AZMEX F&F EXTRA 30 SEP 2015
Note: interesting photo at link, and usual AP lies / spin
Updated 1 hour, 38 minutes ago.
Trial of 2 in killing of Border Patrol agent nears finish
ASSOCIATED PRESS | September 30, 2015 @ 10:37 am
http://ktar.com/story/671076/trial-of-2-in-killing-of-border-patrol-agent-nears-finish/
ATF officials display seized weapons in Phoenix in 2011. Lax laws prevented the agency from effectively targeting the flow guns across the border. (AP File Photo)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The trial of two men in the killing of a Border Patrol agent during a 2010 shootout in the Arizona desert wound down in federal court on Wednesday.
Prosecutors rested their case Monday and the defense did so Wednesday without calling any witnesses. Both sides then made closing statements. The jury could begin deliberations later Wednesday.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza are accused of belonging to a "rip crew" that was planning to rob drug smugglers when they encountered Brian Terry and other agents. A gunfight ensued and Terry was killed.
Prosecutor Todd Wallace Robinson told jurors that DNA and fingerprint evidence, along with confessions from both defendants, prove they are guilty on all nine counts. Charges include first-degree murder.
"It doesn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt, it proves it beyond any doubt whatsoever," Robinson said in a closing statement.
Defense attorney Ramiro Flores said in his closing that the defendants were acting in self-defense and that they did not initiate the firefight. He criticized the agents' tactics, questioning why agents were so far from the rip crew when their goal was to arrest them and why they provided conflicting testimony about the timeline of events. "They are all saying different things about the announcement, about the shooting, about how these individuals carried their rifles," Flores said.
The two defendants were the first to go on trial in the killing of Terry, whose death brought to light the bungled federal operation known as Fast and Furious that allowed criminals to buy weapons that federal authorities intended to track.
Instead, federal agents lost about 1,400 guns, including two found at the scene of Terry's killing.
Terry was part of a four-man Border Patrol team from an elite tactical unit which went to the area to arrest rip crew members. The team was set to be relieved an hour after the shooting occurred.
The gunfight began when an agent yelled "policia" at the men and they refused to stop. An agent then fired bean bags, which are not deadly, and members of the rip crew began firing from assault rifles, authorities said.
It appears Terry never had a chance to fire. He died of a gunshot wound that entered through his back.
Republicans sought to hold the Obama administration accountable over the Fast and Furious operation, conducting a series of inquiries into the how the Justice Department allowed guns to end up in the hands of criminals.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt after he refused to divulge documents for a congressional investigation into the matter. Since then, the Justice Department has focused on arresting and trying all suspects involved.
The judge ruled before the trial started that information about the operation would be excluded from testimony.
Two other men charged in the case — including a man who assembled the crew but who was not present that night — have pleaded guilty and two others are fugitives.
end
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 29-9-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 29 SEP 2015
Note: video & graphics at link.
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 5:07 PM MST
Updated: Sep 29, 2015 5:07 PM MST
Suspect in Brian Terry murder trial set to testify
Written By Lupita Murillo
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30146519/suspect-in-brian-terry-murder-trial-set-to-testify
TUCSON- A federal trial is moving forward for two men charged in the killing of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. The defense is expected to present their case starting Wednesday, after the prosecution rested on Monday.
In a surprise move, one of the two men accused of killing Terry is expected to take the stand Wednesday morning. After a three hour session with attorney Ramiro Flores, Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza will be testifying on his own behalf.
The other defendant, Ivan Soto-Barraza, won't be taking the stand.
Terry was gunned down in 2010 near Rio Rico. Investigators say a so-called "rip-off" crew was there to rob marijuana smugglers, but got into a shootout with border agents instead.
Federal prosecutors say both Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza have confessed to being part of the "rip-off" crew.
The jury is expected to receive their instructions Wednesday afternoon.
END
Fast and Furious trial: Former FBI agent testifies suspects in killing admitted role in theft plan
Former FBI agent testifies suspects in killing admitted role in theft plan
Posted: Tuesday, September 29, 2015 8:33 am
Associated Press |
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/fast-and-furious-trial-former-fbi-agent-testifies-suspects-in/article_6f9b73b0-66bf-11e5-b5f8-773ff70e30d8.html
TUCSON — Prosecutors trying two men for the 2010 killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent rested their case Monday after a former FBI agent testified that the men confessed to being among armed thieves who planned on robbing marijuana smugglers on the night of the killing.
Retired FBI agent Todd Polley interviewed Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza after they were arrested in Mexico in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
The men are accused of being members of a five-man "rip crew" that had planned to rob drug smugglers when they encountered Brian Terry and three other agents on Dec. 14, 2010. A gunfight ensued and Terry was killed.
Defense attorney Ramiro Flores has said the defendants fled when shots were fired and did not initiate the firefight.
Two guns found at the scene were traced to a botched federal gun sting that allowed criminals to buy weapons with the intention of tracking them. Instead, federal agents lost most of the weapons.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza are the first defendants in the case to go on trial. Two others — including a man who assembled the crew but who was not present that night — have pleaded guilty and two are fugitives.
Polley said Soto-Barraza told him he was carrying a loaded assault rifle on the night Terry was shot.
"The weapon was to be used to rip off drug backpackers," Polley said.
But Flores challenged the accuracy of Polley's statement, saying the agent had only loosely translated what Sanchez-Meza said and had already prepared the suspect's written declaration before speaking with him.
For example, Polley testified that Sanchez-Meza said he'd been "patrolling" the area for drug smugglers, which Flores said as not a verbatim translation of what his client said.
"That was your spin on his rendition of his declaration," Flores said. "Why not stick to the words he actually used?"
Polley was the final witness for the prosecution. Other witnesses have said DNA and fingerprint evidence found at the scene match Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza. The defense will begin presenting witnesses Wednesday.
In early testimony, former agent William Castano broke down in tears as he described desperately trying to save Terry's life.
Castano was the leader of a four-man crew from an elite tactical unit on an operation aimed at arresting rip crew members. The team was set to be relieved an hour after the shooting occurred.
end
Note: video & graphics at link.
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 5:07 PM MST
Updated: Sep 29, 2015 5:07 PM MST
Suspect in Brian Terry murder trial set to testify
Written By Lupita Murillo
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30146519/suspect-in-brian-terry-murder-trial-set-to-testify
TUCSON- A federal trial is moving forward for two men charged in the killing of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. The defense is expected to present their case starting Wednesday, after the prosecution rested on Monday.
In a surprise move, one of the two men accused of killing Terry is expected to take the stand Wednesday morning. After a three hour session with attorney Ramiro Flores, Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza will be testifying on his own behalf.
The other defendant, Ivan Soto-Barraza, won't be taking the stand.
Terry was gunned down in 2010 near Rio Rico. Investigators say a so-called "rip-off" crew was there to rob marijuana smugglers, but got into a shootout with border agents instead.
Federal prosecutors say both Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza have confessed to being part of the "rip-off" crew.
The jury is expected to receive their instructions Wednesday afternoon.
END
Fast and Furious trial: Former FBI agent testifies suspects in killing admitted role in theft plan
Former FBI agent testifies suspects in killing admitted role in theft plan
Posted: Tuesday, September 29, 2015 8:33 am
Associated Press |
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/fast-and-furious-trial-former-fbi-agent-testifies-suspects-in/article_6f9b73b0-66bf-11e5-b5f8-773ff70e30d8.html
TUCSON — Prosecutors trying two men for the 2010 killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent rested their case Monday after a former FBI agent testified that the men confessed to being among armed thieves who planned on robbing marijuana smugglers on the night of the killing.
Retired FBI agent Todd Polley interviewed Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza after they were arrested in Mexico in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
The men are accused of being members of a five-man "rip crew" that had planned to rob drug smugglers when they encountered Brian Terry and three other agents on Dec. 14, 2010. A gunfight ensued and Terry was killed.
Defense attorney Ramiro Flores has said the defendants fled when shots were fired and did not initiate the firefight.
Two guns found at the scene were traced to a botched federal gun sting that allowed criminals to buy weapons with the intention of tracking them. Instead, federal agents lost most of the weapons.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza are the first defendants in the case to go on trial. Two others — including a man who assembled the crew but who was not present that night — have pleaded guilty and two are fugitives.
Polley said Soto-Barraza told him he was carrying a loaded assault rifle on the night Terry was shot.
"The weapon was to be used to rip off drug backpackers," Polley said.
But Flores challenged the accuracy of Polley's statement, saying the agent had only loosely translated what Sanchez-Meza said and had already prepared the suspect's written declaration before speaking with him.
For example, Polley testified that Sanchez-Meza said he'd been "patrolling" the area for drug smugglers, which Flores said as not a verbatim translation of what his client said.
"That was your spin on his rendition of his declaration," Flores said. "Why not stick to the words he actually used?"
Polley was the final witness for the prosecution. Other witnesses have said DNA and fingerprint evidence found at the scene match Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza. The defense will begin presenting witnesses Wednesday.
In early testimony, former agent William Castano broke down in tears as he described desperately trying to save Terry's life.
Castano was the leader of a four-man crew from an elite tactical unit on an operation aimed at arresting rip crew members. The team was set to be relieved an hour after the shooting occurred.
end
AZMEX UPDATE 28-9-15
AZMEX UPDATE 28 SEP 2015
Note: Busy AZMEX Monday, no just can't make these things up.
Falling drug bundle pierces carport, crushes doghouse
By Murphy Woodhouse
Nogales International Sep 25, 2015
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/falling-drug-bundle-pierces-carport-crushes-doghouse/article_3389b792-62eb-11e5-92a7-93fd7e10019a.htm
The drug bundle crash-landed in plastic doghouse. Luckily the dog was not inside at the time.
In the first hours of Tuesday, Sept. 8, a tremendous boom woke Bill and Maya Donnelly at their home on Crawford Street, a few hundred yards from the U.S.-Mexico border in downtown Nogales.
Bill shrugged it off as monsoon thunder, but Maya wasn't so sure. Nevertheless, both soon went back to sleep.
After Bill and the couple's children headed off to work and school the following morning, Maya looked out the kitchen window toward the home's carport and saw splintered wood and other signs that Hulk, their large German Shepherd, had been up to no good.
"I went out to investigate, and sure enough, I looked up to see the hole, and then my eyes trailed down and the big dog's house was destroyed. It made a hole in that hard plastic doghouse and the bundle was inside...," Maya recalled.
That bundle contained 23.8 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $9,500, that had passed cleanly through the carport roof's several wooden layers and pulverized Hulk's home, which he fortunately was not fond of.
"Thank goodness (Hulk) is a wanderer at night and was not in his house," Maya said, adding: "He was probably at the gate watching the plane go by."
The Donnellys said the Nogales Police Department officers who responded told them that one of the most likely explanations for the incident was that an ultralight aircraft smuggling marijuana into Arizona from Mexico had accidentally let part of its load go early before dropping the rest further north of the border.
Bill Donnelly said that scenario made sense to him, adding that flying just one bundle seems like "an awful lot of risk for a little reward."
Ultralights are small, single-seat aircraft for which no licensing or training is required to operate in the United States.
The Donnellys said NPD officers searched their property and other nearby areas for additional bundles but found nothing. The officers took possession of the single bundle.
In the incident report provided by NPD, one of the officers noted that the bundle "had a plastic bracket, taped with black electrical tape," which had possibly been used to affix the load to an aircraft. The report also states that the marijuana was to be held for investigation by the local HIDTA Task Force.
More than not killing one of the family's dogs, Bill Donnelly said he was grateful the load hadn't fallen a little further east. "Thank God it didn't land on our house," he said. "Or over one of the kids' rooms."
Drop and go back
NPD Chief Derek Arnson and Sheriff Antonio Estrada said that ultralight aircraft are one of the tools of the local drug smuggling trade, but neither had ever heard of a load being lost in such dramatic fashion.
"Ultralights, we've seen those on occasion," Arnson said. "They'll take a couple, two, three bundles. You can hear those kind of buzzing. They come at nighttime and they don't land, they just drop and go back to Mexico."
In 2011, a sheriff's deputy spotted an ultralight dropping a load near Ruby Road. While the aircraft got away, law enforcement found 1,753 pounds of marijuana. In a similar incident in 2009, Border Patrol agents and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter successfully apprehended an ultralight pilot in the San Rafael Valley and seized 205 pounds of marijuana.
CBP did not respond to a request for comment on the use of ultralights in Southern Arizona.
Ultralights are not the only aerial smuggling method being used in the area. Taking a cue from medieval warfare tacticians, smugglers are also suspected of employing catapults to heave drugs across the border. In 2011, NPD spokesman Carlos Jimenez told the NI that a catapult-like device was possibly being used to hurl marijuana bundles across the border to Escalada Drive, though the contraption was never found.
The police report on the most recent incident did not mention such a possibility.
Family project
Though the plummeting load could have been much more serious, Maya Donnelly said she and her family don't "feel any less safe."
Bill said the deductible for their home insurance is a little too steep, so he intends to make the carport repair a family affair. "At this point Maya and I are going to do it together, and make it a family outing," he said with a laugh.
end
At one border crossing, passport now required
Posted: Sunday, September 27, 2015 3:59 pm | Updated: 3:59 pm, Sun Sep 27, 2015.
By Carla Leon, Cronkite News Service
http://www.yumasun.com/news/at-one-border-crossing-passport-now-required/article_3007f656-656b-11e5-b19f-c391c0ee0bac.html
SAN YSIDRO, California – At the Puerta Este border crossing, U.S. citizens and other foreigners walking into Mexico must now show their passports.
"I do business in Baja California, and I do business here in California, so I cross the border every day," said Alex Casian, a San Diego resident.
Casian and border residents worry the passport requirement will create a backlog on the border this time for those heading into Mexico.
"If you're making it harder to cross the border, then it is making it harder for all the businesses down there to receive people and actually do our services," Casian said.
Travelers also have to fill out a form. If they plan to stay longer than a week, they also have to pay a $20 fee for a six-month permit.
According to the federal officials in both Hermosillo, Son., and Tijuana, B.C., there are currently no plans to put in place such a system at the crossings at Los Algodones, Baja Calif., or San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.
Casian builds websites and does marketing for hotels in the San Diego area.
"It's going to affect the U.S. and Mexico because people won't shop on either side of the border," said Arturo Ramirez, who relies on tips he earns carrying shopping bags across the border with his cart.
So far, Mexico is only enforcing the passport rule at the newly renovated San Ysidro border crossing. That $6.9 million structure includes a separate immigration line for foreigners and will serve as a model as Mexico expands the passport requirement along the border.
"It is important for the border states in the United States and the border states in Mexico to have better infrastructure in order to be ready for the future," said Roberto Rodriguez Hernandez, consul general of Mexico in Phoenix.
Motorists will not have to show their passports to Mexican immigration officers at the border. And if lines grow too long, the requirement may be waived for pedestrians during peak crossing times.
But passport requirement is expected to help both Mexico and the United States improve border security.
"Since 15 or 20 years ago they were thinking to ask for passports. But now it happens for safety reasons for both countries," Rodriguez Hernandez said.
end
Drug Smuggling in Pinal County: Tactics constantly changing
Sheriff's Office ready to counter new methods to avoid detection
Drug smugglers had wrapped bales of marijuana, seized during a recent bust in Pinal County, in camouflage.
Posted: Monday, September 28, 2015 8:19 am
By KEVIN REAGAN, Staff Writer
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/drug-smuggling-in-pinal-county-tactics-constantly-changing/article_435e3376-65f4-11e5-9d57-234489ddaebc.html
FLORENCE — The peak season of drug smuggling is picking up in central Arizona, and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office is trying to keep track of new methods employed by transporters.
Sgt. Brian Messing, supervisor of the Sheriff's Office's Anti-Smuggling Enforcement Unit, said the end of September through December is when they see much more activity on the drug routes crossing through Pinal County. Every year, he said smugglers find creative ways to avoid detection.
"They come up with new ideas to try and throw us off," he said. "Their goal is to gain as much time on us."
A PCSO detective stopped a pickup truck on Sept. 18 along Interstate 8 containing a group of smugglers wearing homemade camouflaged carpet-boots, which are thought to cover up a smuggler's footprints.
Messing explained this tactic of attaching carpet to footwear or car tires is seen by investigators on occasion. The strategy isn't new to the region. The Sierra Vista Herald reported in 2010 that U.S. Border Patrol agents caught 13 smugglers traveling on foot near Sells with carpet laced to the bottom of their shoes.
Messing said the strategy can buy the smugglers some ground time, but deputies and investigators have trained their eyes to detect trails that look suspicious.
Smugglers also often camouflage their bundles so they can be hidden from aircraft and foot detection until they are picked up by carriers, or not easily spotted while being carried.
Most of the recent busts in western Pinal County around Interstate 8 and Stanfield have involved vehicles that have picked up marijuana and smugglers after being carried across the border and the desert for days. Smugglers told deputies after the Sept. 18 bust that they had traveled for six days across the desert.
Messing has been working for the Sheriff's Office for the last 22 years. He said drug smuggling has exploded with activity in the region just in the last six years.
Human smuggling has gone down during that time, and Messing explained it might be because the drug cartels don't want human smugglers crossing their territory.
Another difficulty in finding smugglers is tracking the numerous scouts who sit on desert hilltops and navigate transporters through trails that avoid law enforcement.
There can be up to 20 scouts dispersed throughout a 20-mile radius and can remain at their post for as long as six weeks, according to Messing.
He added smugglers will try confusing law enforcement by frequently changing their routes. He said some have been known to return to trails not crossed in several years.
What other tricks smugglers may have up their sleeves, Messing said it's still too early to know for sure.
"They're just starting up their season, so we'll see," he said.
end
Phoenix police investigate home invasion
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 5:15 AM MST
Updated: Sep 29, 2015 8:06 AM MST
By Jennifer ThomasCONNECT
http://www.azfamily.com/story/30139661/phoenix-police-investigate-home-invasion?autostart=true
PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) -
Phoenix police are investigating a home invasion near 79th Avenue and Thomas Road.
Police said several Hispanic males forced their way into a home around 1 a.m. Tuesday. One of the men was dressed in body armor and had an assault rifle.
A man, woman and two children were home at the time. The man was tied up and a gun was pointed at the woman and a daughter, but they were not injured.
The suspects demanded money and drugs. Police said they ransacked the home and the family's cars before taking some items and fleeing.
The suspects were inside the home for about 30 minutes.
Sgt. Jonathan Howard said there were indicators of drug activity in the home.
Police are trying to determine if this is linked to a possible home invasion near 46th Avenue and Thomas Road.
Howard said officers responded to a shots-fired call and found signs of forced entry. They contacted the occupants who reported that the suspects had fled. There were no injuries.
Officers are still investigating both incidents.
end
Inician jornada contra dengue en Sonora
Inician jornada contra dengue en SonoraLas actividades de prevención se extenderán al Poblado Miguel Alemán, Bahía Kino y a otros municipios. Foto: Redacción/GH
Por: Agencias | 27/09/2015 11:40
http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Sonora/27092015/1011800-Inician-jornada-contra-dengue-en-Sonora.html
INFORMACIÓN RELACIONADA
Piden autoridades a ciudadanía sumarse a lucha contra el dengue
Llevarán jornada de descacharre a las colonias
Piden autoridades a ciudadanía sumarse a lucha contra el dengue
Es clave la limpieza para prevenir casos de dengue: Salud
Tiene Salud 10 mdp para enfrentar dengue
HERMOSILLO, Sonora(Agencias)
Este domingo se inició en la capital sonorense una campaña masiva contra el mosquito transmisor, para evitar más casos de dengue y chikungunya después de las lluvias provocadas por la tormenta tropical 16-E.
Las labores comenzaron en 30 colonias de esta ciudad con incidencia de dengue.
Los trabajos incluyen limpieza y descacharre de patios en domicilios, entrega de insecticida abate y fumigar las colonias.
Las actividades de prevención se extenderán al Poblado Miguel Alemán, Bahía Kino y a otros municipios afectados por las lluvias generadas por el fenómeno meteorológico.
En particular, en esta jornada participa personal del Sector Salud quien levanta información epidemiológica la cual servirá para darle seguimiento al plan.
TRAÍA HEROÍNA A NOGALES
27/Sep/2015
Alfonso CAMPOS-RUBIO
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=4036
HERMOSILLO.-
Como resultado del seguimiento a una denuncia ciudadana, los oficiales de la Agencia de Investigación Criminal, de la PGR, se constituyeron en la caseta de cobro conocida como La Jaula, entre Navojoa y Estación Don, donde a bordo de un transporte de pasaje colectivo detectaron a un sujeto con dos plantillas en los zapatos, en las cuales llevaba 310 gramos de heroína, se informó.
El vocero de la Procuraduría General de la República en Sonora agregó que lo anterior se suscitó a bordo de uno de los vehículos de Autotransportes de Guasave, procedente de Guamúchil, Sinaloa, con destino a la fronteriza Nogales.
Donde al revisar dicha unidad, observaron que el ahora detenido empezó a comportarse nerviosa y sospechosamente, por lo que procedieron a cuestionarlo en torno a dicha actitud, contestándoles con evasivas y contradicciones, para luego examinar sus vestimentas y calzado, encontrándosele en esto la droga mencionada.
Por lo que inmediatamente después fue detenido y turnado al Agente del Ministerio Público de la Federación en Navojoa por su presunta participación en el delito contra la salud, añadió el informante.
FIN
Note: Busy AZMEX Monday, no just can't make these things up.
Falling drug bundle pierces carport, crushes doghouse
By Murphy Woodhouse
Nogales International Sep 25, 2015
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/falling-drug-bundle-pierces-carport-crushes-doghouse/article_3389b792-62eb-11e5-92a7-93fd7e10019a.htm
The drug bundle crash-landed in plastic doghouse. Luckily the dog was not inside at the time.
In the first hours of Tuesday, Sept. 8, a tremendous boom woke Bill and Maya Donnelly at their home on Crawford Street, a few hundred yards from the U.S.-Mexico border in downtown Nogales.
Bill shrugged it off as monsoon thunder, but Maya wasn't so sure. Nevertheless, both soon went back to sleep.
After Bill and the couple's children headed off to work and school the following morning, Maya looked out the kitchen window toward the home's carport and saw splintered wood and other signs that Hulk, their large German Shepherd, had been up to no good.
"I went out to investigate, and sure enough, I looked up to see the hole, and then my eyes trailed down and the big dog's house was destroyed. It made a hole in that hard plastic doghouse and the bundle was inside...," Maya recalled.
That bundle contained 23.8 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $9,500, that had passed cleanly through the carport roof's several wooden layers and pulverized Hulk's home, which he fortunately was not fond of.
"Thank goodness (Hulk) is a wanderer at night and was not in his house," Maya said, adding: "He was probably at the gate watching the plane go by."
The Donnellys said the Nogales Police Department officers who responded told them that one of the most likely explanations for the incident was that an ultralight aircraft smuggling marijuana into Arizona from Mexico had accidentally let part of its load go early before dropping the rest further north of the border.
Bill Donnelly said that scenario made sense to him, adding that flying just one bundle seems like "an awful lot of risk for a little reward."
Ultralights are small, single-seat aircraft for which no licensing or training is required to operate in the United States.
The Donnellys said NPD officers searched their property and other nearby areas for additional bundles but found nothing. The officers took possession of the single bundle.
In the incident report provided by NPD, one of the officers noted that the bundle "had a plastic bracket, taped with black electrical tape," which had possibly been used to affix the load to an aircraft. The report also states that the marijuana was to be held for investigation by the local HIDTA Task Force.
More than not killing one of the family's dogs, Bill Donnelly said he was grateful the load hadn't fallen a little further east. "Thank God it didn't land on our house," he said. "Or over one of the kids' rooms."
Drop and go back
NPD Chief Derek Arnson and Sheriff Antonio Estrada said that ultralight aircraft are one of the tools of the local drug smuggling trade, but neither had ever heard of a load being lost in such dramatic fashion.
"Ultralights, we've seen those on occasion," Arnson said. "They'll take a couple, two, three bundles. You can hear those kind of buzzing. They come at nighttime and they don't land, they just drop and go back to Mexico."
In 2011, a sheriff's deputy spotted an ultralight dropping a load near Ruby Road. While the aircraft got away, law enforcement found 1,753 pounds of marijuana. In a similar incident in 2009, Border Patrol agents and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter successfully apprehended an ultralight pilot in the San Rafael Valley and seized 205 pounds of marijuana.
CBP did not respond to a request for comment on the use of ultralights in Southern Arizona.
Ultralights are not the only aerial smuggling method being used in the area. Taking a cue from medieval warfare tacticians, smugglers are also suspected of employing catapults to heave drugs across the border. In 2011, NPD spokesman Carlos Jimenez told the NI that a catapult-like device was possibly being used to hurl marijuana bundles across the border to Escalada Drive, though the contraption was never found.
The police report on the most recent incident did not mention such a possibility.
Family project
Though the plummeting load could have been much more serious, Maya Donnelly said she and her family don't "feel any less safe."
Bill said the deductible for their home insurance is a little too steep, so he intends to make the carport repair a family affair. "At this point Maya and I are going to do it together, and make it a family outing," he said with a laugh.
end
At one border crossing, passport now required
Posted: Sunday, September 27, 2015 3:59 pm | Updated: 3:59 pm, Sun Sep 27, 2015.
By Carla Leon, Cronkite News Service
http://www.yumasun.com/news/at-one-border-crossing-passport-now-required/article_3007f656-656b-11e5-b19f-c391c0ee0bac.html
SAN YSIDRO, California – At the Puerta Este border crossing, U.S. citizens and other foreigners walking into Mexico must now show their passports.
"I do business in Baja California, and I do business here in California, so I cross the border every day," said Alex Casian, a San Diego resident.
Casian and border residents worry the passport requirement will create a backlog on the border this time for those heading into Mexico.
"If you're making it harder to cross the border, then it is making it harder for all the businesses down there to receive people and actually do our services," Casian said.
Travelers also have to fill out a form. If they plan to stay longer than a week, they also have to pay a $20 fee for a six-month permit.
According to the federal officials in both Hermosillo, Son., and Tijuana, B.C., there are currently no plans to put in place such a system at the crossings at Los Algodones, Baja Calif., or San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.
Casian builds websites and does marketing for hotels in the San Diego area.
"It's going to affect the U.S. and Mexico because people won't shop on either side of the border," said Arturo Ramirez, who relies on tips he earns carrying shopping bags across the border with his cart.
So far, Mexico is only enforcing the passport rule at the newly renovated San Ysidro border crossing. That $6.9 million structure includes a separate immigration line for foreigners and will serve as a model as Mexico expands the passport requirement along the border.
"It is important for the border states in the United States and the border states in Mexico to have better infrastructure in order to be ready for the future," said Roberto Rodriguez Hernandez, consul general of Mexico in Phoenix.
Motorists will not have to show their passports to Mexican immigration officers at the border. And if lines grow too long, the requirement may be waived for pedestrians during peak crossing times.
But passport requirement is expected to help both Mexico and the United States improve border security.
"Since 15 or 20 years ago they were thinking to ask for passports. But now it happens for safety reasons for both countries," Rodriguez Hernandez said.
end
Drug Smuggling in Pinal County: Tactics constantly changing
Sheriff's Office ready to counter new methods to avoid detection
Drug smugglers had wrapped bales of marijuana, seized during a recent bust in Pinal County, in camouflage.
Posted: Monday, September 28, 2015 8:19 am
By KEVIN REAGAN, Staff Writer
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/drug-smuggling-in-pinal-county-tactics-constantly-changing/article_435e3376-65f4-11e5-9d57-234489ddaebc.html
FLORENCE — The peak season of drug smuggling is picking up in central Arizona, and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office is trying to keep track of new methods employed by transporters.
Sgt. Brian Messing, supervisor of the Sheriff's Office's Anti-Smuggling Enforcement Unit, said the end of September through December is when they see much more activity on the drug routes crossing through Pinal County. Every year, he said smugglers find creative ways to avoid detection.
"They come up with new ideas to try and throw us off," he said. "Their goal is to gain as much time on us."
A PCSO detective stopped a pickup truck on Sept. 18 along Interstate 8 containing a group of smugglers wearing homemade camouflaged carpet-boots, which are thought to cover up a smuggler's footprints.
Messing explained this tactic of attaching carpet to footwear or car tires is seen by investigators on occasion. The strategy isn't new to the region. The Sierra Vista Herald reported in 2010 that U.S. Border Patrol agents caught 13 smugglers traveling on foot near Sells with carpet laced to the bottom of their shoes.
Messing said the strategy can buy the smugglers some ground time, but deputies and investigators have trained their eyes to detect trails that look suspicious.
Smugglers also often camouflage their bundles so they can be hidden from aircraft and foot detection until they are picked up by carriers, or not easily spotted while being carried.
Most of the recent busts in western Pinal County around Interstate 8 and Stanfield have involved vehicles that have picked up marijuana and smugglers after being carried across the border and the desert for days. Smugglers told deputies after the Sept. 18 bust that they had traveled for six days across the desert.
Messing has been working for the Sheriff's Office for the last 22 years. He said drug smuggling has exploded with activity in the region just in the last six years.
Human smuggling has gone down during that time, and Messing explained it might be because the drug cartels don't want human smugglers crossing their territory.
Another difficulty in finding smugglers is tracking the numerous scouts who sit on desert hilltops and navigate transporters through trails that avoid law enforcement.
There can be up to 20 scouts dispersed throughout a 20-mile radius and can remain at their post for as long as six weeks, according to Messing.
He added smugglers will try confusing law enforcement by frequently changing their routes. He said some have been known to return to trails not crossed in several years.
What other tricks smugglers may have up their sleeves, Messing said it's still too early to know for sure.
"They're just starting up their season, so we'll see," he said.
end
Phoenix police investigate home invasion
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 5:15 AM MST
Updated: Sep 29, 2015 8:06 AM MST
By Jennifer ThomasCONNECT
http://www.azfamily.com/story/30139661/phoenix-police-investigate-home-invasion?autostart=true
PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) -
Phoenix police are investigating a home invasion near 79th Avenue and Thomas Road.
Police said several Hispanic males forced their way into a home around 1 a.m. Tuesday. One of the men was dressed in body armor and had an assault rifle.
A man, woman and two children were home at the time. The man was tied up and a gun was pointed at the woman and a daughter, but they were not injured.
The suspects demanded money and drugs. Police said they ransacked the home and the family's cars before taking some items and fleeing.
The suspects were inside the home for about 30 minutes.
Sgt. Jonathan Howard said there were indicators of drug activity in the home.
Police are trying to determine if this is linked to a possible home invasion near 46th Avenue and Thomas Road.
Howard said officers responded to a shots-fired call and found signs of forced entry. They contacted the occupants who reported that the suspects had fled. There were no injuries.
Officers are still investigating both incidents.
end
Inician jornada contra dengue en Sonora
Inician jornada contra dengue en SonoraLas actividades de prevención se extenderán al Poblado Miguel Alemán, Bahía Kino y a otros municipios. Foto: Redacción/GH
Por: Agencias | 27/09/2015 11:40
http://www.elimparcial.com/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Sonora/27092015/1011800-Inician-jornada-contra-dengue-en-Sonora.html
INFORMACIÓN RELACIONADA
Piden autoridades a ciudadanía sumarse a lucha contra el dengue
Llevarán jornada de descacharre a las colonias
Piden autoridades a ciudadanía sumarse a lucha contra el dengue
Es clave la limpieza para prevenir casos de dengue: Salud
Tiene Salud 10 mdp para enfrentar dengue
HERMOSILLO, Sonora(Agencias)
Este domingo se inició en la capital sonorense una campaña masiva contra el mosquito transmisor, para evitar más casos de dengue y chikungunya después de las lluvias provocadas por la tormenta tropical 16-E.
Las labores comenzaron en 30 colonias de esta ciudad con incidencia de dengue.
Los trabajos incluyen limpieza y descacharre de patios en domicilios, entrega de insecticida abate y fumigar las colonias.
Las actividades de prevención se extenderán al Poblado Miguel Alemán, Bahía Kino y a otros municipios afectados por las lluvias generadas por el fenómeno meteorológico.
En particular, en esta jornada participa personal del Sector Salud quien levanta información epidemiológica la cual servirá para darle seguimiento al plan.
TRAÍA HEROÍNA A NOGALES
27/Sep/2015
Alfonso CAMPOS-RUBIO
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=4036
HERMOSILLO.-
Como resultado del seguimiento a una denuncia ciudadana, los oficiales de la Agencia de Investigación Criminal, de la PGR, se constituyeron en la caseta de cobro conocida como La Jaula, entre Navojoa y Estación Don, donde a bordo de un transporte de pasaje colectivo detectaron a un sujeto con dos plantillas en los zapatos, en las cuales llevaba 310 gramos de heroína, se informó.
El vocero de la Procuraduría General de la República en Sonora agregó que lo anterior se suscitó a bordo de uno de los vehículos de Autotransportes de Guasave, procedente de Guamúchil, Sinaloa, con destino a la fronteriza Nogales.
Donde al revisar dicha unidad, observaron que el ahora detenido empezó a comportarse nerviosa y sospechosamente, por lo que procedieron a cuestionarlo en torno a dicha actitud, contestándoles con evasivas y contradicciones, para luego examinar sus vestimentas y calzado, encontrándosele en esto la droga mencionada.
Por lo que inmediatamente después fue detenido y turnado al Agente del Ministerio Público de la Federación en Navojoa por su presunta participación en el delito contra la salud, añadió el informante.
FIN
Monday, September 28, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 28-9-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 28 SEP 2015
Note: very little to no interest shown by local media.
Posted: Sep 28, 2015 1:31 PM MST
Updated: Sep 28, 2015 1:31 PM MST
Ex-agent: Suspects in agent's death admitted theft plan
Written By Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A retired FBI agent says two men on trial in the killing of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry confessed to being among armed thieves who planned on robbing marijuana smugglers.
Former agent Todd Polley testified Monday about interviewing Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza after they were arrested in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Prosecutors say they were members of a so-called "rip off" crew planning to rob marijuana smugglers when they encountered a team of Border Patrol agents in the southern Arizona desert.
A gunfight ensued, and Terry was killed.
His death exposed a botched federal gun sting that allowed criminals to buy weapons with the intention of tracking them. The government lost track of the guns, and two were found at the gunfight location.
END
Friday, September 25, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 25-9-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 25 SEP 2015
Sep 25, 8:45 PM EDT
Judge casts doubt on evidence in border agent's killing
ASTRID GALVAN
Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- A federal judge in the trial of two men accused in the death of a Border Patrol agent questioned Friday whether the prosecution can prove the defendants committed some crimes alleged in the charges.
Judge David C. Bury said prosecutors would need to provide sufficient evidence on several of the nine charges the men face, including first-degree murder.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza are the first to go on trial in the killing of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, whose death brought to light a government operation that allowed criminals to buy weapons with the intention of tracking them.
Instead, federal agents lost about 1,400 guns, including two found at the scene of Terry's killing.
The judge questioned the charges of attempted interference of commerce by robbery filed by the prosecution over claims that the men participated in a "rip crew," a gang that robs drug smugglers.
The government alleges that Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were two of the five-man crew that was planning to rob smugglers when Terry and three other agents interfered.
The agents were part of an elite tactical unit that had been in the southern Arizona desert for two days on a mission to arrest a rip crew.
The judge questioned whether there was sufficient evidence that the men were in a rip crew when there "is no drug courier, there is nobody to rob."
Bury requested a positions statement and trial will resume on Monday with the final two prosecution witnesses.
Also on Friday, FBI Agent Michelle Terwillger testified that DNA and fingerprints from backpacks left at the scene belonged to Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza.
Defense attorney Ramiro Flores has said the defendants fled when shots were fired and they did not initiate the firefight.
The gunfight began when an agent yelled "policia" at the men and they refused to stop. An agent then fired bean bags, which are not deadly, and members of the rip crew began firing from assault rifles, authorities said.
It appears Terry never had a chance to fire. He died of a gunshot wound to his back.
Terwillger's testimony comes two days after former Agent William Castano broke down in tears as he described desperately trying to save Terry's life.
Castano was the leader of the operation. The team was set to be relieved in an hour when the shooting occurred.
end
Note: Desert dwellers will find this one especially interesting.
Posted: Sep 25, 2015 1:57 PM MST
Updated: Sep 25, 2015 1:57 PM MST
Investigator testifies in trial of men in agent's death
Written By Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A crime scene investigator has testified about collecting evidence from a fatal shootout that resulted in the death of a Border Patrol agent.
FBI agent Michelle Terwillger testified Friday in Tucson federal court in the trial of two men charged in Brian Terry's 2010 death.
It is the first criminal trial in Terry's killing, which brought to light a federal operation that allowed criminals to buy weapons with the intention of tracking them. Instead, they lost about 1,400 guns, including two found where Terry was killed.
Terwillger said it's hard to find crime-scene evidence in the desert.
He said investigators couldn't locate all the shell cases from 11 rounds fired by one agent at five men authorities say were planning to rob drug smugglers.
end
Brian Terry trial expected to last two weeks
By Ally Aldrete.
CREATED Sep 24, 2015
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The trial continued on Thursday for two men involved in the shooting death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry in 2010.
Prosecutors say they have DNA evidence these two men were at the scene of Terry's murder.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Mesa and Ivan Soto-Barraza are both in Federal Court for trial.
Two of the guns found on scene that night were linked to a federal program called "Operation Fast and Furious," that sold guns to criminals in hopes of tracking them after.
On Thursday, Terry's family spoke to us about what the trial has been like.
"It is difficult, we are hearing about how Brian died, the firefight that led to his death and the efforts to save Brian after he was shot," said Robert Heyer, the cousin of Brian Terry.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
Two other men from the scene are still on the loose.
END
Thursday, September 24, 2015
AZMEX I3 24-9-15
AZMEX I3 24 SEP 2015
Note: As usual, no info on actual ages or gender of the "children".
Border Patrol: 177 percent jump in unaccompanied minors at Mexico-US border
SHARE STORY BY KTAR.COM |
September 24, 2015 @ 2:35 pm
PHOENIX — Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection released this week showed a large increase in the apprehension of unaccompanied children and families at the Arizona-Mexico border.
While overall apprehensions of unaccompanied children fell 46 percent on the Southwest border, the Yuma Sector experienced a 177 percent increase — the largest increase reported by the nine sectors of the Southwest border. The sector includes Arizona's Yuma, La Paz and Mojave counties.
Likewise, while the Southwest Border reported an overall decrease in apprehensions of family units of 46 percent, the Yuma Sector reported a 130 percent increase, the second-highest increase reported from the nine border sectors.
Over 35,000 unaccompanied children were reportedly apprehended in fiscal year 2015, according to the data.
The data compared apprehensions between October 2014 and August 2015 to apprehensions reported during the same time period last year.
The numbers are, "surprising uptick" and a "concern" for the administration, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, as reported by the Associated Press.
Last year, thousands of children poured across the border into the United States, especially Texas. Hundreds of the unaccompanied minors were taken to a facility in Nogales, Arizona, where they slept in a large Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
A lot of the children came from Central America to seek asylum.
END
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 24-9-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 24 SEP 2015
Updated Sep 23, 2015 - 7:07 pm
Former agent testifies at start of Fast and Furious trial
SHARE STORY BY ASSOCIATED PRESS |
September 23, 2015 @ 1:43 am
FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2010, file photo, an American flag on a nearby resident's home waves in the breeze near a U.S. Border Patrol truck blocking the road leading to a search area near where agent Brian Terry, 40, was killed northwest of Nogales, Ariz. Two men charged with murder in the death of agent Terry that revealed the bungled gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious go on trial Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015. The men were charged in the killing of agent Terry during the Fast and Furious operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them. Instead, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of 1,400 of the 2,000 guns involved in the sting operation, including two weapons found at the scene of Terry's killing. (Greg Bryan/Arizona Daily Star Via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT; GREEN VALLEY NEWS OUT;
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A former Border Patrol agent broke down in tears as he described desperately trying to save the life of a colleague who was shot during a firefight that exposed the bungled federal gun operation known as Fast and Furious.
William Castano was among the first witnesses Wednesday in the trial of two suspects charged in the 2010 death of Brian Terry. It is the first criminal trial in Terry's killing, which brought to light the government's operation that allowed criminals to buy weapons with the intention of tracking them. Instead, they lost about 1,400 guns, including two found where Terry was killed.
Castano became emotional in federal court in Tucson as he walked the jury through the night of Dec. 14, 2010, when he, Terry and two other agents were on a mission to arrest gangs known as rip crews that target marijuana smugglers.
The agents yelled "policia" after spotting the weapon-toting crew, Castano said. They later fired rounds from beanbag guns at the smugglers, and a gunfight ensued. Terry was hit in the back. Castano cut open Terry's shirt to locate the wound, using a flashlight to guide him.
"I put my hand all over his body to see if I could feel blood," he said.
Terry lost consciousness and other agents arrived to help carry him down a hill, which was no easy task given his muscular, 215-pound frame, Castano said. Castano lost his composure while testifying.
Opening statements began earlier in the day in the trial of Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza. Two others have already pleaded guilty in the case, and another two remain fugitives.
Defense attorney Ramiro Flores was quick to point out that the agents deployed their beanbag shotguns first and three of the men ran away.
"Someone triggered that firefight, and it wasn't these individuals here," Flores said of the defendants.
Flores said he would touch on the Border Patrol's use-of-force policy during the trial. The agency has come under heavy criticism over allegations that agents too often use deadly force against immigrants, often in response to those who throw rocks.
Prosecutor Todd Wallace Robinson said DNA pulled from water bottles and sweaters left behind by the alleged rip crew matched Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza, and that the men confessed after being found in Mexico several years later that they were part of the crew.
"All five members of the rip crew were carrying weapons, and they were carrying them for one purpose and one purpose alone, and it was to rob smugglers," Robinson said.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza face charges of first- and second-degree murder, assault on a federal officer, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
Terry's death brought to light the Fast and Furious operation, which quickly became a hot political issue in Washington. Republicans sought to hold the Obama administration accountable over the operation, conducting a series of inquiries into the how the Justice Department allowed guns to end up in the hands of criminals.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt after he refused to divulge documents for a congressional investigation into the matter. Since then, the Justice Department has focused on arresting and trying all suspects involved.
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, one of the men present but likely not the shooter, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced in February 2014 to 30 years in prison.
Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez, accused of assembling the armed crew, struck a plea deal last month that will likely result in a 30-year prison sentence, with credit for time served. He will be sentenced in October.
Two other suspects are still on the loose.
end
Note: KVOA a Tucson TV station.
Posted: Sep 23, 2015 6:04 PM MST
Updated: Sep 23, 2015 6:24 PM MST
Brian Terry murder trial gets underway
Written By Sean Mooney
TUCSON -
The jury heard the opening statements Wednesday for the trial of the men accused of murdering Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
Nearly five years after the shooting, federal prosecutors said in their opening statement that the two men on trial, Ivan Soto Barraza and Lionel Portillo-Meza, also known as Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, killed Terry near Rio Rico in 2010.
Prosecutors contend that the defendants were members of a "rip-off" crew who were planning to rob marijuana smugglers, according to investigators.
The defense claims the two were just defending themselves after Border Patrol agents opened fire at them.
Controversy continued to follow the case after the judge ruled that all references to the failed weapons operation by the Department of Justice, "Fast and Furious", were banned from the trial.
Robert Heyer, Chairman of the Brian Terry Foundation and a family member, said despite the omission of all references to "Fast and Furious", they believe the remaining evidence will be enough to convict the accused men.
"Our focus is the successful conviction of these two defendants," said Heyer. "If that means, with respect to this particular prosecution of these two defendants, that Operation 'Fast and Furious' remain separate, then the Terry family is fine with that."
Heyer said some graphic images were presented by the prosecution in their opening statement. He said that despite how difficult it was for the Terry family to view the materials, they are determined to see justice served in the trial.
end
Note: the flip side.
It would seem the Tucson Daily "Worker" aka "red star" has little interest in the Terry murder trial and the F&F links. (for our younger readers that is a reference to publications of the late, departed USSR aka soviet union. Look up Ivestia & Pravda )
US border agent who killed Sonora teen is indicted
Federal grand jury indicts border agent in fatal shooting
12 hours ago • By Curt Prendergast
A federal grand jury indicted Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz on a second-degree murder charge Wednesday afternoon.
The charge stems from an Oct. 10, 2012, incident in which Swartz fired through the border fence into Nogales, Sonora, and fatally wounded 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.
Sean Chapman, who is representing Swartz in a civil lawsuit filed by the Elena Rodriguez family, said the U.S. Attorney's Office informed him of the charge Wednesday afternoon.
Luis Parra, who represents the Elena Rodriguez family, said he also was informed by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the charge.
Swartz will plead not guilty at the arraignment scheduled for Oct. 9, Chapman said.
"He will fight the charge," he said. "I expect this case will go to trial."
The U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately return a request for information.
The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. when Nogales police officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to a call of suspected smuggling at the border fence that separates the downtown area of the twin cities.
The Border Patrol said the agents saw two people abandon a load of drugs and run into Mexico. The agents were then barraged by rocks thrown from Mexico and fired across the border, the agency said.
An autopsy report from Mexican authorities indicated Elena Rodriguez was shot at least eight times, with all but one bullet striking him in the back.
Witnesses to the shooting said Elena Rodriguez was walking down the street that runs along the base of a 30-foot rock face. The border fence stands another 20 feet on top of the rock face.
More than two years after the shooting, U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins ordered Swartz's name be released in November 2014, saying public access outweighed concerns expressed by Chapman over Swartz's safety.
At least 10 people have died in Border Patrol-related shootings in Southern Arizona since 2010, and another five have been injured.
Nationally, there have been more than two dozen deaths. None of the agents involved has been convicted or publicly disciplined.
Locally, three agents have been criminally charged in more than 20 years, but in all three cases the agents were cleared.
In 1992, then-agent Michael Elmer was charged with the murder of Dario Miranda Valenzuela, who was shot in the back west of Nogales, Arizona.
The shooting was not reported until 15 hours later. Elmer was acquitted of second-degree murder in a state trial that year and in 1994 was found not guilty in a civil-rights trial.
In 2005, agent Denin Hermosillo was charged with negligent homicide in the shooting death of Julio Cesar Yenez Ramirez, who was suspected of smuggling marijuana. The case was dismissed in January 2006.
In 2007, agent Nicholas Corbett was tried for the death of Javier Dominguez Rivera in the desert between Bisbee and Douglas near the U.S.-Mexico line. After two hung juries, the Cochise County attorney dropped the charges. Corbett said Dominguez Rivera tried to smash his head with a rock, but prosecutors said the young man was kneeling to surrender when killed.
Since then, the county attorney's offices in Pima and Cochise have declined to prosecute agents in four other cases, saying they could not prove the killings were not justified. The Department of Justice concluded the same.
END
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 23-9-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 23 SEP 2015
NOTE: " Since then, the Justice Department has focused on arresting and trying all suspects involved." Except those responsible.
Prosecutors: DNA ties 2 men to scene of border agent's death
SHARE STORY BY ASSOCIATED PRESS |
September 23, 2015 @ 1:43 am (Updated @ 14:00 AZ time)
FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2011, file photo, part of a cache of seized weapons displayed at a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ATF news conference in Phoenix. Two men charged with murder in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent that revealed the bungled gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious go on trial Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — DNA and fingerprint evidence proves two men charged with murder in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent were at the scene of the crime, prosecutors said Wednesday in the case that revealed the bungled federal gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious.
The men were charged in the 2010 killing of Brian Terry during the sting operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of 1,400 of the 2,000 guns involved in the operation, including two weapons found at the scene of Terry's killing.
Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial of Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza. They are the first suspects in Terry's death to face trial. Two others have already pleaded guilty, and another two remain fugitives.
The judge has excluded any information about the failed operation during the case. It will instead focus on the actions of the men that night.
Prosecutor Todd Wallace Robinson described the encounter between Terry and three other agents who had been camping in an Arizona canyon for two nights along the border. The agents, part of an elite Border Patrol squad, were on a mission to find so-called rip-off crews, or men who rob marijuana smugglers.
Robinson said DNA pulled from water bottles and sweaters left behind by the robbers are matches to Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza and that the men confessed after being found in Mexico several years later to having been part of the crew.
"All five members of the rip crew were carrying weapons and they were carrying them for one purpose and one purpose alone, and it was to rob smugglers," Robinson said.
But defense attorney Ramiro Flores said the agents deployed their bean-bag shotguns first, and that three of the men ran away.
"Someone triggered that firefight and it wasn't these individuals here," Flores said.
Flores said he would touch on the Border Patrol's use-of-force policy during the trial. The Border Patrol has come under heavy criticism in recent years over allegations that agents too often use deadly force against immigrants, often in response to migrants who throw rocks.
"In the end, this is not as simple as a robbery gone wrong," he said.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza face charges of first-degree and second-degree murder, assault on a federal officer, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
Terry's death brought to light the Fast and Furious operation, which quickly became a hot political issue in Washington. Republicans sought to hold the Obama administration accountable over the operation, conducting a series of inquiries into the how the Justice Department allowed guns to end up in the hands of smugglers.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt after he refused to divulge documents for a congressional investigation into the matter. Since then, the Justice Department has focused on arresting and trying all suspects involved.
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, one of the men present but likely not the shooter, has been sentenced in the killing. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced in February 2014 to 30 years in prison.
Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez, accused of assembling the armed crew that was supposed to steal marijuana from smugglers when they encountered Terry and other agents, struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors last month that will likely result in a 30-year prison sentence, with credit for time served. He will be sentenced in October.
Two other suspects are still on the loose.
END
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 22-9-15
AZMEX UPDATE 22 SEP 2015
Note: and the AZ NG???
NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYS TO ASSIST WITH SOUTHWESTERN BORDER SECURITY
Lakota-Helicopter-640x428Photo: U.S. Army/SFC Steven Petibone
by LANA SHADWICK
15 Sep 2015179
new-york-national-guard-deploys-assist-southwestern-border-security/
The New York National Guard is sending one of its two UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters and a four-man crew to the Arizona-Mexico border on Wednesday to assist with illegal activity and illegal immigration. The Army National Guard helicopter and its crew is being deployed to Marana, Arizona.
Breitbart Texas spoke with New York National Guard Public Affairs Officer, Major Al Phillips who said, "The deployment is part of ongoing support and does not relate to current headlines."
Guardsmen will fly aerial reconnaissance missions along the border and will watch for illicit drug and human trafficking and illegal immigration activities.
The four-man crew will be accompanied by a Customs and Border Patrol agent. The agent has the legal authority to make arrests if necessary and is familiar with the area the crew will be patrolling.
This Lakota helicopter has infrared capabilities and a high-powered searchlight and can easily track people on the ground and can coordinate with Border Patrol agents.
The NY National Guard spokesman said this is the third time that the New York National Guard has sent support to the Texas border. The last time was in Laredo, Texas, approximately one year ago.
The Guardsmen are being sent to support other federal law enforcement officials there, including border patrol agents, and those with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies.
Maj. Phillips said the missions have been approved by the National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security located in Washington, D.C.
Phillips told Breitbart Texas, "This is a great mission. It gives our pilots and crew an opportunity to both train and support Homeland Security." The skills learned by working with law enforcement, and by conducting air search operations, can be employed in New York during disaster response missions, he said.
More than a thousand New York National Guard troops were deployed in 2006-2008 as part of "Operation Jump Start."
New York aviators have supported Arizona and Texas with aerial reconnaissance missions since 2012.
In 1916, the NY National Guard sent the "New York Division" to Texas as part of an 110,000-member force to prevent repeat of a raid on Brownsville, Texas, by the Mexican Revolutionary Poncho Villa. President Woodrow Wilson had the New York Division in Texas from July 1916 to February 1917 to aid in this effort.
The crew will be deployed to the border until December.
END
Posted: Sep 22, 2015 7:09 PM MST
Updated: Sep 22, 2015 7:54 PM MST
Millions of dollars in marijuana seized near Douglas
Written By Hannah Palaniuk
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30093561/millions-of-dollars-in-marijuana-seized-near-douglas
TUCSON -
Border Patrol agents seized almost $2.5 million dollars worth of marijuana near Douglas on Sept. 20.
While patrolling, agents came across two vehicles near the international border, according to a news release. When agents approached, the vehicles took off. After a pursuit, the agents stopped the vehicles with a spike strip. The drivers abandoned the vehicles just north of the border.
Agents seized nearly 5,000 pounds of marijuana and 31 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition.
The Tucson Sector Border Patrol has seized more than 685,000 pounds of narcotics in 2015.
end
Multi-agency warrant enforcement roundup in Cochise County
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2015 8:41 am | Updated: 8:49 am, Thu Sep 17, 2015.
By Chris Dabovich chris.dabovich@bensonnews-sun.com
http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/news/article_8ffd4f8c-5d52-11e5-a4da-43487c3dea42.html
BENSON — Relentless and dogged tenacity of law enforcement was on full display Tuesday in Benson and in parts of Cochise County.
Working in unison with local, county and state authorities, the U.S. Marshals Service were lead agency in a warrant sweep, rounding up suspected criminals on a number of outstanding warrants and charges.
The multi-agency effort included Benson. The team that hit the San Pedro Valley was persistent in its pursuit, checking in on various addresses within the city and Mescal before coming upon their intended target in the 100 block of West Fifth Street.
One particular location checked out for the whereabouts of the sought-after suspect is described by area residents as a "drug house." Neighbors driving by at that particular time offered thumb's-up gestures in response to the law enforcement presence in their midtown neighborhood.
Although specific crimes were not the target of Tuesday's operation, those residents are hopeful the activity will shed light on what they say has become a nuisance property.
"There is traffic going in and out at all hours of the night, and the people stop for only a couple of minutes." Asked if there was a concern for safety, the resident said there were none. "I have my guns by the door… but it would sure be nice if they just left."
Not lost by those in the field Tuesday was the collaboration on behalf of the participating agencies. Those asked declined to elaborate on specifics of the operation, referring all questions to the marshals' public affairs office which did not return several phone calls seeking information.
Benson police Chief Paul Moncada has long lauded the spirit of cooperation that exists between the various agencies entrusted to patrol the San Pedro Valley, and the same can be said for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Cochise County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Border Patrol who routinely assist each other in the Benson area.
end
Fugitive sweep nets 72 arrests in southeastern Arizona
Posted: Sep 22, 2015 2:12 PM MST
Updated: Sep 22, 2015 2:12 PM MST
By The Associated Press
TUCSON, AZ (AP) -
The marshal's office in Tucson is planning to follow up a recent fugitive sweep with at least one more before the end of the year.
The Arizona Daily Star reports 72 fugitives were arrested in a five-day operation targeting outstanding warrants for violent crimes and drug offenses in three southern Arizona counties.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Nate Alexander says the sweep started with 31 arrests in Pima County, followed by 20 in Cochise County and another 21 in Graham County.
Operation Southern Star IV involved 18 of the state's law enforcement agencies.
Alexander said these types of sweeps occur several times each year.
Read more: http://www.kpho.com/story/30091668/fugitive-sweep-nets-72-arrests-in-southeastern-arizona#ixzz3mVQ0lDYt
Note: and the AZ NG???
NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYS TO ASSIST WITH SOUTHWESTERN BORDER SECURITY
Lakota-Helicopter-640x428Photo: U.S. Army/SFC Steven Petibone
by LANA SHADWICK
15 Sep 2015179
new-york-national-guard-deploys-assist-southwestern-border-security/
The New York National Guard is sending one of its two UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters and a four-man crew to the Arizona-Mexico border on Wednesday to assist with illegal activity and illegal immigration. The Army National Guard helicopter and its crew is being deployed to Marana, Arizona.
Breitbart Texas spoke with New York National Guard Public Affairs Officer, Major Al Phillips who said, "The deployment is part of ongoing support and does not relate to current headlines."
Guardsmen will fly aerial reconnaissance missions along the border and will watch for illicit drug and human trafficking and illegal immigration activities.
The four-man crew will be accompanied by a Customs and Border Patrol agent. The agent has the legal authority to make arrests if necessary and is familiar with the area the crew will be patrolling.
This Lakota helicopter has infrared capabilities and a high-powered searchlight and can easily track people on the ground and can coordinate with Border Patrol agents.
The NY National Guard spokesman said this is the third time that the New York National Guard has sent support to the Texas border. The last time was in Laredo, Texas, approximately one year ago.
The Guardsmen are being sent to support other federal law enforcement officials there, including border patrol agents, and those with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies.
Maj. Phillips said the missions have been approved by the National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security located in Washington, D.C.
Phillips told Breitbart Texas, "This is a great mission. It gives our pilots and crew an opportunity to both train and support Homeland Security." The skills learned by working with law enforcement, and by conducting air search operations, can be employed in New York during disaster response missions, he said.
More than a thousand New York National Guard troops were deployed in 2006-2008 as part of "Operation Jump Start."
New York aviators have supported Arizona and Texas with aerial reconnaissance missions since 2012.
In 1916, the NY National Guard sent the "New York Division" to Texas as part of an 110,000-member force to prevent repeat of a raid on Brownsville, Texas, by the Mexican Revolutionary Poncho Villa. President Woodrow Wilson had the New York Division in Texas from July 1916 to February 1917 to aid in this effort.
The crew will be deployed to the border until December.
END
Posted: Sep 22, 2015 7:09 PM MST
Updated: Sep 22, 2015 7:54 PM MST
Millions of dollars in marijuana seized near Douglas
Written By Hannah Palaniuk
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30093561/millions-of-dollars-in-marijuana-seized-near-douglas
TUCSON -
Border Patrol agents seized almost $2.5 million dollars worth of marijuana near Douglas on Sept. 20.
While patrolling, agents came across two vehicles near the international border, according to a news release. When agents approached, the vehicles took off. After a pursuit, the agents stopped the vehicles with a spike strip. The drivers abandoned the vehicles just north of the border.
Agents seized nearly 5,000 pounds of marijuana and 31 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition.
The Tucson Sector Border Patrol has seized more than 685,000 pounds of narcotics in 2015.
end
Multi-agency warrant enforcement roundup in Cochise County
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2015 8:41 am | Updated: 8:49 am, Thu Sep 17, 2015.
By Chris Dabovich chris.dabovich@bensonnews-sun.com
http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/news/article_8ffd4f8c-5d52-11e5-a4da-43487c3dea42.html
BENSON — Relentless and dogged tenacity of law enforcement was on full display Tuesday in Benson and in parts of Cochise County.
Working in unison with local, county and state authorities, the U.S. Marshals Service were lead agency in a warrant sweep, rounding up suspected criminals on a number of outstanding warrants and charges.
The multi-agency effort included Benson. The team that hit the San Pedro Valley was persistent in its pursuit, checking in on various addresses within the city and Mescal before coming upon their intended target in the 100 block of West Fifth Street.
One particular location checked out for the whereabouts of the sought-after suspect is described by area residents as a "drug house." Neighbors driving by at that particular time offered thumb's-up gestures in response to the law enforcement presence in their midtown neighborhood.
Although specific crimes were not the target of Tuesday's operation, those residents are hopeful the activity will shed light on what they say has become a nuisance property.
"There is traffic going in and out at all hours of the night, and the people stop for only a couple of minutes." Asked if there was a concern for safety, the resident said there were none. "I have my guns by the door… but it would sure be nice if they just left."
Not lost by those in the field Tuesday was the collaboration on behalf of the participating agencies. Those asked declined to elaborate on specifics of the operation, referring all questions to the marshals' public affairs office which did not return several phone calls seeking information.
Benson police Chief Paul Moncada has long lauded the spirit of cooperation that exists between the various agencies entrusted to patrol the San Pedro Valley, and the same can be said for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Cochise County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Border Patrol who routinely assist each other in the Benson area.
end
Fugitive sweep nets 72 arrests in southeastern Arizona
Posted: Sep 22, 2015 2:12 PM MST
Updated: Sep 22, 2015 2:12 PM MST
By The Associated Press
TUCSON, AZ (AP) -
The marshal's office in Tucson is planning to follow up a recent fugitive sweep with at least one more before the end of the year.
The Arizona Daily Star reports 72 fugitives were arrested in a five-day operation targeting outstanding warrants for violent crimes and drug offenses in three southern Arizona counties.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Nate Alexander says the sweep started with 31 arrests in Pima County, followed by 20 in Cochise County and another 21 in Graham County.
Operation Southern Star IV involved 18 of the state's law enforcement agencies.
Alexander said these types of sweeps occur several times each year.
Read more: http://www.kpho.com/story/30091668/fugitive-sweep-nets-72-arrests-in-southeastern-arizona#ixzz3mVQ0lDYt
Monday, September 21, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 21-9-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 21 SEP 2015
Note: More light sentences? In exchange for silence?
The "failed operation" being "fast & furious"
and then this: "attempted interference with commerce by robbery"
Posted: Sep 18, 2015 11:47 AM MST
Updated: Sep 21, 2015 12:01 PM MST
N4T Investigators: Judge rules to keep Operation Fast and Furious out of Terry murder trial
Written By Michel MarizcoCONNECT
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30065028/n4t-investigators-judge-rules-to-keep-operation-fast-and-furious-out-of-terry-murder-trial
When a jury gathers next week for the trial of two men charged with the murder of a U.S. federal agent, it will not hear any details of how two guns found at the murder scene were part of a U.S. government-sanctioned weapon program, a federal judge has ruled.
Friday morning, U.S. District Court Judge David Bury agreed with U.S. prosecutors to keep the details of Operation Fast and Furious out of the upcoming trial for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
Terry was killed in a firefight with a crew of armed Mexican men who were scouting the desert in search of drug smugglers to rob. Two AK-47 variants were found at the crime scene. Those rifles were purchased in a gun-tracking operation overseen by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Operation Fast and Furious. ATF officials had hoped weapons purchased at a Glendale gun store would eventually turn up in the hands of high-level Mexican drug traffickers. Instead, ATF lost track of more than 1,400 guns. The two found at Terry's death were part of the operation, congressional investigators later found.
Ivan Soto Barraza and Jesus Leonel Sanchez Meza were apprehended in Mexico, two years later.
The U.S. asked the judge this summer to keep the details of Fast and Furious out of the murder trial, stating it was irrelevant.
Bury agreed. "I agree with one exception. I can't find any relevance except if the government should open the door," he said.
If the government brings up the origins of the guns found, Bury ruled that defendants can then bring up Fast and Furious.
Bury ordered the defendants "not to refer to ... or elicit any testimony regarding Operation Fast and Furious. Understood?"
Kent Terry, Brian's brother said the judge's decision sickened him.
"This is a ploy to diminish FnF (Fast and Furious) from the American public and to diminish fnf ever existed," he wrote in an email.
Earlier this week, U.S. prosecutors also proposed a series of questions for jurors: "Has anyone been exposed to publicity from any source pertaining to the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry?"
It then stated in its proposal: "Although not relevant to the charges against the defendants in this case, has anyone heard of an operation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms commonly referred to as "Fast and Furious?"
Finally, the United States wrote: "If any jurors answer either or both questions in the affirmative, the United States requests that the court conduct an individual inquiry of that juror outside the presence of the other venire members."
end
Suspects charged in border agent's slaying to face trial
Posted: Sep 21, 2015 2:49 PM MST
Updated: Sep 21, 2015 2:59 PM MST
By Astrid Galvan, Associated Press
Brian Terry (Source: MGN Online)
Brian Terry (Source: MGN Online)
(Source: MGN Online)
(Source: MGN Online)
TUCSON, AZ (AP) -
Two suspects in the 2010 killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent whose death exposed a botched federal gun sting will be the first to go on trial in the case this week.
Jury selection and opening arguments are set for Tuesday and Wednesday in the case of two men charged in the killing of Brian Terry during the Fast and Furious operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them. Instead, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of 1,400 of the 2,000 guns involved in the sting operation, including two weapons found at the scene of Terry's killing.
Two suspects have already pleaded guilty, and two others remain fugitives. Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza will be the first to face trial.
Terry's family will be present at the trial next week.
"It's gonna be an emotional time for us, but we're just thankful that we have the opportunity to bring these two defendants to justice and we hope that the government is successful in getting convictions for these two individuals," family spokesman Robert Heyer said.
While the case will provide the first trial for suspects in Terry's death, the judge has excluded any information about the failed operation during the case.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were members of a "rip-off" crew that planned on robbing marijuana smugglers in the Arizona desert when they encountered agents patrolling the area on Dec. 14, 2010. A gunfight between the crew and the agents ensued. Authorities later discovered that two of the guns found at the scene of the murder had been part of Fast and Furious. The operation allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them once they made their way into Mexico.
The operation became a major distraction for the Obama administration as Republicans in Congress conducted a series of inquiries into how the Justice Department allowed such an operation to happen. Former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt after he refused to divulge documents for a congressional investigation into the matter.
Since then, the Justice Department has focused on arresting and trying all suspects involved.
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, one of the men present but likely not the shooter, has been sentenced in the killing. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced in February 2014 to 30 years in prison.
Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez, accused of assembling the armed crew that was supposed to steal marijuana from smugglers when they encountered Terry and other agents, struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors last month that will likely result in a 30-year prison sentence, with credit for time served. He will be sentenced in October. Two other suspects remain fugitives.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza face charges of first-degree and second-degree murder, assault on a federal officer, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Their attorneys did not return calls seeking comment.
Read more: http://www.kpho.com/story/30081967/suspects-charged-in-border-agents-slaying-to-face-trial#ixzz3mQ3VGB5R
AZMEX UPDATE 20-9-15
AZMEX UPDATE 20 SEP 2015
Note: Mostly local interest. Don't leave home without your mosquito repellant.
First indigenous case of chikungunya fever in Sonora. Health laboratory has confirmed the first case of locally acquired chikungunya fever in Sonora.
By: Editor ElImparcial | 09.20.2015 11: 2
Hermosillo, Sonora (PH)
The Health Ministry laboratory has confirmed the first case of locally acquired chikungunya fever in Sonora.
The case is a 55 year old female resident of a colony of the city of Hermosillo, who within two maximum incubation periods (24 days) has no travel outside the city, except for the cities of Navojoa and Guaymas. Inside the city it takes few shifts, because she works as security personnel in a medical unit.
The affected began fever, malaise and back pain on August 19, 2015, so she went to medical assessment until the 28th of that month, when she had pain more intensely in various joints in the body, but without severe systemic manifestations.
Therefore, blood sample was taken to determine probable infection by dengue and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and days later, the National Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (Indre) confirmed on September 15, 2015, the diagnosis of infection with CHIKV by proof of MAC-ELISA.
Epidemiology staff of the Secretariat, has begun disease control actions in the colony of residence of the patient who is clinically stable, while maintaining joint pains as expected in subacute forms of the condition, they can be extended for 3 or more months .
FINISH
Arrested with 31 kilos of 'crystal'
Details Published on Saturday September 19, 2015,
Written by Drafting / El Diario
Sonoyta.
More than 30 kilos of 'crystal' was hidden in the gas tank of a vehicle, and secured by Mexican Army troops the driver was arrested.
The incident took place on 15 September, when elements of the 45th Military Zone stationed at the checkpoint Cucapah located in the Sonoyta-San Luis Rio Colorado highway, checked a man driving a white Ford Expedition.
In reviewing the vehicle, the unit detected irregularities in the gas tank, and this inspection found 21 packages of the drug known as 'crystal', which gave a total weight of 31 kg.
In another incident in the Papalote Ejido, municipality of Plutarco Elias Calles, military personnel while performing land reconnaissance, seized the following: AR-15 rifle, two magazines for rifle and 53 cartridges .223 caliber. The detainee, vehicle, arms and drugs seized were made available to Agents of the Federal Public Ministry.
With these actions, the Mexican Armed Forces reaffirm their commitment to society to ensure and safeguard their welfare to maintain and ensure a Mexico in peace. The cooperation of the public for their support in denouncing illegal activities anonymously and confidentially fully appreciated.
FIN
Note: same incident, two stories.
Shoot two in Cd. Obregon one dies
Details Published on Saturday September 19, 2015,
Written by Drafting / El Diario
Ciudad Obregon.
Who was killed was identified as Jesus Maria Barrón Miranda, 35 years old.
Agents of the State Police Investigator investigate to find those responsible for the events which killed one person and another was injured when assaulted with a firearm projectiles.
Who was killed was identified as Jesus Maria Barrón Miranda, 35 years old, who had residence in the colony Rosales and who ceased to exist at the scene. While the injured person was identified as Jose Rafael Serrano Verdugo, 25 years old, that resulted in several injuries caused by bullets, which takes more than 15 days to heal and endangers life.
The incident occurred around 22:45 pm on Thursday in the colony Rosales, near the police station in Tobarito colony when the victims were in the street and were attacked by passengers in a white pick up type vehicle, recent model. Staff Expert Services of the Attorney General of the State said at the scene were several shell casings of rifle and handgun.
The scene was attended by the Deputy Public Prosecutor's Office who ordered the lifting and transporting the body to conduct the proceedings of law. Likewise, the Representative issued an order Social research elements of PEI to find those responsible for these acts.
FIN
Gunshots kill a man
The action in the colony Antonio Rosales where another person was injured was in serious condition at the General Hospital
Oscar Felix / Regional
A man was shot dead and another was seriously injured, the bloody incident occurred in the community of Antonio Rosales near the police station by Marte R. Gomez and El Tobarito.
According to the Researcher (PEI) State Police the man who was killed
as a result of various bullet wounds was named José MarÃa Miranda Valenzuela, who had 38 years of age, who was widely known nickname "Chema", the injured was Jose Rafael Serrano Verdugo 24 years.
This happened at 22:40 pm last Thursday, and the body encountered on Calle Salcido Plascencia between Yaqui and Ramón Uribe, where was the home of the deceased is situated.
It was established that the injured person is a man in his 20s who was taken by ambulance to the Red Cross General Hospital where he remained under observation and under police guard.
In the first investigations they point out that the murderers fled aboard a white double cabin pickup truck and apparently to commit the crime they used high caliber weapons.
Agency staff of the Public Prosecutor's Office who ordered the body was taken to the morgue of the Attorney General in southern Sonora.
FIN
2 from Pacific Cartel with crashed plane with drugs
They were arrested last week; Seized were the aircraft, two trucks, weapons, one grenade, a shipment of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana and cocaine
09.20.2015 18:23 David Vicenteño
MEXICO CITY, 20 September- as alleged perpetrators of crimes and violation of the Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives, two suspected members of the Pacific Cartel, linked to the crash of a plane with drugs, they were taken to a federal penitentiary.
The Attorney General's Office (PGR) reported that the suspects were brought before the First District Court, based in Culiacan, Sinaloa.
Both were admitted to the Federal Social Rehabilitation Center No. 14, located in Gomez Palacio, Durango, for their alleged responsibility in the crimes of possession of a firearm for the exclusive use of the armed forces and against health, in the form of trafficking.
The suspects were arrested last week by members of the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico after the crash of a small plane on a clandestine airstrip located in the town of El Castillo, municipality of Navolato, Sinaloa.
At the scene were secured the aircraft, two trucks, a rifle, two handguns, one grenade, as well as a cargo of various narcotics consisting of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana and cocaine.
The investigation established that the two held and the narcotics are linked to the operation of the Pacific Cartel in that area, so they were turned over to the Federal Public Ministry.
With the information gathered by the prosecuting authority, the Deputy Attorney Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime (SIEDO) brought criminal action against the two.
asc
Arrested in Alleged Sinaloa trafficker of black cocaine
by: La Jornada on September 18, 2015
1306533
Members of the Federal Police arrested in the state of Sinaloa, Jesus Fernando Madrid Tapia, identified as the recipient of a ton of black cocaine was seized last August in Mexico City International Airport (AICM).
The National Commission on Security (CNS) announced that following investigations, in coordination with personnel from the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), achieved the apprehension of Madrid Tapia near the town of Culiacan, Culiacan on the road -Mazatlán.
At the time of arrest, Jesus Fernando Madrid Tapia had a rifle, a handgun, two magazines, 73 rounds of ammunition and two mobile phones.
"Among the documents he was carrying, a receipt was found to collect in the AICM a cargo of a ton of zinc oxide, which was seized by the Federal Police and the Attorney General's Office (PGR) because the contents of the bags tested positive for cocaine hydrochloride and cocaine base, an inorganic compound added yet determined. "
After the arrest, Madrid Tapia was made available to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office attached to the Deputy Attorney Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime (Seido) to continue research.
FIN
Friday, September 18, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 18-9-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 18 SEP 2015
Note: A classic "friday dump" Once again the administration protecting the guilty.
Posted: Sep 18, 2015 11:47 AM MST
Updated: Sep 18, 2015 11:47 AM MST
N4T Investigators: Judge rules to keep Operation Fast and Furious out of Terry murder trial
Written By Michel Marizco
When a jury gathers next week for the trial of two men charged with the murder of a U.S. federal agent, it will not hear any details of how two guns found at the murder scene were part of a U.S. government-sanctioned weapon program, a federal judge has ruled.
Friday morning, U.S. District Court Judge David Bury agreed with U.S. prosecutors to keep the details of Operation Fast and Furious out of the upcoming trial for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
Terry was killed in a firefight with a crew of armed Mexican men who were scouting the desert in search of drug smugglers to rob. Two AK-47 variants were found at the crime scene. Those rifles were purchased in a gun-tracking operation overseen by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Operation Fast and Furious. ATF officials had hoped weapons purchased at a Glendale gun store would eventually turn up in the hands of high-level Mexican drug traffickers. Instead, ATF lost track of more than 1,400 guns. The two found at Terry's death were part of the operation, congressional investigators later found.
Ivan Soto Barraza and Jesus Leonel Sanchez Meza were apprehended in Mexico, two years later.
The U.S. asked the judge this summer to keep the details of Fast and Furious out of the murder trial, stating it was irrelevant.
Bury agreed. "I agree with one exception. I can't find any relevance expect if the government should open the door," he said.
If the government brings up the origins of the guns found, Bury ruled that defendants can then bring up Fast and Furious.
Bury ordered the defendants "not to refer to ... or elicit any testimony regarding Operation Fast and Furious. Understood?"
Earlier this week, U.S. prosecutors also proposed a series of questions for jurors: "Has anyone been exposed to publicity from any source pertaining to the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry?"
It then stated in its proposal: "Although not relevant to the charges against the defendants in this case, has anyone heard of an operation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms commonly referred to as "Fast and Furious?"
Finally, the United States wrote: "If any jurors answer either or both questions in the affirmative, the United States requests that the court conduct an individual inquiry of that juror outside the presence of the other venire members."
END
AZMEX SPECIAL 16-9-15
AZMEX SPECIAL 16 SEP 2015
Note: interesting report from a few days ago. Mr. Ortiz knows the border. Graphics at links.
The report:
DEA REPORT SHOWS INFILTRATION OF MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS IN MAJOR US CITIES
DEA Drug Cartel ReportPhoto: DEA.gov
by ILDEFONSO ORTIZ8 Sep 20151,110
Mexican drug cartels control drug trafficking in multiple U.S. cities throughout the Southwest and continue to spread over the entire nation, a DEA report reveals.
While government officials continue to claim that the border is secure, a recently unclassified intelligence report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration called Areas of Influence of Major Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations shows that the entire nation is under the influence of drug cartels.
Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) is a word commonly used by government agencies to describe drug cartels.
The DEA claims that the cartel's currently active in the United States include the Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, the Knights Templar, The Beltran Leyva Cartel (BLO) Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) Los Zetas.
"No other group is currently positioned to challenge them," the DEA said in their report as they label cartels as the single largest drug threat to America.
Areas of Cartel Influence in the U.S. (Photo: U.S. DEA)
Areas of Cartel Influence in the U.S. (Photo: U.S. DEA)
The Sinaloa Cartel maintains the most significant presence in the United States," the report revealed. "They are the dominant TCO along the west coast, through the Midwest and into the Northeast."
The cartels influence is so vast that it shows their presence in the largest U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Detroit and many others.
In the case of Chicago, which has seen out of control drug violence, the drug cartels operating in those areas are the Sinaloa Cartel and its rivals Los Zetas and the Beltran Leyva Cartel.
"(Mexican cartels) control drug trafficking across the Southwest Border and are moving to expand their share, particularly in the heroin and methamphetamine trade," the report revealed.
In the case of regional cartels like the Gulf, Los Zetas and Juarez cartels, the have a strong control near the border but their influence and operational capacity wanes with distance from the border.
In Texas, the state is divided into three areas of influence with the Sinaloa Cartel controlling the panhandle and northern areas, the Gulf Cartel controlling the coast bearing its name and the Beltran Leyva Cartel controlling the area from Abilene to El Paso. The BLO further expands to the west to control most of the neighboring state of New Mexico.
In the border cities of McAllen, the Gulf Cartel dominates the area but the Sinaloa Federation and Los Zetas are also listed as being active in the region. Just 60 miles east in Brownsville the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa and the Knights Templar are the active cartels.
In Laredo, Eagle Pass and San Antonio, Los Zetas appear to the dominant cartel. In Eagle Pass no other cartel appears to operate, however in Laredo there is some presence by the Gulf Cartel and Sinaloa.
San Antonio sees more variety with the presence of Sinaloa, knights Templar, Juarez Cartel and Beltran Leyva; however the major activity is linked to Los Zetas.
In Houston, region is evenly shared between Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa, Beltran Leyva and Knights Templars.
In Austin, the main cartel is the Knights Templar with Beltran Leyva and Los Zetas also having a presence there.
While Forth Worth is under complete control of the Sinaloa Federation, in nearby Dallas the drug trade is split between Sinaloa, Los Zetas, Beltran Leyva, the Knights Templar and CJNG.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.
end
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 16-9-15
AZMEX UPDATE 16 SEP 2015
Note: Local interest mostly.
As always, when media says "immigrants", it is actually illegal immigrants.
Border ranchers say Border Patrol not securing border
CREATED 12:40 PM
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (AP) - Ranchers along the U.S. border with Mexico say the Border Patrol doesn't do enough to protect them from smugglers and others cross the border illegally.
The ranchers criticized the Border Patrol at meeting hosted by a group of border sheriffs in Sierra Vista on Wednesday.
The ranchers say the government needs to stop immigrants before they cross the international boundary.
Peggy Davis and her family run a ranch 25 miles north of the border. She says her home has been burglarized on numerous occasions and that her family has had to clean up trash by the tons.
Paul Beeson, the commander for the Customs and Border Protection Joint Field Command in Arizona, said the CBP is committed to securing the border and has created three task forces to tackle safety issues.
end
Note: more local interest. SLRC just south of Yuma. Linked to upsurge in violence in north central Sonora and TJ?
Police Director hovering between life and death
Tribune San Luis
September 16, 2015
Fredy Mejia
San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.- still dominating the deep consternation among the citizens of this municipality by the devious and cowardly attack suffered by the lawyer Francisco Vazquez Bustamante, Director of Preventive Police Headquarters and Municipal Transit, happened last Monday night, This has disturbed the peace of the community.
Meanwhile, it was learned that after being the victim of the attack, he was first helped by a municipal agent who lives nearby and taken by ambulance to the Clinica del Noroeste, who provided first aid.
Once stabilized, it was decided by the treating doctor that he was sent in another ambulance, properly guarded by military elements, the (PEI) State Police and the Municipal Police, to the border crossing, where was waiting a emergency helicopter and he was airlifted to Phoenix to receive more specialized medical care.
It was learned unofficially that in the clinic he was received in the emergency department and was treated by Dr. Manuel de Jesus Baldenebro Arredondo, former mayor, as he underwent surgery to stabilize his condition.
Meanwhile, there is great secrecy within all police forces and by members of the Secretariat of National Defense, who during the last hours conducted surveillance tours of the city to the whereabouts of the alleged perpetrators.
The attack resulted in the immediate closure of the main exits from the city, strong vigilance being set up to the toll booth at the Colorado River bridge.
Several vehicles were intercepted for inspection.
It is recalled that the attempt on the life of the director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau came when he moved northward apparently toward headquarters down the calle 22, when suddenly he met a blue Volkswagen Jetta, from which came the shots.
Unofficially it was learned that were at least five gunshot wounds in the body, one to the head, where according to reports last minute apparently is an injury grazed by a bullet, but so far no It has been confirmed, but the others are seriously injuries.
Also in white Nissan Titan pickup and UC-00967 plates traveling in they were observed 11 impacts from a AR-15 rifle.
The municipal government strongly condemns the assault
"The attack on Mr. Francisco Vazquez Bustamante, is not only an attack against a public servant who had served with full transparency in his duties and obligations as public safety director, but is also an attack against the peace of our community, which precisely work, dedication and commitment led by Mr. Vazquez Bustamante managed to maintain the safest municipality in Sonora. "
So was announced in a press release 26 by the City of San Luis, and firmly urges the competent authorities to investigate these regrettable events, as soon as possible to determine who or who is responsible and the law is enforced .
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