraging residents to take steps on their own to prevent mosquito reproduction.
"What we really need is the participation of the people, keeping their property clean and picking up any item or receptacle where water can accumulate and breed mosquitoes," she said.
END
Note: Hermosillo and other municipalities have started aggressive spraying efforts.
Dengue fever appears in San Luis Rio Colorado
A health worker in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., sprays against mosquitoes in efforts to prevent an outbreak of dengue fever in the city.
Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2014 5:50 pm | Updated: 6:02 pm, Thu Oct 23, 2014.
By Cesar Neyoy, Bajo El Sol
http://www.yumasun.com/news/dengue-fever-appears-in-san-luis-rio-colorado/article_adfb497c-5b18-11e4-8a2d-0017a43b2370.html
SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. – Five people here have shown symptoms of dengue fever since the beginning of the month, with two confirmed as suffering from the illness, according to health officials in the border city.
Although more than 1,000 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed throughout Sonora since the start of the year, the appearance of a disease associated with the tropics is rare in San Luis Rio Colorado, given the area's hot and dry desert climate, officials said.
They say recent rains and spate of humidity may have bred the mosquito variety known to carry and transmit dengue fever, Aedes aegypti. The illness cannot be spread by human-to-human contact.
Symptoms of what is known as "classic dengue" are fever, joint or muscle pain and skin irritations. The less-common hemorrhagic dengue poses greater health risk, with more intense symptoms including changes in blood pressure, bleeding in the gums and presence of blood in vomit or diarrhea.
Sergio Kelly, the Sonora state health department's representative in San Luis Rio Colorado, said dengue fever was found earlier this month in mosquito samples collected in and around the city.
The two patients confirmed as suffering dengue are under medical treatment, said health officials, who did not clarify whether they are currently hospitalized.
Apart from those patients and the three others who are probable cases, four other people are under observation for possible infection, he said.
Since the start of the year, 1,114 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed throughout Sonora, compared with 1,208 confirmed cases statewide in all of 2013. Most of the cases occurred in cities and communities in the southern half of the state that borders Arizona.
Aide Patino, a spokeswoman in San Luis Rio Colorado for the state government, said the health department has sought to prevent further spread of the disease in the border city through spraying and a media campaign encouraging residents to take steps on their own to prevent mosquito reproduction.
"What we really need is the participation of the people, keeping their property clean and picking up any item or receptacle where water can accumulate and breed mosquitoes," she said.
END
Thursday, October 23, 2014
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 23-10-14
BREAKING: Judicial Watch Obtains List of Fast and Furious Documents Held Under Obama's Executive Privilege
Katie Pavlich
Oct 23, 2014
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/10/23/fast-and-furious-news-n1909193?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm
•
Late last night the Department of Justice complied with a court order and turned over a list to government watchdog Judicial Watch , known as a Vaughn Index, of Fast and Furious documents being held from Congress and the American people under President Obama's assertion of executive privilege. Not surprisingly, DOJ failed to fully comply with the requirements of providing a Vaughn Index.
The Vaughn index explains 15,662 documents. Typically, a Vaughn index must: (1) identify each record withheld; (2) state the statutory exemption claimed; and (3) explain how disclosure would damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption. The Vaughn index arguably fails to provide all of this required information but does provide plenty of interesting information for a public kept in the dark for years about the Fast and Furious scandal.
Regardless, the list of documents shows Obama asserted executive privilege to protect Attorney General Eric Holder's wife and to protect information showing Holder helped to craft talking points during the fallout of the scandal. What a preliminary review of Vaughn Index by Judicial Watch shows:
Numerous emails that detail Attorney General Holder's direct involvement in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter.
President Obama has asserted executive privilege over nearly 20 email communications between Holder and his spouse Sharon Malone. The administration also claims that the records are also subject to withholding under the "deliberative process" exemption. This exemption ordinarily exempts from public disclosure records that could chill internal government deliberations.
Numerous entries detail DOJ's communications (including those of Eric Holder) concerning the White House about Fast and Furious.
The scandal required the attention of virtually every top official of the DOJ and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Communications to and from the United States Ambassador to Mexico about the Fast and Furious matter are also described.
Many of the records are already publicly available such as letters from Congress, press clips, and typical agency communications. Ordinarily, these records would, in whole or part, be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Few of the records seem to even implicate presidential decision-making and advice that might be subject to President Obama's broad and unprecedented executive privilege claim.
Keep in mind the White House has denied any involvement with Operation Fast and Furious when it was active between 2009 and 2010. The documents described in this list indicate otherwise. Further, former White House National Security Advisor Kevin O'Reilly was in contact with former ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division William Newell about the details of the operation. Previous reporting shows at least three White House officials were aware of or involved in the operation despite denials after Congressional inquiries about the scandal.
The emails Judicial Watch describes as showing Holder being directly involved "in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter" only further solidify his role in the cover-up of the operation. As for Holder's wife Sharon Malone being involved, this is the first time her name has come up throughout the course of the Fast and Furious scandal. His mother hasn't been mentioned before, either.
Notably, the document discloses that emails between Attorney General Holder and his wife Sharon Malone – as well as his mother – are being withheld under an extraordinary claim of executive privilege as well as a dubious claim of deliberative process privilege under the Freedom of Information Act. The "First Lady of the Justice Department" is a physician and not a government employee.
"This document provides key information about the cover-up of Fast and Furious by Attorney General Eric Holder and other high-level officials of the Obama administration. Obama's executive privilege claims over these records are a fraud and an abuse of his office. There is no precedent for President Obama's Nixonian assertion of executive privilege over these ordinary government agency records. Americans will be astonished that Obama asserted executive privilege over Eric Holder's emails to his wife about Fast and Furious," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. "Once again, Judicial Watch has proven itself more effective than Congress and the establishment media in providing basic oversight of this out-of-control Administration. This Fast and Furious document provides dozens of leads for further congressional, media, and even criminal investigations."
After more than a year of stonewalling and a lawsuit from Judicial Watch, DOJ attorneys asked for an extension until November 3, the day before the midterm elections, to turn of the list explaining more than 15,000 documents. That request was denied.
President Obama asserted executive privilege over thousands of Fast and Furious documents just moments before Holder was held in contempt of Congress by the House Oversight Committee in June 2012. That same month, Republicans and Democrats in the House voted Holder in civil and criminal contempt of Congress. Holder is the first sitting cabinet member in U.S. history to be held in contempt of Congress. After six years at the Department of Justice, Holder submitted his resignation to President Obama in September, but will stay in his position until a new Attorney General is confirmed after the midterm elections.
This post has been updated with additional information.
END
Katie Pavlich
Oct 23, 2014
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/10/23/fast-and-furious-news-n1909193?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm
•
Late last night the Department of Justice complied with a court order and turned over a list to government watchdog Judicial Watch , known as a Vaughn Index, of Fast and Furious documents being held from Congress and the American people under President Obama's assertion of executive privilege. Not surprisingly, DOJ failed to fully comply with the requirements of providing a Vaughn Index.
The Vaughn index explains 15,662 documents. Typically, a Vaughn index must: (1) identify each record withheld; (2) state the statutory exemption claimed; and (3) explain how disclosure would damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption. The Vaughn index arguably fails to provide all of this required information but does provide plenty of interesting information for a public kept in the dark for years about the Fast and Furious scandal.
Regardless, the list of documents shows Obama asserted executive privilege to protect Attorney General Eric Holder's wife and to protect information showing Holder helped to craft talking points during the fallout of the scandal. What a preliminary review of Vaughn Index by Judicial Watch shows:
Numerous emails that detail Attorney General Holder's direct involvement in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter.
President Obama has asserted executive privilege over nearly 20 email communications between Holder and his spouse Sharon Malone. The administration also claims that the records are also subject to withholding under the "deliberative process" exemption. This exemption ordinarily exempts from public disclosure records that could chill internal government deliberations.
Numerous entries detail DOJ's communications (including those of Eric Holder) concerning the White House about Fast and Furious.
The scandal required the attention of virtually every top official of the DOJ and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Communications to and from the United States Ambassador to Mexico about the Fast and Furious matter are also described.
Many of the records are already publicly available such as letters from Congress, press clips, and typical agency communications. Ordinarily, these records would, in whole or part, be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Few of the records seem to even implicate presidential decision-making and advice that might be subject to President Obama's broad and unprecedented executive privilege claim.
Keep in mind the White House has denied any involvement with Operation Fast and Furious when it was active between 2009 and 2010. The documents described in this list indicate otherwise. Further, former White House National Security Advisor Kevin O'Reilly was in contact with former ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division William Newell about the details of the operation. Previous reporting shows at least three White House officials were aware of or involved in the operation despite denials after Congressional inquiries about the scandal.
The emails Judicial Watch describes as showing Holder being directly involved "in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter" only further solidify his role in the cover-up of the operation. As for Holder's wife Sharon Malone being involved, this is the first time her name has come up throughout the course of the Fast and Furious scandal. His mother hasn't been mentioned before, either.
Notably, the document discloses that emails between Attorney General Holder and his wife Sharon Malone – as well as his mother – are being withheld under an extraordinary claim of executive privilege as well as a dubious claim of deliberative process privilege under the Freedom of Information Act. The "First Lady of the Justice Department" is a physician and not a government employee.
"This document provides key information about the cover-up of Fast and Furious by Attorney General Eric Holder and other high-level officials of the Obama administration. Obama's executive privilege claims over these records are a fraud and an abuse of his office. There is no precedent for President Obama's Nixonian assertion of executive privilege over these ordinary government agency records. Americans will be astonished that Obama asserted executive privilege over Eric Holder's emails to his wife about Fast and Furious," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. "Once again, Judicial Watch has proven itself more effective than Congress and the establishment media in providing basic oversight of this out-of-control Administration. This Fast and Furious document provides dozens of leads for further congressional, media, and even criminal investigations."
After more than a year of stonewalling and a lawsuit from Judicial Watch, DOJ attorneys asked for an extension until November 3, the day before the midterm elections, to turn of the list explaining more than 15,000 documents. That request was denied.
President Obama asserted executive privilege over thousands of Fast and Furious documents just moments before Holder was held in contempt of Congress by the House Oversight Committee in June 2012. That same month, Republicans and Democrats in the House voted Holder in civil and criminal contempt of Congress. Holder is the first sitting cabinet member in U.S. history to be held in contempt of Congress. After six years at the Department of Justice, Holder submitted his resignation to President Obama in September, but will stay in his position until a new Attorney General is confirmed after the midterm elections.
This post has been updated with additional information.
END
AZMEX EXTRA 22-10-14
AZMEX EXTRA 22 OCT 2014
Note: M4's? No other details so far. photos at links
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Douglas-CBP-officers-seize-weapons-ammunition-280089742.html
1 hour 56 minutes ago by Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/news/cbp-seize-several-firearms-and-thousands-of-rounds-of-ammo/
CBP seize several firearms and thousands of rounds of ammo
TUCSON - Several firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition headed for Mexico were seized on Monday, Oct. 20th by Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Port of Douglas.
CBP officers conducting routine outbound operations referred a 22-year old Nogales, Arizona man for further inspection of his pickup truck. During the inspection, officials found more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, five Colt M-4 rifles, one Bushmaster M-4 rifle, one 9 mm Beretta pistol and seven ammunition magazines. Officers ran record queries on the firearms and found the Bushmaster was reported stolen out of Carter County, Tennessee.
Officers seized all the items and handed the man over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
Individuals arrested may be charged by complaint, the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
END
Feds charge another militia member
Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 8:47 pm
LAURA B. MARTINEZ | STAFF WRITER
http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/feds-charge-another-militia-member/article_8e35260c-5a56-11e4-b33c-0017a43b2370.html
BROWNSVILLE — Federal authorities have arrested another militia member on a charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon.
John Frederick Foerster appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan on the charge, according to court documents.
Foerster is accused of pointing a weapon at a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Aug. 29 in Brownsville. The documents state Foerster was hiding in brush and pointed a firearm at an agent who encountered him. The agent reportedly fired several shots at the militia man.
Foerster is said to be a member of "Rusty's Rangers," an armed citizen militia group that was patrolling the Texas-Mexico border.
While being interviewed by the agents, authorities ran a background check on Foerster and determined he had a previous burglary conviction in Cameron County, the documents state. Because of his previous conviction, Foerster is not allowed to carry a weapon.
A detention hearing for Foerster is scheduled for Monday.
Earlier in the week, authorities arrested Kevin Lyndel Massey on the same charge. Massey is also believed to be a militia member.
end
Note: M4's? No other details so far. photos at links
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Douglas-CBP-officers-seize-weapons-ammunition-280089742.html
1 hour 56 minutes ago by Faye DeHoff
http://www.kvoa.com/news/cbp-seize-several-firearms-and-thousands-of-rounds-of-ammo/
CBP seize several firearms and thousands of rounds of ammo
TUCSON - Several firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition headed for Mexico were seized on Monday, Oct. 20th by Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Port of Douglas.
CBP officers conducting routine outbound operations referred a 22-year old Nogales, Arizona man for further inspection of his pickup truck. During the inspection, officials found more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, five Colt M-4 rifles, one Bushmaster M-4 rifle, one 9 mm Beretta pistol and seven ammunition magazines. Officers ran record queries on the firearms and found the Bushmaster was reported stolen out of Carter County, Tennessee.
Officers seized all the items and handed the man over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
Individuals arrested may be charged by complaint, the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
END
Feds charge another militia member
Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 8:47 pm
LAURA B. MARTINEZ | STAFF WRITER
http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/feds-charge-another-militia-member/article_8e35260c-5a56-11e4-b33c-0017a43b2370.html
BROWNSVILLE — Federal authorities have arrested another militia member on a charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon.
John Frederick Foerster appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan on the charge, according to court documents.
Foerster is accused of pointing a weapon at a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Aug. 29 in Brownsville. The documents state Foerster was hiding in brush and pointed a firearm at an agent who encountered him. The agent reportedly fired several shots at the militia man.
Foerster is said to be a member of "Rusty's Rangers," an armed citizen militia group that was patrolling the Texas-Mexico border.
While being interviewed by the agents, authorities ran a background check on Foerster and determined he had a previous burglary conviction in Cameron County, the documents state. Because of his previous conviction, Foerster is not allowed to carry a weapon.
A detention hearing for Foerster is scheduled for Monday.
Earlier in the week, authorities arrested Kevin Lyndel Massey on the same charge. Massey is also believed to be a militia member.
end
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
AZMEX UPDATE 21-10-14
AZMEX UPDATE 21 OCT 2014
Note: The seven were most likely the "mules" carrying the dope across the border.
Pinal deputies cap probe into smuggling ring with arrests, seizures
Posted: Oct 21, 2014 8:02 AM MST
Updated: Oct 21, 2014 8:08 AM MST
By Steve Stout
http://www.kpho.com/story/26841122/pinal-deputies-cap-probe-into-smuggling-ring-with-arrests-seizures
Seven undocumented immigrants from Mexico were dressed in camouflage and found sitting atop these bundles of marijuana in this van that was stopped in a Phoenix parking lot Thursday. (Source: Pinal County Sheriff's Office)
PHOENIX (CBS5) -
A simple traffic stop in August led to nine arrests and the seizure of several vehicles and $200,000 worth of marijuana, capping an investigation into a network of drug and human smuggling, a Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokesman said.
Adam Chavarria and Adrian Pasos, both 22 and from Casa Grande, were driving vehicles that stopped in a parking lot near 59th Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix on Thursday.
Phoenix police and members of the PCSO Anti-Smuggling Enforcement Unit and Home Security investigators found the rear seats of a 2006 Chevrolet van driven by Pasos had been removed and seven undocumented immigrants dressed in camouflage sitting on top of bundles of marijuana, the spokesman said. Chavarria was driving a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban and was acting as a guide during their trip.
Pasos admitted to deputies he was being paid to drive the van that picked up the immigrants and marijuana south of Arizona City.
Deputies said the marijuana weighed 276 pounds with an estimated street value of $200,250, the spokesman said. Deputies also found "carpet shoes" commonly used by traffickers to cover their tracks in the desert.
The investigation began with a tip during the August traffic stop about the smuggling network and the investigation ended with Thursday's arrests, the spokesman said.
Law enforcement seized resupply vehicles and arrested several other individuals involved with drug and human smuggling, the spokesman said. In Thursday's stop, deputies also seized $4,000 in cash and a portable Kenwood radio.
A search of the residence where Chavarria and Pasos lived resulted it he seizer of a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe tied to the smuggling operation, the spokesman said.
Chavarria and Pasos were arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail for possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana and human smuggling related charges.
Also arrested and booked on similar charges were:
Francisco Gastellum Camacho, 19, of Mexico
Edwardo Ontavaris, 16, of Mexico
Daniel Moreno Lugo, 20, of Mexico
Fidel Galaviz, 23, of Mexico
Jesus Navarez Ceballos, 28, of Mexico
Jose Angulo Casas, 24, of Mexico
Pedro Lavador Ortega, 20, of Mexico
END
Note: The seven were most likely the "mules" carrying the dope across the border.
Pinal deputies cap probe into smuggling ring with arrests, seizures
Posted: Oct 21, 2014 8:02 AM MST
Updated: Oct 21, 2014 8:08 AM MST
By Steve Stout
http://www.kpho.com/story/26841122/pinal-deputies-cap-probe-into-smuggling-ring-with-arrests-seizures
Seven undocumented immigrants from Mexico were dressed in camouflage and found sitting atop these bundles of marijuana in this van that was stopped in a Phoenix parking lot Thursday. (Source: Pinal County Sheriff's Office)
PHOENIX (CBS5) -
A simple traffic stop in August led to nine arrests and the seizure of several vehicles and $200,000 worth of marijuana, capping an investigation into a network of drug and human smuggling, a Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokesman said.
Adam Chavarria and Adrian Pasos, both 22 and from Casa Grande, were driving vehicles that stopped in a parking lot near 59th Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix on Thursday.
Phoenix police and members of the PCSO Anti-Smuggling Enforcement Unit and Home Security investigators found the rear seats of a 2006 Chevrolet van driven by Pasos had been removed and seven undocumented immigrants dressed in camouflage sitting on top of bundles of marijuana, the spokesman said. Chavarria was driving a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban and was acting as a guide during their trip.
Pasos admitted to deputies he was being paid to drive the van that picked up the immigrants and marijuana south of Arizona City.
Deputies said the marijuana weighed 276 pounds with an estimated street value of $200,250, the spokesman said. Deputies also found "carpet shoes" commonly used by traffickers to cover their tracks in the desert.
The investigation began with a tip during the August traffic stop about the smuggling network and the investigation ended with Thursday's arrests, the spokesman said.
Law enforcement seized resupply vehicles and arrested several other individuals involved with drug and human smuggling, the spokesman said. In Thursday's stop, deputies also seized $4,000 in cash and a portable Kenwood radio.
A search of the residence where Chavarria and Pasos lived resulted it he seizer of a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe tied to the smuggling operation, the spokesman said.
Chavarria and Pasos were arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail for possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana and human smuggling related charges.
Also arrested and booked on similar charges were:
Francisco Gastellum Camacho, 19, of Mexico
Edwardo Ontavaris, 16, of Mexico
Daniel Moreno Lugo, 20, of Mexico
Fidel Galaviz, 23, of Mexico
Jesus Navarez Ceballos, 28, of Mexico
Jose Angulo Casas, 24, of Mexico
Pedro Lavador Ortega, 20, of Mexico
END
AZMEX SPECIAL 22-10-14
AZMEX SPECIAL 22 OCT 2014
Note: it took awhile, the the "mainstream" media just woke up?
Dengue fever spreading near Arizona border
BY SANDRA HAROS , Reporter | October 21, 2014 @ 9:43 pm
http://ktar.com/22/1776613/Dengue-fever-spreading-near-Arizona-border
Dengue fever continues to spread across Mexico and it's reached the southern border.
"We've had five confirmed cases in the border region, bordering Yuma County," said Jessica Rigler with Arizona Department of Health Services.
It's a situation ADHS continues to monitor, the confirmed cases are located in San Luis, Rio Col., Sonora, which is approximately thirty miles from Yuma, Arizona.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, "The virus is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics. As many as 400 million people are infected yearly."
Dengue is also referred to as "breakbone fever" because of the severe joint and muscle pain associated with the illness. Other symptoms include severe pain behind the eyes, fever, vomiting and rash. One percent of the people infected develop Dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can be deadly.
end
AZMEX SPECIAL 14 OCT 2014
Note: in response to recent questions about some of the fun virus' just south of the border.
Dengue Fever: The latest reports about Dengue in Hermosillo, Sonora are 131 cases, of which 99 are the classic type, and 32 of the hemorrhagic type.
Sinaloa reports currently about 1,600 cases of Dengue
A report for 2012, sets the number for all types of TB in Mexico at 19,735.
(have not been able to confirm report earlier this year about 50 possible cases in SLRC, just south of Yuma, AZ.)
Some links for those not familiar:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dengue-fever/basics/definition/con-20032868
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dengue-fever-reference
http://voxxi.com/2014/10/17/ebola-different-from-hemorrhagic-fever/
At least one, possible two children in Phx. have died, possibly from a enterovirus.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/health/Phoenix-Infant-Dies-From-Enterovirus-279500342.html
http://www.saludsinaloa.gob.mx/sitio/boletines/07-10-2014%20COMPARECENCIA%20DEL%20SECRETARIO%20DE%20SALUD.pdf
http://www.saludsinaloa.gob.mx/sitio/boletines/04-10-2014%20RECORRE%20SECRETARIO%20DE%20SALUD%20HOSPITALES%20DE%20ZONA%20NORTE.pdf
Echeverría reconoció que la situación se encuentra en la etapa más álgida de la enfermedad gracias a la gran cantidad de lluvia que ha caído en Sinaloa en el presente año, lo cual ha provocado que el mosco trasmisor del Dengue aumente considerablemente en los meses de septiembre y octubre, alcanzando hasta la fecha cerca de mil 600 casos de Dengue registrado en todo el territorio sinaloenses.
Tuberculosis, segunda causa de muerte en América Latina
El Occidental
25 de marzo de 2013
http://www.oem.com.mx/eloccidental/notas/n2925305.htm
Isaura López Villalobos
Pese a los avances logrados en el control de la tuberculosis (TB), después del sida, la tuberculosis en América Latina y el Caribe sigue siendo la segunda causa de muerte por un agente infeccioso.
La región de las américas todavía presenta desafíos como la tuberculosis multifarmacorresistente, la forma extremadamente resistente y el aumento de personas con binomios TB/VIH y TB/Diabetes mellitus.
Cifras preliminares correspondientes al año 2012 por esta enfermedad en México muestran que hubo 19 mil 735 casos nuevos de tuberculosis de todas formas, correspondiendo un 80% a la presentación pulmonar, de éstas el 21% se asocia a diabetes mellitus y 4.1% al sida.
En el marco del Día Mundial de Lucha Contra la Tuberculosis (24 de marzo), la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) y la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), señala que todos los países en el marco de los Objetivos de Desarrollo de Milenio tienen como desafío trabajar de manera inmediata por iniciar el descenso de la tuberculosis y reducir radicalmente la carga mundial de esta enfermedad.
Además de atender la coinfección con VIH, la comorbilidad TB/Diabetes mellitus, así como la tuberculosis multifarmacorresistente y la extremadamente resistente, sobre todo garantizar el acceso universal a un diagnóstico de calidad y tratamiento integral.
Aunque México cuenta con una estrategia para la atención de la tuberculosis resistente a fármacos, reconoció que en la región de las Américas aún se requieren mayores esfuerzos para la atención de los pacientes en esta condición.
Con relación a los cinco ejes rectores del Gobierno mexicano, la OMS/OPS precisa que la atención de la tuberculosis es de prioridad, por lo que se debe mejorar la calidad de la atención así como la infraestructura de servicios de salud para lograr la universalidad.
México y su Comité "Alto a la tuberculosis", celebraron el día mundial de lucha contra esta enfermedad, en su versión 2013, con el lema "Detener la tuberculosis es compromiso de todos", en la actualidad aseguran autoridades de la Secretaría de Salud Federal se cuenta con los medicamentos indispensables para curarla, sin dejar de lado los retos que representa un tratamiento tan prolongado en términos de la adherencia terapéutica.
Los tipos de tuberculosis que hay en todas las partes del cuerpo, las más frecuentes son: pulmonar, ganglionar, meníngea, genitourinaria, en piel, ósea (en hueso), peritoneal, gástrica, diseminada o miliar (en todo el cuerpo).
FIN
WND EXCLUSIVE
CDC DENIES ENTEROVIRUS LINK TO ILLEGAL-ALIEN KIDS
Disease common in Latin America was rare in U.S.
Published: 17 hours ago
JEROME R. CORSI About | Email | Archive
NEW YORK – The CDC denies a causal link between the surge of illegal-alien children from Latin America and the enterovirus D-68 outbreak in the United States, but government data show the virus was rare in the U.S. before this year.
"There is no evidence that unaccompanied children brought EV-D68 into the United States; we are not aware of any of these children testing positive for the virus," the CDC emailed WND in response to a request for comment.
The CDC argued EV-D68 is not new to the U.S., having been identified in California in 1962.
"In previous years, it has not been as commonly identified as other enteroviruses," CDC said. "This year's increase in confirmed cases is not due to a recent introduction in the United States."
However, evidence buried in peer-reviewed medical journals provides support for the argument enterovirus D-68, or EV-D68, in the United States was a relatively rare disease. The EV-D68 epidemic occurred only after the surge this year of unaccompanied alien children illegally crossing the border from Latin America, a region where the virus is more prevalent among young children.
The CDC records nearly 700 people who have been diagnosed with the virus this year. Five children have died while infected.
As WND reported Tuesday, EV-D68, believed to cause polio-like paralysis in addition to flu symptoms, is widely suspected to have a direct connection to the Obama administration policy of placing across the U.S. tens of thousands of minors who have been allowed to enter without a health screening.
D-68 surge coincides with illegal aliens
The surge in EV D-68 in the U.S. became evident in mid-September when the CDC first reported it had reached epidemic levels in six U.S. states: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri.
The surge in unaccompanied minors was also evident in September, with the numbers jumping from 16,067 apprehended in Fiscal Year 2011 to 24,481 in FY 2012 and from 38,833 in FY 2013 to 47,017 in the first eight months of FY 2014.
Currently, a page on the CDC website dedicated to "Enterovirus D68 in the United States, 2014″ discloses, "The United States is currently experiencing a nationwide outbreak of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) associated with severe respiratory illness."
The CDC website goes on to document that from mid-August to Oct. 10, CDC or state public health laboratories confirmed a total of 691 people in 46 states and the District of Columbia with respiratory illness caused by EV-D68.
"Many state health departments are currently investigating reported increases in cases of severe respiratory illness in children," the CDC website continues.
"This increase could be caused by many different viruses that are common during this time of year. EV-D68 appears to be the predominant type of enterovirus this year and is likely contributing to the increases in severe respiratory illnesses."
As of this month, the CDC is reporting lab-confirmed cases of EV-D68 in every state, with the exception of Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska.
The CDC is currently investigating whether limb weakness and polio-like paralysis symptoms experienced in nine children in Denver is connected with the current EV-D68 epidemic.
In 2011, the CDC reported EV-D68 is a unique enterovirus that shares epidemiologic and biologic features with human rhinoviruses (HRV).
The 2011 report noted EV-D68 was first isolated in California in 1962 from four children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with EV-D68 only rarely reported since that time.
Asymptomatic carriers?
Jane Orient, M.D., of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, responded to the Centers for Disease Control's denial of a causal link between the virus and the surge of illegal-alien minors.
"Keep in mind that Latin American children likely have some immunity and may not be sick, while still contagious," she told WND.
The concern is that Latin American children in the U.S. might be carriers of EV-D68 even if they display no symptoms of the disease. It can be spread, the study said, by sneezing, coughing and the poor bathroom hygiene commonly found among Latin American unaccompanied alien children. The disease can be transmitted by "feces-to-mouth" contact between an infected person showing no symptoms and a previously uninfected person.
WND reported last week, a peer-reviewed article by German medical doctors challenges a key CDC assumption regarding Ebola, concluding patients who show no symptoms can still transmit a virus like Ebola to another person by a sneeze or a cough.
"Some serious work needs to be done to get to the bottom of this," Orient said, suggesting a Freedom of Information Act request of CDC confirmations of EV-D68 patient records might reveal important information about how the disease is being contracted in the current epidemic.
Enterovirus D-68 was 'rare' in U.S.
A study conducted by physicians from the Division of Viral Diseases at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases published on the CDC website states Enterovirus D-68 "is one of the most rarely reported serotypes, with only 26 reports throughout the 36-year study period (1970 through 2006)."
Demonstrating the rareness of EV-D68 virus infection, the report documented that during 1970-2005, a total of 52,812 nonpolio enterovirus detections, the vast majority of which were different strains of enterovirus that EV-D68, were reported to CDC. Of these, 29,772 detections were reported from 1983 to 2005.
On average, 1,467 nonpolio enterovirus reports were submitted annually, varying from 388 in 1999 to 3,460 in 1972.
The link between EV D-68 and Latin American children was established in a peer-reviewed medical article published in Virology Journal on Oct. 11, 2013, titled "Human rhinoviruses and enteroviruses in influenza-like illness in Latin America." It was co-authored by a team of virologists headed by Josefina Garcia, U.S. Naval Medical Unit 6 in Lima, Peru, who worked with the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
In the 2013 study, Garcia and her medical associates collected 3,375 nose and throat swab samples from subjects under 8 years old, with a median age of 3 years. They found that human enteroviruses (HEV), including EV-D68, was discovered in 3 percent of the samples while the related human rhinoviruses (HRV) was found in 16 percent of the samples.
The study concluded: "In Latin America as in other regions, HRVs and HEVs account for a substantial proportion of viruses identified in young people with ILI (Influenza-like Illness), a finding that provides additional support for the development of pharmaceuticals and vaccines targeting these pathogens."
Poor hygiene
There is also little doubt in the medical literature that EV-D68 is transmitted through poor bathroom hygiene.
A typical example cited is an infected doorknob that could transmit a virus to healthy children for the next three to five days, with a secondary possibility of transmission via the respiratory "oral-to-oral" route more likely to occur in crowded living conditions.
A memo dated July 30 from DHS Inspector General John Roth to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson documented the following regarding the surge of Latin American youth being held in DHS facilities on the southern border: "UAC and family units and unfamiliarity with bathroom facilities resulted in unsanitary conditions and exposure to human waste in some holding facilities."
The same memo said: "Many UAC and family units require treatment for communicable diseases, including respiratory illnesses, tuberculosis, chicken pox, and scabies."
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/10/cdc-speaks-on-enterovirus-link-to-illegal-alien-kids/#hx72b1KM9XIEP08J.99
Note: it took awhile, the the "mainstream" media just woke up?
Dengue fever spreading near Arizona border
BY SANDRA HAROS , Reporter | October 21, 2014 @ 9:43 pm
http://ktar.com/22/1776613/Dengue-fever-spreading-near-Arizona-border
Dengue fever continues to spread across Mexico and it's reached the southern border.
"We've had five confirmed cases in the border region, bordering Yuma County," said Jessica Rigler with Arizona Department of Health Services.
It's a situation ADHS continues to monitor, the confirmed cases are located in San Luis, Rio Col., Sonora, which is approximately thirty miles from Yuma, Arizona.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, "The virus is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics. As many as 400 million people are infected yearly."
Dengue is also referred to as "breakbone fever" because of the severe joint and muscle pain associated with the illness. Other symptoms include severe pain behind the eyes, fever, vomiting and rash. One percent of the people infected develop Dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can be deadly.
end
AZMEX SPECIAL 14 OCT 2014
Note: in response to recent questions about some of the fun virus' just south of the border.
Dengue Fever: The latest reports about Dengue in Hermosillo, Sonora are 131 cases, of which 99 are the classic type, and 32 of the hemorrhagic type.
Sinaloa reports currently about 1,600 cases of Dengue
A report for 2012, sets the number for all types of TB in Mexico at 19,735.
(have not been able to confirm report earlier this year about 50 possible cases in SLRC, just south of Yuma, AZ.)
Some links for those not familiar:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dengue-fever/basics/definition/con-20032868
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dengue-fever-reference
http://voxxi.com/2014/10/17/ebola-different-from-hemorrhagic-fever/
At least one, possible two children in Phx. have died, possibly from a enterovirus.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/health/Phoenix-Infant-Dies-From-Enterovirus-279500342.html
http://www.saludsinaloa.gob.mx/sitio/boletines/07-10-2014%20COMPARECENCIA%20DEL%20SECRETARIO%20DE%20SALUD.pdf
http://www.saludsinaloa.gob.mx/sitio/boletines/04-10-2014%20RECORRE%20SECRETARIO%20DE%20SALUD%20HOSPITALES%20DE%20ZONA%20NORTE.pdf
Echeverría reconoció que la situación se encuentra en la etapa más álgida de la enfermedad gracias a la gran cantidad de lluvia que ha caído en Sinaloa en el presente año, lo cual ha provocado que el mosco trasmisor del Dengue aumente considerablemente en los meses de septiembre y octubre, alcanzando hasta la fecha cerca de mil 600 casos de Dengue registrado en todo el territorio sinaloenses.
Tuberculosis, segunda causa de muerte en América Latina
El Occidental
25 de marzo de 2013
http://www.oem.com.mx/eloccidental/notas/n2925305.htm
Isaura López Villalobos
Pese a los avances logrados en el control de la tuberculosis (TB), después del sida, la tuberculosis en América Latina y el Caribe sigue siendo la segunda causa de muerte por un agente infeccioso.
La región de las américas todavía presenta desafíos como la tuberculosis multifarmacorresistente, la forma extremadamente resistente y el aumento de personas con binomios TB/VIH y TB/Diabetes mellitus.
Cifras preliminares correspondientes al año 2012 por esta enfermedad en México muestran que hubo 19 mil 735 casos nuevos de tuberculosis de todas formas, correspondiendo un 80% a la presentación pulmonar, de éstas el 21% se asocia a diabetes mellitus y 4.1% al sida.
En el marco del Día Mundial de Lucha Contra la Tuberculosis (24 de marzo), la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) y la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), señala que todos los países en el marco de los Objetivos de Desarrollo de Milenio tienen como desafío trabajar de manera inmediata por iniciar el descenso de la tuberculosis y reducir radicalmente la carga mundial de esta enfermedad.
Además de atender la coinfección con VIH, la comorbilidad TB/Diabetes mellitus, así como la tuberculosis multifarmacorresistente y la extremadamente resistente, sobre todo garantizar el acceso universal a un diagnóstico de calidad y tratamiento integral.
Aunque México cuenta con una estrategia para la atención de la tuberculosis resistente a fármacos, reconoció que en la región de las Américas aún se requieren mayores esfuerzos para la atención de los pacientes en esta condición.
Con relación a los cinco ejes rectores del Gobierno mexicano, la OMS/OPS precisa que la atención de la tuberculosis es de prioridad, por lo que se debe mejorar la calidad de la atención así como la infraestructura de servicios de salud para lograr la universalidad.
México y su Comité "Alto a la tuberculosis", celebraron el día mundial de lucha contra esta enfermedad, en su versión 2013, con el lema "Detener la tuberculosis es compromiso de todos", en la actualidad aseguran autoridades de la Secretaría de Salud Federal se cuenta con los medicamentos indispensables para curarla, sin dejar de lado los retos que representa un tratamiento tan prolongado en términos de la adherencia terapéutica.
Los tipos de tuberculosis que hay en todas las partes del cuerpo, las más frecuentes son: pulmonar, ganglionar, meníngea, genitourinaria, en piel, ósea (en hueso), peritoneal, gástrica, diseminada o miliar (en todo el cuerpo).
FIN
WND EXCLUSIVE
CDC DENIES ENTEROVIRUS LINK TO ILLEGAL-ALIEN KIDS
Disease common in Latin America was rare in U.S.
Published: 17 hours ago
JEROME R. CORSI About | Email | Archive
NEW YORK – The CDC denies a causal link between the surge of illegal-alien children from Latin America and the enterovirus D-68 outbreak in the United States, but government data show the virus was rare in the U.S. before this year.
"There is no evidence that unaccompanied children brought EV-D68 into the United States; we are not aware of any of these children testing positive for the virus," the CDC emailed WND in response to a request for comment.
The CDC argued EV-D68 is not new to the U.S., having been identified in California in 1962.
"In previous years, it has not been as commonly identified as other enteroviruses," CDC said. "This year's increase in confirmed cases is not due to a recent introduction in the United States."
However, evidence buried in peer-reviewed medical journals provides support for the argument enterovirus D-68, or EV-D68, in the United States was a relatively rare disease. The EV-D68 epidemic occurred only after the surge this year of unaccompanied alien children illegally crossing the border from Latin America, a region where the virus is more prevalent among young children.
The CDC records nearly 700 people who have been diagnosed with the virus this year. Five children have died while infected.
As WND reported Tuesday, EV-D68, believed to cause polio-like paralysis in addition to flu symptoms, is widely suspected to have a direct connection to the Obama administration policy of placing across the U.S. tens of thousands of minors who have been allowed to enter without a health screening.
D-68 surge coincides with illegal aliens
The surge in EV D-68 in the U.S. became evident in mid-September when the CDC first reported it had reached epidemic levels in six U.S. states: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri.
The surge in unaccompanied minors was also evident in September, with the numbers jumping from 16,067 apprehended in Fiscal Year 2011 to 24,481 in FY 2012 and from 38,833 in FY 2013 to 47,017 in the first eight months of FY 2014.
Currently, a page on the CDC website dedicated to "Enterovirus D68 in the United States, 2014″ discloses, "The United States is currently experiencing a nationwide outbreak of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) associated with severe respiratory illness."
The CDC website goes on to document that from mid-August to Oct. 10, CDC or state public health laboratories confirmed a total of 691 people in 46 states and the District of Columbia with respiratory illness caused by EV-D68.
"Many state health departments are currently investigating reported increases in cases of severe respiratory illness in children," the CDC website continues.
"This increase could be caused by many different viruses that are common during this time of year. EV-D68 appears to be the predominant type of enterovirus this year and is likely contributing to the increases in severe respiratory illnesses."
As of this month, the CDC is reporting lab-confirmed cases of EV-D68 in every state, with the exception of Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska.
The CDC is currently investigating whether limb weakness and polio-like paralysis symptoms experienced in nine children in Denver is connected with the current EV-D68 epidemic.
In 2011, the CDC reported EV-D68 is a unique enterovirus that shares epidemiologic and biologic features with human rhinoviruses (HRV).
The 2011 report noted EV-D68 was first isolated in California in 1962 from four children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with EV-D68 only rarely reported since that time.
Asymptomatic carriers?
Jane Orient, M.D., of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, responded to the Centers for Disease Control's denial of a causal link between the virus and the surge of illegal-alien minors.
"Keep in mind that Latin American children likely have some immunity and may not be sick, while still contagious," she told WND.
The concern is that Latin American children in the U.S. might be carriers of EV-D68 even if they display no symptoms of the disease. It can be spread, the study said, by sneezing, coughing and the poor bathroom hygiene commonly found among Latin American unaccompanied alien children. The disease can be transmitted by "feces-to-mouth" contact between an infected person showing no symptoms and a previously uninfected person.
WND reported last week, a peer-reviewed article by German medical doctors challenges a key CDC assumption regarding Ebola, concluding patients who show no symptoms can still transmit a virus like Ebola to another person by a sneeze or a cough.
"Some serious work needs to be done to get to the bottom of this," Orient said, suggesting a Freedom of Information Act request of CDC confirmations of EV-D68 patient records might reveal important information about how the disease is being contracted in the current epidemic.
Enterovirus D-68 was 'rare' in U.S.
A study conducted by physicians from the Division of Viral Diseases at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases published on the CDC website states Enterovirus D-68 "is one of the most rarely reported serotypes, with only 26 reports throughout the 36-year study period (1970 through 2006)."
Demonstrating the rareness of EV-D68 virus infection, the report documented that during 1970-2005, a total of 52,812 nonpolio enterovirus detections, the vast majority of which were different strains of enterovirus that EV-D68, were reported to CDC. Of these, 29,772 detections were reported from 1983 to 2005.
On average, 1,467 nonpolio enterovirus reports were submitted annually, varying from 388 in 1999 to 3,460 in 1972.
The link between EV D-68 and Latin American children was established in a peer-reviewed medical article published in Virology Journal on Oct. 11, 2013, titled "Human rhinoviruses and enteroviruses in influenza-like illness in Latin America." It was co-authored by a team of virologists headed by Josefina Garcia, U.S. Naval Medical Unit 6 in Lima, Peru, who worked with the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
In the 2013 study, Garcia and her medical associates collected 3,375 nose and throat swab samples from subjects under 8 years old, with a median age of 3 years. They found that human enteroviruses (HEV), including EV-D68, was discovered in 3 percent of the samples while the related human rhinoviruses (HRV) was found in 16 percent of the samples.
The study concluded: "In Latin America as in other regions, HRVs and HEVs account for a substantial proportion of viruses identified in young people with ILI (Influenza-like Illness), a finding that provides additional support for the development of pharmaceuticals and vaccines targeting these pathogens."
Poor hygiene
There is also little doubt in the medical literature that EV-D68 is transmitted through poor bathroom hygiene.
A typical example cited is an infected doorknob that could transmit a virus to healthy children for the next three to five days, with a secondary possibility of transmission via the respiratory "oral-to-oral" route more likely to occur in crowded living conditions.
A memo dated July 30 from DHS Inspector General John Roth to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson documented the following regarding the surge of Latin American youth being held in DHS facilities on the southern border: "UAC and family units and unfamiliarity with bathroom facilities resulted in unsanitary conditions and exposure to human waste in some holding facilities."
The same memo said: "Many UAC and family units require treatment for communicable diseases, including respiratory illnesses, tuberculosis, chicken pox, and scabies."
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/10/cdc-speaks-on-enterovirus-link-to-illegal-alien-kids/#hx72b1KM9XIEP08J.99
Sunday, October 19, 2014
AZMEX SPECIAL 16-10-14
AZMEX SPECIAL 16 OCT 2014
Note: the same school district where one of the idiots said: "if the children feel safe, they will be safe"
TUSD vote could kill cops-in-schools grant
18 hours ago • By Alexis Huicochea
http://tucson.com/news/blogs/police-beat/tusd-vote-could-kill-cops-in-schools-grant/article_a0f457d1-8ac1-50c7-be3b-1a78909d1888.html
Immigrant friendly district
This is not the first time TUSD has taken a stance on immigration issues. In March, the Governing Board unanimously declared TUSD an "Immigrant Friendly District." By doing so, the board pledged to help all students pursue a higher education regardless of immigration status.
In other business
TUSD will ask the Arizona Auditor General to conduct a full audit of its finances to review what was initially identified as a possible $15 million deficit for the upcoming school year. TUSD staff, however, presented a more optimistic picture Tuesday, saying it would carry forward about $14 million into the next school year.
Funding for a school resource officer program may be in jeopardy after the TUSD Governing Board approved an agreement prohibiting police from questioning students about immigration status under any circumstance.
The Tucson City Council was told last month that a full prohibition, like the one the district adopted, would be illegal and Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor said he couldn't order his officers to break the law.
As a result, the council voted last month to restrict school resource officers from questioning a student over immigration status unless a parent, guardian or attorney was present and the inquiry was directly related to a criminal investigation.
TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez acknowledged the district's $2.2 million grant may be lost as a result of his recommendation, but he said it was made in consultation with the district's internal legal counsel in an effort to protect children, taking into consideration Plyler v. Doe — the U.S. Supreme Court case that guarantees equal access to public education to all children regardless of immigration status.
"If the City Council says it cannot support what we have put forth, as much as it will pain me, we will forgo the partnership because our primary role is to educate students, not enforce immigration law," Sanchez said on Wednesday. "It is not beneficial to TUSD at the expense of students feeling like they would be under the scrutiny of a law that Plyler v. Doe said should not be applicable in an educational setting."
Sanchez's recommendation was approved Tuesday with almost no discussion. TUSD Governing Board President Adelita Grijalva, Clerk Kristel Foster and members Cam Juarez and Mark Stegeman approved the agreement. Michael Hicks abstained from the vote.
City Attorney Mike Rankin said it's not an agreement if the TUSD board and City Council approved different provisions.
"There's no agreement until we can execute it using the same language," Rankin said.
The City Attorney's Office will now work on a compromise draft that both sides could agree on.
"We'll look at what they approved," Rankin said. "And to the extent it's different from what we had approved, it will require us to put it back on the agenda."
No time frame exists for a revised draft, but Rankin expected one could be ready by the city's Nov. 5 meeting.
The Arizona Department of Education could not comment Wednesday on how the district's decision would affect the grant funding, saying it needed to collect more information.
Both Rankin and Villaseñor have repeatedly advised the council that it can't order police officers to ignore state laws the council considers misguided, such as SB 1070.
But Councilwoman Regina Romero disagrees.
"The opinion of the chief of police and the city attorney is wrong," said Romero, who was the lone opposition vote on the council last month because the agreement didn't go far enough in prohibiting officers from ever questioning a juvenile.
Romero said legal precedence prohibits denying or deterring kids from seeking an education based on their immigration status.
A recent ACLU letter to the city urging the council to reconsider allowing school resource officers to question juveniles on immigration status referenced similar case law.
"I'm glad that the TUSD board understands the potential chilling effect this policy will have for parents and students," Romero said.
She said parents shouldn't have to worry their son or daughter could get deported while attending class.
"That fear should be completely eliminated."
While the SRO program is important, Romero said it's incumbent on the city and board to ensure students' rights aren't being violated.
"This has nothing to do with not wanting officers, but how it's implemented," she said.
Councilman Steve Kozachik disagreed, saying, "Neither the council or the board has the authority to tell the police they can't do that. We have to allow them the liberty to comply with the law when they're required to," he said. "It's just a shame that we're delaying getting these SROs back into the schools because some of the board and council members want to compel TPD to violate the law."
Unlike TUSD, the Amphitheater School District approved the language adopted by the city.
For TUSD, a $2.2 million, three-year grant from the Arizona Department of Education is at stake. The funds were to be used to place eight school resource officers in middle schools and high schools.
TUSD and Amphi originally passed agreements in September that made no mention of whether officers could question students about immigration status. It was not until those agreements reached the City Council that the debate began.
When it was first presented last month, Foster raised the immigration concern but was reassured school resource officers would be trained by TUSD to follow TUSD policies and to serve in a positive way, not as a policing presence.
end
Note: no we don't make this stuff up
Specialized training for Tucson Police officers
Posted: Oct 16, 2014 9:45 AM MST
Updated: Oct 16, 2014 9:45 AM MST
By Tucson News Now StaffCONNECT
Officers in training class (Source: Tucson News Now/Maria Hechanova)
Officers in training class (Source: Tucson News Now/Maria Hechanova)
MOST READ
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New arrest made in case involving sexual assault of minor in Hopkinsville
Man doesn't wear protective gear on tarmac near Ebola patient
How Ebola originated, how it is spread, how you can protect yourself
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Tucson Police officers are receiving some specialized training this week.
According to a recent release, TPD commanders received the 'Fair and Impartial Policing Perspective' training on Oct. 14, and now the officers are receiving the same training.
The class is being instructed by Dr. Lorie Fridell, an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida's College of Behavioral and Community Science. Dr. Fridell has more than 20 years of experience conducting research in the field of law enforcement and is known across the U.S. for her work on bias-based policing. Before Dr. Fridell joined the University of Southern Florida faculty, she spent six years as Director of Research at the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington D.C.
This specialized training was mandated by TPD Chief Roberto Villasenor, as part of the department's annual continuing training program. It reflects "a new and scientific approach to thinking about the issues of bias in modern policing; through voluminous research, scientists have determined that bias today is less likely to manifest as explicit bias (such as racism) and more likely to manifest as 'implicit bias.' Social psychologists have shown that 'implicit' or 'unconscious' bias can impact what people perceive and do, even in people who consciously hold non-prejudiced attitudes. Like explicit bias, implicit bias can produce discriminatory actions," according to the TPD release.
The training being held today is designed to make personnel aware of their implicit bias and to give them the tools to reduce and manage them.
Dr. Fridell will be training all TPD officers in this program over the next three days.
Copyright 2014 Tucson News Now. All rights reserved.
Note: the same school district where one of the idiots said: "if the children feel safe, they will be safe"
TUSD vote could kill cops-in-schools grant
18 hours ago • By Alexis Huicochea
http://tucson.com/news/blogs/police-beat/tusd-vote-could-kill-cops-in-schools-grant/article_a0f457d1-8ac1-50c7-be3b-1a78909d1888.html
Immigrant friendly district
This is not the first time TUSD has taken a stance on immigration issues. In March, the Governing Board unanimously declared TUSD an "Immigrant Friendly District." By doing so, the board pledged to help all students pursue a higher education regardless of immigration status.
In other business
TUSD will ask the Arizona Auditor General to conduct a full audit of its finances to review what was initially identified as a possible $15 million deficit for the upcoming school year. TUSD staff, however, presented a more optimistic picture Tuesday, saying it would carry forward about $14 million into the next school year.
Funding for a school resource officer program may be in jeopardy after the TUSD Governing Board approved an agreement prohibiting police from questioning students about immigration status under any circumstance.
The Tucson City Council was told last month that a full prohibition, like the one the district adopted, would be illegal and Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor said he couldn't order his officers to break the law.
As a result, the council voted last month to restrict school resource officers from questioning a student over immigration status unless a parent, guardian or attorney was present and the inquiry was directly related to a criminal investigation.
TUSD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez acknowledged the district's $2.2 million grant may be lost as a result of his recommendation, but he said it was made in consultation with the district's internal legal counsel in an effort to protect children, taking into consideration Plyler v. Doe — the U.S. Supreme Court case that guarantees equal access to public education to all children regardless of immigration status.
"If the City Council says it cannot support what we have put forth, as much as it will pain me, we will forgo the partnership because our primary role is to educate students, not enforce immigration law," Sanchez said on Wednesday. "It is not beneficial to TUSD at the expense of students feeling like they would be under the scrutiny of a law that Plyler v. Doe said should not be applicable in an educational setting."
Sanchez's recommendation was approved Tuesday with almost no discussion. TUSD Governing Board President Adelita Grijalva, Clerk Kristel Foster and members Cam Juarez and Mark Stegeman approved the agreement. Michael Hicks abstained from the vote.
City Attorney Mike Rankin said it's not an agreement if the TUSD board and City Council approved different provisions.
"There's no agreement until we can execute it using the same language," Rankin said.
The City Attorney's Office will now work on a compromise draft that both sides could agree on.
"We'll look at what they approved," Rankin said. "And to the extent it's different from what we had approved, it will require us to put it back on the agenda."
No time frame exists for a revised draft, but Rankin expected one could be ready by the city's Nov. 5 meeting.
The Arizona Department of Education could not comment Wednesday on how the district's decision would affect the grant funding, saying it needed to collect more information.
Both Rankin and Villaseñor have repeatedly advised the council that it can't order police officers to ignore state laws the council considers misguided, such as SB 1070.
But Councilwoman Regina Romero disagrees.
"The opinion of the chief of police and the city attorney is wrong," said Romero, who was the lone opposition vote on the council last month because the agreement didn't go far enough in prohibiting officers from ever questioning a juvenile.
Romero said legal precedence prohibits denying or deterring kids from seeking an education based on their immigration status.
A recent ACLU letter to the city urging the council to reconsider allowing school resource officers to question juveniles on immigration status referenced similar case law.
"I'm glad that the TUSD board understands the potential chilling effect this policy will have for parents and students," Romero said.
She said parents shouldn't have to worry their son or daughter could get deported while attending class.
"That fear should be completely eliminated."
While the SRO program is important, Romero said it's incumbent on the city and board to ensure students' rights aren't being violated.
"This has nothing to do with not wanting officers, but how it's implemented," she said.
Councilman Steve Kozachik disagreed, saying, "Neither the council or the board has the authority to tell the police they can't do that. We have to allow them the liberty to comply with the law when they're required to," he said. "It's just a shame that we're delaying getting these SROs back into the schools because some of the board and council members want to compel TPD to violate the law."
Unlike TUSD, the Amphitheater School District approved the language adopted by the city.
For TUSD, a $2.2 million, three-year grant from the Arizona Department of Education is at stake. The funds were to be used to place eight school resource officers in middle schools and high schools.
TUSD and Amphi originally passed agreements in September that made no mention of whether officers could question students about immigration status. It was not until those agreements reached the City Council that the debate began.
When it was first presented last month, Foster raised the immigration concern but was reassured school resource officers would be trained by TUSD to follow TUSD policies and to serve in a positive way, not as a policing presence.
end
Note: no we don't make this stuff up
Specialized training for Tucson Police officers
Posted: Oct 16, 2014 9:45 AM MST
Updated: Oct 16, 2014 9:45 AM MST
By Tucson News Now StaffCONNECT
Officers in training class (Source: Tucson News Now/Maria Hechanova)
Officers in training class (Source: Tucson News Now/Maria Hechanova)
MOST READ
Mom accused of failing to stop the sex abuse of her 5-year-old child
Nine people found by BP agents in back of locked rental truck
New arrest made in case involving sexual assault of minor in Hopkinsville
Man doesn't wear protective gear on tarmac near Ebola patient
How Ebola originated, how it is spread, how you can protect yourself
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Tucson Police officers are receiving some specialized training this week.
According to a recent release, TPD commanders received the 'Fair and Impartial Policing Perspective' training on Oct. 14, and now the officers are receiving the same training.
The class is being instructed by Dr. Lorie Fridell, an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida's College of Behavioral and Community Science. Dr. Fridell has more than 20 years of experience conducting research in the field of law enforcement and is known across the U.S. for her work on bias-based policing. Before Dr. Fridell joined the University of Southern Florida faculty, she spent six years as Director of Research at the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington D.C.
This specialized training was mandated by TPD Chief Roberto Villasenor, as part of the department's annual continuing training program. It reflects "a new and scientific approach to thinking about the issues of bias in modern policing; through voluminous research, scientists have determined that bias today is less likely to manifest as explicit bias (such as racism) and more likely to manifest as 'implicit bias.' Social psychologists have shown that 'implicit' or 'unconscious' bias can impact what people perceive and do, even in people who consciously hold non-prejudiced attitudes. Like explicit bias, implicit bias can produce discriminatory actions," according to the TPD release.
The training being held today is designed to make personnel aware of their implicit bias and to give them the tools to reduce and manage them.
Dr. Fridell will be training all TPD officers in this program over the next three days.
Copyright 2014 Tucson News Now. All rights reserved.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 16-10-14
Note: As stated here before, the F&F guns went to many drug gangs, several far out of the Sinaloa area of operations.
Remains to be seen if any of the perpetrators of the scheme will face justice.
Remains to be seen if any of the perpetrators of the scheme will face justice.
If all evidence hasn't been destroyed, will tracks lead to Burke, Napolitano, Holder and Obama?
Pardons for silence?
Pardons for silence?
BREAKING: Documents Confirm Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Gang Assaul... Page 1 of 3
OCTOBER 16, 2014
BREAKING: Documents Confirm Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Gang Assault
Katie Pavlich
10/16/2014 4:00:00 PM - Katie Pavlich
Documents obtained through a lawsuit recently issued against the City of Phoenix by government watchdog Judicial Watch reveal a weapon from the Department of Justice's Operation Fast and Furious was used to injure two people in a 2013 gang-style assault on an apartment complex. When the incident occurred and during investigation afterward, police worked with federal law enforcement agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Department of Homeland Security, FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency in the case, raising suspicions the assault wasn't simply a typical, local gang shootout and prompted questions about the details of where the weapons that were used came from.
"Thanks to our lawsuit, Congress has been able to confirm what Judicial Watch already reported – that a Fast and Furious weapon was used in yet another violent crime that terrorized and injured residents of Phoenix," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. "Our lawsuit against Phoenix exposed how the Obama cover-up of Fast and Furious is ongoing. Eric Holder's Department of Justice is a mess. It has endangered the public and is engaged in an ongoing cover-up of its insanely reckless Fast and Furious gun-running operation. Judicial Watch appreciates the refreshing diligence of Senator Grassley and Congressman Issa in pursuing the truth about Fast and Furious."
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/10/16/breaking-judicial-watch-confirms-fa... 10/16/2014
BREAKING: Documents Confirm Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Gang Assaul... Page 2 of 3
Lone Wolf Trading Company is based in Glendale, Arizona and was tapped by ATF to help with Operation Fast and Furious back in late 2009. ATF agents lied to Lone Wolf and said guns sold under surveillance at the store would never be trafficked across the southern border to Mexican cartels or used in crimes in the United States.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General James Cole late Thursday afternoon demanding more information about why DOJ failed to inform Congress of the connection between the AK-47 used in the assault and Fast and Furious as their investigation of the lethal program continues.
"Once again, we have learned of another crime gun connected to Fast and Furious. The Department did not provide any notice to the Congress or the public about this gun," the letter states. "Documents obtained by Judicial Watch under Arizona's public records law show that law enforcement officials recovered a Fast and Furious gun last summer in connection with a shooting that left two individuals wounded."
"Based on the serial number [1977DX1654] from the police report obtained by Judicial Watch and documents obtained during our Fast and Furious investigation, we can confirm that the assault rifle recovered in the vehicle on July 30, 2013, was purchased by Sean Christopher Stewart. Stewart pled guilty to firearms trafficking charges resulting from his involvement with Operation Fast and Furious. Stewart purchased this particular firearm on December 8, 2009, one of 40 that he purchased that day while under ATF surveillance," the letter continues. "According to the Phoenix Police Department report, ATF traced the firearm on July 31, 2013, the day after Phoenix police officers recovered it. Yet, over a full year has passed, and the Department has failed to notify the Committees."
The letter also details that during his time as a gun trafficker for Mexican cartels, Stewart was able to purchase over $176,000 worth of weapons, which included 260 Ak-47s, 20 9mm pistols and a .50 caliber rifle. Stewart is serving nine years in prison after being sentenced in November 2012 on a number of federal charges.
Grassley and Issa have asked DOJ to respond to the following questions by October 30, 2014:
1) Was the firearm recovered on July 30, 2013 connected with any other crimes in Mexico or the U.S.?
2) As of the date of this letter, what is the total number of weapons associated with Fast and Furious that have been recovered in the U.S. and successfully traced?
3) As of the date of this letter, what is the total number of weapons associated with Fast and Furious that have been recovered in Mexico and successfully traced?
4) Of the U.S recoveries, how many were recovered in relation to an incident of a violent nature? Please describe in detail the date and circumstances of each recovery that has not previously been described in the Department's responses to our letters.
5) Of the Mexican recoveries, how many were recovered in relation to an incident of a violent nature? Please describe in detail the date and circumstances of each recovery that has not previously been described in the Department's responses to our letters.
Assistant Attorney General James Cole, who played a large role in the cover-up of Operation Fast and Furious, announced his resignation from DOJ today.
OCTOBER 16, 2014
BREAKING: Documents Confirm Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Gang Assault
Katie Pavlich
10/16/2014 4:00:00 PM - Katie Pavlich
Documents obtained through a lawsuit recently issued against the City of Phoenix by government watchdog Judicial Watch reveal a weapon from the Department of Justice's Operation Fast and Furious was used to injure two people in a 2013 gang-style assault on an apartment complex. When the incident occurred and during investigation afterward, police worked with federal law enforcement agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Department of Homeland Security, FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency in the case, raising suspicions the assault wasn't simply a typical, local gang shootout and prompted questions about the details of where the weapons that were used came from.
"Thanks to our lawsuit, Congress has been able to confirm what Judicial Watch already reported – that a Fast and Furious weapon was used in yet another violent crime that terrorized and injured residents of Phoenix," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. "Our lawsuit against Phoenix exposed how the Obama cover-up of Fast and Furious is ongoing. Eric Holder's Department of Justice is a mess. It has endangered the public and is engaged in an ongoing cover-up of its insanely reckless Fast and Furious gun-running operation. Judicial Watch appreciates the refreshing diligence of Senator Grassley and Congressman Issa in pursuing the truth about Fast and Furious."
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/10/16/breaking-judicial-watch-confirms-fa... 10/16/2014
BREAKING: Documents Confirm Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Gang Assaul... Page 2 of 3
Lone Wolf Trading Company is based in Glendale, Arizona and was tapped by ATF to help with Operation Fast and Furious back in late 2009. ATF agents lied to Lone Wolf and said guns sold under surveillance at the store would never be trafficked across the southern border to Mexican cartels or used in crimes in the United States.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General James Cole late Thursday afternoon demanding more information about why DOJ failed to inform Congress of the connection between the AK-47 used in the assault and Fast and Furious as their investigation of the lethal program continues.
"Once again, we have learned of another crime gun connected to Fast and Furious. The Department did not provide any notice to the Congress or the public about this gun," the letter states. "Documents obtained by Judicial Watch under Arizona's public records law show that law enforcement officials recovered a Fast and Furious gun last summer in connection with a shooting that left two individuals wounded."
"Based on the serial number [1977DX1654] from the police report obtained by Judicial Watch and documents obtained during our Fast and Furious investigation, we can confirm that the assault rifle recovered in the vehicle on July 30, 2013, was purchased by Sean Christopher Stewart. Stewart pled guilty to firearms trafficking charges resulting from his involvement with Operation Fast and Furious. Stewart purchased this particular firearm on December 8, 2009, one of 40 that he purchased that day while under ATF surveillance," the letter continues. "According to the Phoenix Police Department report, ATF traced the firearm on July 31, 2013, the day after Phoenix police officers recovered it. Yet, over a full year has passed, and the Department has failed to notify the Committees."
The letter also details that during his time as a gun trafficker for Mexican cartels, Stewart was able to purchase over $176,000 worth of weapons, which included 260 Ak-47s, 20 9mm pistols and a .50 caliber rifle. Stewart is serving nine years in prison after being sentenced in November 2012 on a number of federal charges.
Grassley and Issa have asked DOJ to respond to the following questions by October 30, 2014:
1) Was the firearm recovered on July 30, 2013 connected with any other crimes in Mexico or the U.S.?
2) As of the date of this letter, what is the total number of weapons associated with Fast and Furious that have been recovered in the U.S. and successfully traced?
3) As of the date of this letter, what is the total number of weapons associated with Fast and Furious that have been recovered in Mexico and successfully traced?
4) Of the U.S recoveries, how many were recovered in relation to an incident of a violent nature? Please describe in detail the date and circumstances of each recovery that has not previously been described in the Department's responses to our letters.
5) Of the Mexican recoveries, how many were recovered in relation to an incident of a violent nature? Please describe in detail the date and circumstances of each recovery that has not previously been described in the Department's responses to our letters.
Assistant Attorney General James Cole, who played a large role in the cover-up of Operation Fast and Furious, announced his resignation from DOJ today.
End
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/10/16/breaking-judicial-watch-confirms-fa... 10/16/2014
BREAKING: Documents Confirm Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Gang Assaul... Page 3 of 3
A Justice Department official says Deputy Attorney General James Cole told staff Thursday of his plans to resign after nearly four years. The official says that Cole will remain in the position to help the transition of a new deputy attorney general.
This post has been updated.
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/10/16/breaking-judicial-watch-confirms-fa... 10/16/2014
BREAKING: Documents Confirm Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Gang Assaul... Page 3 of 3
A Justice Department official says Deputy Attorney General James Cole told staff Thursday of his plans to resign after nearly four years. The official says that Cole will remain in the position to help the transition of a new deputy attorney general.
This post has been updated.
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