Mexico cartel behind brazen attacks emerges as 'most urgent threat' to country's national security
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is now the most powerful in Mexico, officials say
By Greg Norman | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/world/mexicos-most-powerful-drug-cartel
Mexican drug plane catches on fire after making illegal landing on rural highway
Mexican police found an alleged drug plane on fire and a truck full of cocaine nearby.
A drug cartel with a penchant for launching brazen attacks -- including a recent assassination attempt on Mexico City's police chief
– has now emerged as the most powerful criminal organization in Mexico
following the fall of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, officials are warning.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, centered around the fentanyl and methamphetamines trades,
has seized power and influence by killing more than 100 public servants in its home state,
ranging from mayors to soldiers, local officials tell The Wall Street Journal.
"These people have the firepower and the money to challenge the Mexican state," Renato Sales,
one of Mexico's former security commissioners, said in an interview with the newspaper.
"The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is the most urgent threat to Mexico's national security."
An abandoned vehicle that is believed to have been used by gunmen in an attack against Mexico City's chief of police
is sealed off with yellow tape and guarded by responding officers on June 26.
Heavily-armed gunmen attacked and wounded Omar Garcia Harfuch
in a brazen operation that left an unspecified number of dead, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said. (AP)
MEXICO DRUG REHAB CENTER SHOOTING LEAVES 26 DEAD
Mexican intelligence officials attribute the cartel's growing strength to its unity –
as it has not been weakened by internal conflicts among members.
Other cartels in Mexico also have come under siege internationally –
most notably the Sinaloa Cartel, which "El Chapo" used to run before being imprisoned in the U.S.
The Wall Street Journal reports the Jalisco cartel killed a federal judge and his wife last month
and Mexican authorities have intercepted their telephone calls to compile a list of who may be targeted next.
Separately, the cartel is waging war against gangs in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato
over control of a $3 billion market in stolen gasoline, the newspaper adds.
Members of the Mexico national guard walk near an unregistered drug rehabilitation center after a shooting in Irapuato, Mexico,
on July 1. The violence occured in a region where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel
reportedly is fighting for control of a $3 billion market in stolen gasoline. (AP)
"This is an example of the challenge the Mexican state is being confronted with," Enrique Alfaro, the governor of Jalisco –
who is reported to be on the list – was quoted as telling local media.
"What we are seeing is a threat to institutions."
The Jalisco cartel is run by Nemesio Oseguera,
whom the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has a $10 million reward out for information leading to his capture.
Oseguera, a former Mexico police officer, once was jailed in the U.S. for distributing heroin
and is now believed to be hiding somewhere in the mountains of Jalisco state,
according to The Wall Street Journal.
MEXICAN DRUG LORD WANTED IN US AGENT'S DEATH IS PLEADING POVERTY IN HOPES OF AVOIDING ARREST
Last year, the DEA labeled the Jalisco cartel "the most well-armed" in Mexico
and said it is dealing its drugs in American cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston.
Nemesio Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco cartel. (DEA)
Five years ago, the cartel blasted a Mexican Air Force helicopter out of the sky with a rocket-propelled grenade,
killing eight soldiers and a policewoman in what was the first time ever that an organized crime group
downed a military aircraft in the country,
The Wall Street Journal reports.
Now, security analysts that spoke to The Wall Street Journal believe the cartel is launching attacks
in response to recent setbacks it has suffered, like the February extradition of Oseguera's son to the U.S. to face drug charges.
The federal judge that had been killed in Colima state served in one of the cases against him.
TEARFUL MEXICAN CARTEL BOSS THREATENS GOVERNMENT FOR ARRESTING MOTHER
The relatives of a woman killed during the assassination attempt of Mexico City's Chief of Police Omar Garcia Harfuch
react near the crime scene on June 26.
In March, U.S. authorities arrested 600 people believed to be linked to the cartel north of the border, while in June,
Mexico's Finance Ministry froze nearly 2,000 bank accounts tied to their operations, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"I feel that the Jalisco cartel is on a crusade of vengeance for the injuries they feel they have suffered,"
Eduardo Guerrero, a Mexican security analyst, told the newspaper.
"We are at the beginning of a wave of massacres and assassinations of police and judicial officials.
It's part of a strategy to show strength to the government."
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is also putting Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in a "conundrum,"
says Falko Ernst, a security analyst with nonprofit International Crisis Group.
Lopez Obrador in the past has vowed to push back against cartel violence with a "hugs not bullets" strategy.
"If he acts boldly, he would be undermining his own rhetoric," Ernst told The Wall Street Journal.
"If he doesn't act, the cartels would see it as a message of impunity."
end
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Border Patrol apprehends more than $1.4 million in narcotics
Photo at link:
Nogales Border Patrol apprehends more than $1.4 million in narcotics
BY KTAR.COM
JUNE 26, 2020 AT 5:00 PM
(Border Patrol Photo)
https://ktar.com/story/3342914/nogales-border-patrol-apprehends-more-than-1-4-million-in-narcotics/
PHOENIX — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than $1.4 million in hard narcotics, officials said Friday.
260 pounds of fentanyl tablets, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine were confiscated
following a vehicle inspection at the Port of Nogales on Thursday afternoon.
According to officials, a 34-year-old U.S. citizen attempted to enter the country through the port in her pickup truck.
After being referred for a second inspection, Border Patrol agents noticed something suspicious with the vehicle.
A narcotics detection canine was sent in and found the drugs through a non-intrusive inspection.
Related Links
• Tucson Sector Border Patrol reports two-thirds surge in rescues
• Border Patrol reports record fentanyl seizures in Tucson area
• Border Patrol agents intercept 2 drones carrying narcotics in Arizona
A total of 209 packages were found concealed throughout the cab, truck bed, tailgate and spare tire.
51 pounds of fentanyl tablets (over 211,000 tablets), 91 pounds of heroin, 113 pounds of methamphetamine
and nearly six pounds of cocaine were discovered and seized by Border Patrol agents.
The woman was arrested and then turned over for federal prosecution, officials said.
"Day in and day out, CBP Officers continue to protect our nation's borders and communities,"
Area Port Director Michael Humphries said in the release.
"[Thursday], cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and over 211,000 fentanyl tablets were stopped at the border
by CBP Officers from reaching our neighborhoods throughout the United States.
"This is another excellent example of our officers working together as a team
to achieve this great enforcement action to prevent these deadly drugs from reaching neighborhoods.
Our officers remain dedicated to protecting the borders in the midst of this pandemic."
End
Nogales Border Patrol apprehends more than $1.4 million in narcotics
BY KTAR.COM
JUNE 26, 2020 AT 5:00 PM
(Border Patrol Photo)
https://ktar.com/story/3342914/nogales-border-patrol-apprehends-more-than-1-4-million-in-narcotics/
PHOENIX — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than $1.4 million in hard narcotics, officials said Friday.
260 pounds of fentanyl tablets, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine were confiscated
following a vehicle inspection at the Port of Nogales on Thursday afternoon.
According to officials, a 34-year-old U.S. citizen attempted to enter the country through the port in her pickup truck.
After being referred for a second inspection, Border Patrol agents noticed something suspicious with the vehicle.
A narcotics detection canine was sent in and found the drugs through a non-intrusive inspection.
Related Links
• Tucson Sector Border Patrol reports two-thirds surge in rescues
• Border Patrol reports record fentanyl seizures in Tucson area
• Border Patrol agents intercept 2 drones carrying narcotics in Arizona
A total of 209 packages were found concealed throughout the cab, truck bed, tailgate and spare tire.
51 pounds of fentanyl tablets (over 211,000 tablets), 91 pounds of heroin, 113 pounds of methamphetamine
and nearly six pounds of cocaine were discovered and seized by Border Patrol agents.
The woman was arrested and then turned over for federal prosecution, officials said.
"Day in and day out, CBP Officers continue to protect our nation's borders and communities,"
Area Port Director Michael Humphries said in the release.
"[Thursday], cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and over 211,000 fentanyl tablets were stopped at the border
by CBP Officers from reaching our neighborhoods throughout the United States.
"This is another excellent example of our officers working together as a team
to achieve this great enforcement action to prevent these deadly drugs from reaching neighborhoods.
Our officers remain dedicated to protecting the borders in the midst of this pandemic."
End
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 24-6-2020
Monday, June 22, 2020
18 Month AMLO Admin: Murders include 5,800 women and 1,800 minors, breaking all homicide records, not even close
Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat La Silla Rota
AMLO's failed strategy of "Hugs not Bullets" has had a devastating effect throughout Mexico. Violence, murder, mayhem has broken all records, and not in a good way.....In the first year and a half of his government, the homicide rate doubles that of Calderón and is 55% higher than with EPN. And there could be underreporting.
This month 4 young entrepreneurs gunned down at their custom car shop-Celaya
In the first 18 months of the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, 53,628 people were murdered in Mexico, including more than 5,800 women and 1,800 children and adolescents. On average, almost 100 people are murdered every day in the current administration. It is the first year and a half of the most violent government so far this century.
The murder rate is double, for example, that registered in the same period of Felipe Calderón, and is 55% higher than with former President Enrique Peña Nieto.
But more recent comparisons also test the advance of violence in Mexico.
Homicides of men, women, and children are higher than in the year and a half prior to AMLO's arrival. And in this same administration, from 2019 to 2020, homicidal violence continues to rise even though it has been at record levels for a long time.
In which it was promised that it would be the period of "hugs not bullets" where according to the president, "the war was over", 7 out of 10 murders have been committed with firearms. At least 60% of crimes are linked to organized crime activities and, above all, to their territorial disputes.
There are six states that concentrate half of the murders, but the epicenter of violence is Guanajuato, an entity where homicides have increased fivefold, and where police, students, pregnant women and children are also killed in attacks with weapons and even with grenades.
Neither the deployment of the National Guard, nor the legalization of the armed forces on the street and the new security strategy have prevented the violence from growing. This year alone, police, military, judges and also legislators have been assassinated.
The government has failed to capture criminal leaders and one, "El Chapo" Guzmán's son, was released by the president.
Messing with the stats
The violence could be worse than the official records indicate. Proof of this is the last update of the figures of intentional homicides carried out on June 20, where 172 homicides "appeared" in January 2020 that were not reported at the time, a modification that far exceeds the normal adjustments that month by month are made.
The victims include 5,811 women, representing an average of 11 women murdered per day (including homicide and femicide cases). There are also 1,807 children under 17 years of age among the victims, equivalent to three children or adolescents killed every 24 hours. Official records show 10,430 cases where the victim's age is not precisely known, and 1,308 where the sex of the victim is not clear (some cases correspond to remains in clandestine graves).
Homicidal violence has increased. In the same period of a year and a half prior to that carried out by AMLO, that is, from December 2016 to May 2018, 45 thousand 581 murders were registered. It is about 8 thousand homicides below those that go in the 18 months of this sexennium (presidential terms in Mexico are 6 years). The murder rate between the two periods grew from 36.9 to 42.5 cases per one hundred thousand inhabitants.
During this period, the murders of men grew, but also those of women, which went from 5 thousand 17 to 5 thousand 811, and those of minors, which rose from 1 788 to 1 807. Compared to the start of the other three six-year terms, that of López Obrador is also the most violent.
Statistics show the following: in the first 18 months of this six-year term, 44,882 files have been initiated for intentional homicide, a rate of 35 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is equivalent to an increase of 55% with respect to the rate of 22.4 cases registered in the first year and a half of the Peña Nieto government; a rise of 137.6% over the rate of 14.7 homicides with Felipe Calderón; and 72.5% on the rate of 20.3 homicides at the start of Vicente Fox.
The war zones
There are six states where practically half of the more than 53 thousand murders registered with López Obrador are concentrated. Guanajuato leads the list with 5 thousand 745 victims in the period. This means that in this entity alone, at least 1 in 10 of the murders reported throughout Mexico have occurred.
They are followed by the state of Mexico, which has 4,337 homicide victims; Baja California with 4,285; Jalisco with 3 thousand 998; Chihuahua with 3,856 intentional homicides; and Michoacán with 3 thousand 271.
Colima is an especially serious case since it registers 312 homicides in the first year and a half of this six-year term, below other states. However, as it is an entity with a small population, its intentional homicide rate shoots up to 144.5 cases in the period, the highest in the country.
At the regional and municipal level, the security cabinet has identified 20 points where the highest rates of violence are registered. That is where the deployments of the National Guard and other security forces have been focused.
However, despite this, violence does not subside. Of those 20 points, in 12 the murder rate has grown in 2020 compared to 2019. There are dramatic cases such as that of Celaya, Guanajuato, where the rate doubled from 15 to 35.4 homicides, or that of Zamora, Michoacán that shot up from 12.4 to 42.3, or that of Cajeme, Sonora, which grew from 18.9 to 34.3.
60 to 80 Percent are attributed to organized crime
The security cabinet estimates that 60% of homicides in Mexico are linked to organized crime, but in the most violent areas such as Guanajuato or Jalisco, the calculation is up to 80%. Territorial warfare between criminal groups is one of the main engines of this violence the government has implemented actions to try to capture leaders of these groups, but they have failed.
An example was the failed operation of October 17, 2019 in which Ovidio Guzmán, one of the sons of Joaquín "el Chapo" Guzmán, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, was detained for a few minutes. However, the forces of this criminal group outnumbered the officers and even took the military hostage. President López Obrador ended up ordering the release of the criminal and even so, 13 deaths were recorded.
Another example is the various unsuccessful attempts to arrest "El Marro", leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel in Guanajuato. Specialists indicate that this led to the strengthening of rival groups in the state such as the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación which has intensified fighting in the state.
Balances of Terror
In the year and a half that goes by the current government, there have been episodes of extreme violence, similar to those of past six-year periods. Multihomicides have been frequent.
These include, for example:
The murder of 29 people at the "Caballo Blanco" bar in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, who was attacked with bullets and then burned on August 28, 2019;
The massacre at a party in Minatitlán, Veracruz on April 13 of that year that left 13 dead, including a child
Or the recent murder of seven people at another party in Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, on May 30, 2020.
In Guanajuato, homicides are counted by dozens almost every day. Just to cite the most recent cases: the shooting of eight youths in Apaseo el Alto on May 19; the crime of 4 students assaulted by bullets in a workshop in Celaya and the massacre of ten young people in a rehabilitation center in Irapuato, both on June 6; or the recent murder of 6 members of a family, including a girl and a pregnant young woman, also in Celaya, on June 18.
Guanajuato is the entity with the most police officers killed
The last case was the murder of three municipal police officers on June 11 in Silao. But there are also high-impact cases in other states, such as the recent murder of the Zamora Police Chief, Michoacán, and a police commander on June 17.
One of the worst crimes against the security forces was the ambush of a convoy of the Aguililla, Michoacán police on October 4, 2019. In the end, 13 policemen lost their lives.
The violence has also reached other authorities. Among the recent cases are the murder of a federal judge and his wife on June 16 in Manzanillo, Colima; or the femicide of a local deputy in that same state whose body was found in a grave in early June, weeks after being kidnapped.
The murders of women due to gender issues, that is, the femicides, have been numerous. Among them is that of Ingrid Escamilla, a young woman murdered on February 9 in Mexico City. The violence of her murder and the display of the images generated commotion and sparked several protests.
But violence against women has continued. In the middle of March 8, International Women's Day, the student of the Iberoamerican University Nadia Verónica was assassinated in Salamanca, Guanajuato.
"Official" under-registration?
In previous years, citizen organizations have questioned the accuracy of the official figures reported by the states to the SESNSP. Cases such as that of Veracruz were documented in the government of Javier Duarte, which reported no more than 200 homicides in a year, adding them to the registry in subsequent months.
The current SESNSP administration last year audited the records of various states and the way they report crimes. The results have not been made public, but authorities with knowledge of the process indicated to Animal Político that important anomalies have been found.
In each monthly update, revisions are made to the figures of previous periods and in the case of homicides, there are often adjustments that range from two or three homicides to 20 or 30 of them. However, in the last update published this Saturday, June 20, a significant modification can be seen.
According to this update, in January 2020, 2,999 victims of intentional homicide were registered. However, prior to this new publication, the figure for that month was 2,819 murders. That is, these are 172 new murders that had not been reported so far.
This change also reverses the alleged decrease in homicides originally reported by federal authorities at the start of the year.
Borderland Beat Reporter Chivis Posted at 10:18 AM
18 Month AMLO Admin: Murders include 5,800 women and 1,800 minors, breaking all homicide records, not even close
Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat La Silla Rota
AMLO's failed strategy of "Hugs not Bullets" has had a devastating effect throughout Mexico. Violence, murder, mayhem has broken all records, and not in a good way.....In the first year and a half of his government, the homicide rate doubles that of Calderón and is 55% higher than with EPN. And there could be underreporting.
This month 4 young entrepreneurs gunned down at their custom car shop-Celaya
In the first 18 months of the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, 53,628 people were murdered in Mexico, including more than 5,800 women and 1,800 children and adolescents. On average, almost 100 people are murdered every day in the current administration. It is the first year and a half of the most violent government so far this century.
The murder rate is double, for example, that registered in the same period of Felipe Calderón, and is 55% higher than with former President Enrique Peña Nieto.
But more recent comparisons also test the advance of violence in Mexico.
Homicides of men, women, and children are higher than in the year and a half prior to AMLO's arrival. And in this same administration, from 2019 to 2020, homicidal violence continues to rise even though it has been at record levels for a long time.
In which it was promised that it would be the period of "hugs not bullets" where according to the president, "the war was over", 7 out of 10 murders have been committed with firearms. At least 60% of crimes are linked to organized crime activities and, above all, to their territorial disputes.
There are six states that concentrate half of the murders, but the epicenter of violence is Guanajuato, an entity where homicides have increased fivefold, and where police, students, pregnant women and children are also killed in attacks with weapons and even with grenades.
Neither the deployment of the National Guard, nor the legalization of the armed forces on the street and the new security strategy have prevented the violence from growing. This year alone, police, military, judges and also legislators have been assassinated.
The government has failed to capture criminal leaders and one, "El Chapo" Guzmán's son, was released by the president.
Messing with the stats
The violence could be worse than the official records indicate. Proof of this is the last update of the figures of intentional homicides carried out on June 20, where 172 homicides "appeared" in January 2020 that were not reported at the time, a modification that far exceeds the normal adjustments that month by month are made.
The victims include 5,811 women, representing an average of 11 women murdered per day (including homicide and femicide cases). There are also 1,807 children under 17 years of age among the victims, equivalent to three children or adolescents killed every 24 hours. Official records show 10,430 cases where the victim's age is not precisely known, and 1,308 where the sex of the victim is not clear (some cases correspond to remains in clandestine graves).
Homicidal violence has increased. In the same period of a year and a half prior to that carried out by AMLO, that is, from December 2016 to May 2018, 45 thousand 581 murders were registered. It is about 8 thousand homicides below those that go in the 18 months of this sexennium (presidential terms in Mexico are 6 years). The murder rate between the two periods grew from 36.9 to 42.5 cases per one hundred thousand inhabitants.
During this period, the murders of men grew, but also those of women, which went from 5 thousand 17 to 5 thousand 811, and those of minors, which rose from 1 788 to 1 807. Compared to the start of the other three six-year terms, that of López Obrador is also the most violent.
Statistics show the following: in the first 18 months of this six-year term, 44,882 files have been initiated for intentional homicide, a rate of 35 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is equivalent to an increase of 55% with respect to the rate of 22.4 cases registered in the first year and a half of the Peña Nieto government; a rise of 137.6% over the rate of 14.7 homicides with Felipe Calderón; and 72.5% on the rate of 20.3 homicides at the start of Vicente Fox.
The war zones
There are six states where practically half of the more than 53 thousand murders registered with López Obrador are concentrated. Guanajuato leads the list with 5 thousand 745 victims in the period. This means that in this entity alone, at least 1 in 10 of the murders reported throughout Mexico have occurred.
They are followed by the state of Mexico, which has 4,337 homicide victims; Baja California with 4,285; Jalisco with 3 thousand 998; Chihuahua with 3,856 intentional homicides; and Michoacán with 3 thousand 271.
Colima is an especially serious case since it registers 312 homicides in the first year and a half of this six-year term, below other states. However, as it is an entity with a small population, its intentional homicide rate shoots up to 144.5 cases in the period, the highest in the country.
At the regional and municipal level, the security cabinet has identified 20 points where the highest rates of violence are registered. That is where the deployments of the National Guard and other security forces have been focused.
However, despite this, violence does not subside. Of those 20 points, in 12 the murder rate has grown in 2020 compared to 2019. There are dramatic cases such as that of Celaya, Guanajuato, where the rate doubled from 15 to 35.4 homicides, or that of Zamora, Michoacán that shot up from 12.4 to 42.3, or that of Cajeme, Sonora, which grew from 18.9 to 34.3.
60 to 80 Percent are attributed to organized crime
The security cabinet estimates that 60% of homicides in Mexico are linked to organized crime, but in the most violent areas such as Guanajuato or Jalisco, the calculation is up to 80%. Territorial warfare between criminal groups is one of the main engines of this violence the government has implemented actions to try to capture leaders of these groups, but they have failed.
An example was the failed operation of October 17, 2019 in which Ovidio Guzmán, one of the sons of Joaquín "el Chapo" Guzmán, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, was detained for a few minutes. However, the forces of this criminal group outnumbered the officers and even took the military hostage. President López Obrador ended up ordering the release of the criminal and even so, 13 deaths were recorded.
Another example is the various unsuccessful attempts to arrest "El Marro", leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel in Guanajuato. Specialists indicate that this led to the strengthening of rival groups in the state such as the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación which has intensified fighting in the state.
Balances of Terror
In the year and a half that goes by the current government, there have been episodes of extreme violence, similar to those of past six-year periods. Multihomicides have been frequent.
These include, for example:
The murder of 29 people at the "Caballo Blanco" bar in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, who was attacked with bullets and then burned on August 28, 2019;
The massacre at a party in Minatitlán, Veracruz on April 13 of that year that left 13 dead, including a child
Or the recent murder of seven people at another party in Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, on May 30, 2020.
In Guanajuato, homicides are counted by dozens almost every day. Just to cite the most recent cases: the shooting of eight youths in Apaseo el Alto on May 19; the crime of 4 students assaulted by bullets in a workshop in Celaya and the massacre of ten young people in a rehabilitation center in Irapuato, both on June 6; or the recent murder of 6 members of a family, including a girl and a pregnant young woman, also in Celaya, on June 18.
Guanajuato is the entity with the most police officers killed
The last case was the murder of three municipal police officers on June 11 in Silao. But there are also high-impact cases in other states, such as the recent murder of the Zamora Police Chief, Michoacán, and a police commander on June 17.
One of the worst crimes against the security forces was the ambush of a convoy of the Aguililla, Michoacán police on October 4, 2019. In the end, 13 policemen lost their lives.
The violence has also reached other authorities. Among the recent cases are the murder of a federal judge and his wife on June 16 in Manzanillo, Colima; or the femicide of a local deputy in that same state whose body was found in a grave in early June, weeks after being kidnapped.
The murders of women due to gender issues, that is, the femicides, have been numerous. Among them is that of Ingrid Escamilla, a young woman murdered on February 9 in Mexico City. The violence of her murder and the display of the images generated commotion and sparked several protests.
But violence against women has continued. In the middle of March 8, International Women's Day, the student of the Iberoamerican University Nadia Verónica was assassinated in Salamanca, Guanajuato.
"Official" under-registration?
In previous years, citizen organizations have questioned the accuracy of the official figures reported by the states to the SESNSP. Cases such as that of Veracruz were documented in the government of Javier Duarte, which reported no more than 200 homicides in a year, adding them to the registry in subsequent months.
The current SESNSP administration last year audited the records of various states and the way they report crimes. The results have not been made public, but authorities with knowledge of the process indicated to Animal Político that important anomalies have been found.
In each monthly update, revisions are made to the figures of previous periods and in the case of homicides, there are often adjustments that range from two or three homicides to 20 or 30 of them. However, in the last update published this Saturday, June 20, a significant modification can be seen.
According to this update, in January 2020, 2,999 victims of intentional homicide were registered. However, prior to this new publication, the figure for that month was 2,819 murders. That is, these are 172 new murders that had not been reported so far.
This change also reverses the alleged decrease in homicides originally reported by federal authorities at the start of the year.
Borderland Beat Reporter Chivis Posted at 10:18 AM
Saturday, June 20, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 20-6-2020
Photos at link:
Saturday, June 20, 2020
US citizen arrested, with more than 32,000 high caliber cartridges, while trying to evade security inspection
Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat
Mexican National Guard Website
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2020/06/us-citizen-arrested-with-more-than.html#more
At the Garita III Mariposa border crossing in Nogales, Sonora,
elements of the National Guard
in coordination with personnel from the Tax Administration Service (SAT)
detain a US citizen in possession of 32,740 heavy-caliber ammo.
The arrest occurred when the driver of a suv crossed the fiscal area at an excessive speed to evade the security filter,
and when carrying out various maneuvers he was hit and overturned meters later.
The driver was attended immediately and suffered no serious injuries.
Upon conducting an on-site inspection, the National Guardsmen placed various cartridges inside the van
and others more scattered on the asphalt.
Once the cartridges were counted and packed, the driver, together with the seized,
was turned over to the Attorney General of the Republic in the entity,
after reading the suspect his rights and entering their data in the National Detention Registry.
End
Saturday, June 20, 2020
US citizen arrested, with more than 32,000 high caliber cartridges, while trying to evade security inspection
Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat
Mexican National Guard Website
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2020/06/us-citizen-arrested-with-more-than.html#more
At the Garita III Mariposa border crossing in Nogales, Sonora,
elements of the National Guard
in coordination with personnel from the Tax Administration Service (SAT)
detain a US citizen in possession of 32,740 heavy-caliber ammo.
The arrest occurred when the driver of a suv crossed the fiscal area at an excessive speed to evade the security filter,
and when carrying out various maneuvers he was hit and overturned meters later.
The driver was attended immediately and suffered no serious injuries.
Upon conducting an on-site inspection, the National Guardsmen placed various cartridges inside the van
and others more scattered on the asphalt.
Once the cartridges were counted and packed, the driver, together with the seized,
was turned over to the Attorney General of the Republic in the entity,
after reading the suspect his rights and entering their data in the National Detention Registry.
End
Friday, June 5, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 5-6-20
Vehicle flips while pursued by border agents in Arizona, killing 2
BY KEVIN STONE
JUNE 5, 2020 AT 3:00 PM
https://ktar.com/story/3244020/vehicle-flips-while-pursued-by-border-agents-in-arizona-killing-2/
(Flickr Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
PHOENIX – At least two people are dead after a vehicle suspected of human smuggling flipped
while being pursued by Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona, authorities said Friday.
The vehicle overturned Tuesday evening on State Route 80 north of Douglas
after agents deployed a tire deflation device, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release.
The vehicle had five occupants, a U.S. citizen believed to be the driver and four people in the country illegally, the release said.
One of the occupants died at the scene, and the suspected driver died after being taken to a local hospital.
Related Links
• Yuma minor arrested for retrieving packages of meth dropped by drone
• Largest yet: $1.3 billion contract for border wall awarded
Two of the occupants were airlifted to a Tucson hospital, where they were in critical condition.
Another was treated and released to Border Patrol custody.
The incident occurred after Tucson Sector agents stopped one vehicle suspected of human smuggling
and observed a second suspicious vehicle.
The second vehicle fled when agents attempted to stop it and lost control after the tire deflation device was used.
The first vehicle was driven by a U.S. citizen and carried four passengers without documentation.
No other details were released.
CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident,
and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the smuggling cases.
END
BY KEVIN STONE
JUNE 5, 2020 AT 3:00 PM
https://ktar.com/story/3244020/vehicle-flips-while-pursued-by-border-agents-in-arizona-killing-2/
(Flickr Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
PHOENIX – At least two people are dead after a vehicle suspected of human smuggling flipped
while being pursued by Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona, authorities said Friday.
The vehicle overturned Tuesday evening on State Route 80 north of Douglas
after agents deployed a tire deflation device, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release.
The vehicle had five occupants, a U.S. citizen believed to be the driver and four people in the country illegally, the release said.
One of the occupants died at the scene, and the suspected driver died after being taken to a local hospital.
Related Links
• Yuma minor arrested for retrieving packages of meth dropped by drone
• Largest yet: $1.3 billion contract for border wall awarded
Two of the occupants were airlifted to a Tucson hospital, where they were in critical condition.
Another was treated and released to Border Patrol custody.
The incident occurred after Tucson Sector agents stopped one vehicle suspected of human smuggling
and observed a second suspicious vehicle.
The second vehicle fled when agents attempted to stop it and lost control after the tire deflation device was used.
The first vehicle was driven by a U.S. citizen and carried four passengers without documentation.
No other details were released.
CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident,
and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the smuggling cases.
END
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Friday, May 15, 2020
The true death toll in Mexico City
Coronavirus: Morgues and storage rooms are full of bodies. The true death toll in Mexico City is staggering
A government official, speaking anonymously, says the mortality rate is five times the published figure.
Stuart Ramsay
Chief correspondent @ramsaysky
Wednesday 13 May 2020 19:59, UK
https://news.sky.com/story/mexico-city-underreporting-covid-19-deaths-sky-news-analysis-finds-11987235
• COVID-19
• CORONAVIRUS
• MEXICO
The number of people dying from the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico is five times higher than official government figures.
The number of people dying from the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico is five times higher than official government figures,
according to health department insiders.
A Sky News investigations team working in the country's capital Mexico City
has documented cremations and funerals and gained access to morgues and storage rooms full of bodies
- all indicate the official data is wrong.
In much of Mexico City, the second largest city in Latin America, there is virtually no social distancing,
with open air markets and some businesses operating normally, despite the coronaviruspandemic.
Image:
Only the mortuary slabs are left unused in this post mortem examination room
The government claims that the virus curve has been flattened and
that there will be a dramatic drop off in virus related deaths in the coming days.
In a recent briefing, the country's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told the nation:
"What the world knows about Mexico is that we are taming the pandemic,
and we are basically doing this because Mexican people are making a conscious effort."
But that has been dismissed by many dealing with the crisis as incorrect.
Image:
Another hearse arrives carrying a coffin at a crematorium
An official within the government, but speaking anonymously,
confirms the official figures are undercounting the actual mortality rate by a factor of at least five.
End
Also: https://www.excelsior.com.mx/tv/los-mas-vistos/dGTpOz8hyNs
end
A government official, speaking anonymously, says the mortality rate is five times the published figure.
Stuart Ramsay
Chief correspondent @ramsaysky
Wednesday 13 May 2020 19:59, UK
https://news.sky.com/story/mexico-city-underreporting-covid-19-deaths-sky-news-analysis-finds-11987235
• COVID-19
• CORONAVIRUS
• MEXICO
The number of people dying from the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico is five times higher than official government figures.
The number of people dying from the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico is five times higher than official government figures,
according to health department insiders.
A Sky News investigations team working in the country's capital Mexico City
has documented cremations and funerals and gained access to morgues and storage rooms full of bodies
- all indicate the official data is wrong.
In much of Mexico City, the second largest city in Latin America, there is virtually no social distancing,
with open air markets and some businesses operating normally, despite the coronaviruspandemic.
Image:
Only the mortuary slabs are left unused in this post mortem examination room
The government claims that the virus curve has been flattened and
that there will be a dramatic drop off in virus related deaths in the coming days.
In a recent briefing, the country's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told the nation:
"What the world knows about Mexico is that we are taming the pandemic,
and we are basically doing this because Mexican people are making a conscious effort."
But that has been dismissed by many dealing with the crisis as incorrect.
Image:
Another hearse arrives carrying a coffin at a crematorium
An official within the government, but speaking anonymously,
confirms the official figures are undercounting the actual mortality rate by a factor of at least five.
End
Also: https://www.excelsior.com.mx/tv/los-mas-vistos/dGTpOz8hyNs
end
Thursday, May 14, 2020
AZ Hikers fight plan for border wall - another update
Comment: just can't fix stupid or disloyal.
ARIZONA NEWS
Hikers fight plan for border wall at start of historic trail
https://ktar.com/story/3154471/hikers-fight-plan-for-border-wall-at-start-of-historic-trail/
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | MAY 13, 2020 AT 7:00 PM
UPDATED: MAY 13, 2020 AT 7:45 PM
In this September, 2019 photo by Shannon Villegas shows the Arizona trail, an 800-mile path that starts at the U.S.-Mexico border near Hereford, Ariz., and ends at the Utah border. Mullaney opposes plans for a two-mile stretch of border wall that would go through the monument and destroy the trail's first stop, which hikers consider symbolic and important. (Shannon Villegas via AP)
PHOENIX (AP) — Tess Mullaney remembers looking at endless rolling desert hills, covered in a thin layer of white snow just as the sun was rising the day she embarked on a 2½-month journey through the Arizona Trail, an 800-mile system that starts at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona and ends at the Utah one.
In a picture from that February 2019, Mullaney, 28, is smiling as she poses behind a thin barbed-wire fence that divides Arizona from Mexico. She's standing next to Border Monument 102, an engraved pillar marking the boundary of the United States. Engraved in the monument is this warning:
"The destruction or displacement of this monument is a misdemeanor punishable by the United States or Mexico"
Now, the government is proposing to do just that.
It plans on building a 30-foot (9 meter) border wall there, threatening the view so many hikers marvel at– and the ecological life around it.
Mullaney and others are calling on the government to abandon plans to build two miles (3.2 kilometers) of new fencing they say will destroy the monument that marks the beginning of the Arizona Trail, which is also within the Coronado National Memorial. That southern terminus marks where some believe Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado first crossed into Arizona from Sonora in the mid 1500s in his quest to find gold.
The government also plans to build a ground detection system, a road and new lighting.
It's part of President Donald Trump's plan to build hundreds of miles of border wall, a campaign promise he has so far maintained.
"To remove not only this symbolism, but also the beauty, seclusion, protection, and wildlife migratory abilities
in this area would be saddening to all who enjoy it," Mullaney said.
Known as "thru-hikers," an estimated 700 people traverse the entirety of the Arizona Trail in one trip, and thousands more hike different parts of the trail, each year. Thru-hikers have to first be dropped off at a trailhead two miles from the border. They then hike down to the monument that marks where the trail starts, a crucial marker for adventurers, said Matthew J. Nelson, executive director of the Arizona Trail Association.
For years, that part of the border has been protected by a small barbed-wire fence, and Nelson said he doesn't know of any issues with illegal border crossers there. The area is mountainous and rugged, difficult to access from the south.
Nelson said his opposition to the border wall project at that location isn't political, but about preserving the crucial point of a massive trail that took volunteers years to complete. He says the trail attracts thousands of visitors who stimulate the local economies of nearby communities, like the city of Sierra Vista.
"It's a point of pride, and so I hope that people recognize that impact to a quarter-mile of the trail is an impact to the entire 800-mile organism," Nelson said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection didn't immediately answer questions about the project at the trail. During a press briefing in Tucson on Tuesday, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said the administration's top goal is border security and that officials routinely meet with concerned stakeholders. Wolf was addressing a question about concerns that environmental groups have expressed about construction on federally protected land.
"But at the end of the day, I think the administration has been very clear on this front, which is border security is national security is homeland security. So we're gonna secure that border every way we can," Wolf said.
Wolf said decisions about where to build border barriers and where to rely more on technology for surveillance depend on factors like illegal traffic in that area and how accessible it is.
"Those decisions are not being made by the secretary. They're being made by the operators on the ground. So I think the best thing this administration has done is we've actually listened to the operators," Wolf said.
The proposed project along the Coronado National Memorial is one of several planned for Arizona, which shares about 370 miles of border with Mexico.
Although the spot is federally protected by the National Trail System Act, the government has the power to override such a designation in the name of national security. It has already done that in places like Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, where construction workers have removed hundreds of protected cactuses and blasted through a mountain to build a new wall.
Greg Kilroy, a 50-year-old residential real estate agent, remembers first approaching the trail's southern terminus– Border Monument 102– in August, when most of Arizona is scorching, but when the high altitude and mountainous area is nice and cool.
"It's really epic," Kilroy said. "It was also the beginning of our trip, and so it was really exciting, really kind of magical, and, not gonna lie, a little bit of fear and anxiety of what are we taking on here as part of the really long journey."
It took Kilroy and his friend four years and about 17 different trips to complete the 800-mile trail. He said they found discarded trash they think was probably left behind by border crossers, but never encountered another person there.
"It was a true kind of wilderness experience. And boy the wall would sure fly in the face of that," Kilroy said.
End
ARIZONA NEWS
Hikers fight plan for border wall at start of historic trail
https://ktar.com/story/3154471/hikers-fight-plan-for-border-wall-at-start-of-historic-trail/
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | MAY 13, 2020 AT 7:00 PM
UPDATED: MAY 13, 2020 AT 7:45 PM
In this September, 2019 photo by Shannon Villegas shows the Arizona trail, an 800-mile path that starts at the U.S.-Mexico border near Hereford, Ariz., and ends at the Utah border. Mullaney opposes plans for a two-mile stretch of border wall that would go through the monument and destroy the trail's first stop, which hikers consider symbolic and important. (Shannon Villegas via AP)
PHOENIX (AP) — Tess Mullaney remembers looking at endless rolling desert hills, covered in a thin layer of white snow just as the sun was rising the day she embarked on a 2½-month journey through the Arizona Trail, an 800-mile system that starts at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona and ends at the Utah one.
In a picture from that February 2019, Mullaney, 28, is smiling as she poses behind a thin barbed-wire fence that divides Arizona from Mexico. She's standing next to Border Monument 102, an engraved pillar marking the boundary of the United States. Engraved in the monument is this warning:
"The destruction or displacement of this monument is a misdemeanor punishable by the United States or Mexico"
Now, the government is proposing to do just that.
It plans on building a 30-foot (9 meter) border wall there, threatening the view so many hikers marvel at– and the ecological life around it.
Mullaney and others are calling on the government to abandon plans to build two miles (3.2 kilometers) of new fencing they say will destroy the monument that marks the beginning of the Arizona Trail, which is also within the Coronado National Memorial. That southern terminus marks where some believe Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado first crossed into Arizona from Sonora in the mid 1500s in his quest to find gold.
The government also plans to build a ground detection system, a road and new lighting.
It's part of President Donald Trump's plan to build hundreds of miles of border wall, a campaign promise he has so far maintained.
"To remove not only this symbolism, but also the beauty, seclusion, protection, and wildlife migratory abilities
in this area would be saddening to all who enjoy it," Mullaney said.
Known as "thru-hikers," an estimated 700 people traverse the entirety of the Arizona Trail in one trip, and thousands more hike different parts of the trail, each year. Thru-hikers have to first be dropped off at a trailhead two miles from the border. They then hike down to the monument that marks where the trail starts, a crucial marker for adventurers, said Matthew J. Nelson, executive director of the Arizona Trail Association.
For years, that part of the border has been protected by a small barbed-wire fence, and Nelson said he doesn't know of any issues with illegal border crossers there. The area is mountainous and rugged, difficult to access from the south.
Nelson said his opposition to the border wall project at that location isn't political, but about preserving the crucial point of a massive trail that took volunteers years to complete. He says the trail attracts thousands of visitors who stimulate the local economies of nearby communities, like the city of Sierra Vista.
"It's a point of pride, and so I hope that people recognize that impact to a quarter-mile of the trail is an impact to the entire 800-mile organism," Nelson said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection didn't immediately answer questions about the project at the trail. During a press briefing in Tucson on Tuesday, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said the administration's top goal is border security and that officials routinely meet with concerned stakeholders. Wolf was addressing a question about concerns that environmental groups have expressed about construction on federally protected land.
"But at the end of the day, I think the administration has been very clear on this front, which is border security is national security is homeland security. So we're gonna secure that border every way we can," Wolf said.
Wolf said decisions about where to build border barriers and where to rely more on technology for surveillance depend on factors like illegal traffic in that area and how accessible it is.
"Those decisions are not being made by the secretary. They're being made by the operators on the ground. So I think the best thing this administration has done is we've actually listened to the operators," Wolf said.
The proposed project along the Coronado National Memorial is one of several planned for Arizona, which shares about 370 miles of border with Mexico.
Although the spot is federally protected by the National Trail System Act, the government has the power to override such a designation in the name of national security. It has already done that in places like Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, where construction workers have removed hundreds of protected cactuses and blasted through a mountain to build a new wall.
Greg Kilroy, a 50-year-old residential real estate agent, remembers first approaching the trail's southern terminus– Border Monument 102– in August, when most of Arizona is scorching, but when the high altitude and mountainous area is nice and cool.
"It's really epic," Kilroy said. "It was also the beginning of our trip, and so it was really exciting, really kind of magical, and, not gonna lie, a little bit of fear and anxiety of what are we taking on here as part of the really long journey."
It took Kilroy and his friend four years and about 17 different trips to complete the 800-mile trail. He said they found discarded trash they think was probably left behind by border crossers, but never encountered another person there.
"It was a true kind of wilderness experience. And boy the wall would sure fly in the face of that," Kilroy said.
End
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
AZ Hikers fight plan for border wall
Comment: just can't fix stupid, or disloyal.
KGUN 9 ON YOUR SIDENEWSBORDER WATCH
Hikers fight plan for border wall at start of scenic trail
By: Associated Press
https://www.kgun9.com/border-watch/hikers-fight-plan-for-border-wall-at-start-of-scenic-trail
Posted at 1:10 PM, May 13, 2020 and last updated 1:10 PM, May 13, 2020
PHOENIX (AP) — Hikers of the 800-mile Arizona Trail are opposing the proposed construction of a border wall
they say will destroy the beginning marker of the nationally protected route.
The government plans on building a two-mile stretch of 30-foot fencing at Border Monument 102,
a historical marker where the Arizona Trail begins.
It has to waive a law that provides national protection for the trail,
which is one of only 11 nationally recognized scenic trails.
The plan is part of President Donald Trump's campaign promise to build a wall along the southern border.
end
KGUN 9 ON YOUR SIDENEWSBORDER WATCH
Hikers fight plan for border wall at start of scenic trail
By: Associated Press
https://www.kgun9.com/border-watch/hikers-fight-plan-for-border-wall-at-start-of-scenic-trail
Posted at 1:10 PM, May 13, 2020 and last updated 1:10 PM, May 13, 2020
PHOENIX (AP) — Hikers of the 800-mile Arizona Trail are opposing the proposed construction of a border wall
they say will destroy the beginning marker of the nationally protected route.
The government plans on building a two-mile stretch of 30-foot fencing at Border Monument 102,
a historical marker where the Arizona Trail begins.
It has to waive a law that provides national protection for the trail,
which is one of only 11 nationally recognized scenic trails.
The plan is part of President Donald Trump's campaign promise to build a wall along the southern border.
end
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
PRC stolen guns and ammunition seized in Calexico
Note: several photos of the guns at the link:
Two men arrested, stolen guns and ammunition seized in Calexico
By Sumiko Keil, Arianna Shell
Published
May 5, 2020
8:16 am
https://kyma.com/news/2020/05/05/two-men-arrested-stolen-guns-and-ammunition-seized-in-calexico/
CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY)-Border Patrol agents and sheriffs arrest two men in Calexico
suspected of stealing firearms, ammunition, and guns, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
CBP said on April 29 the Imperial County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) initiated an investigation
along with the Yuma Police Department and Border Patrol agents
in regards to stolen firearms and ammunition from Yuma.
CBP says the investigation led agents to contact ICSO and issued a warrant in Calexico.
Upon the search warrants, agents successfully recovered 11 firearms,
including a .50 caliber rifle and a short-barreled shotgun.
Agents also recovered large amounts of military-grade ammunition and several high capacity magazines.
A 34-year-old man and a 36-year-old man were arrested.
Both men are Mexican nationals that reside legally in Calexico.
"The ICSO and USBP teams did a fantastic job bringing two foreign nationals into custody,"
said El Centro Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino.
"Anytime heavy weapons are involved the anxiety levels go up,
however the Sheriffs and Border Patrol teams are trained and very capable."
Both men were placed under arrest and booked into Imperial County Jail pending criminal charges.
END
Two men arrested, stolen guns and ammunition seized in Calexico
By Sumiko Keil, Arianna Shell
Published
May 5, 2020
8:16 am
https://kyma.com/news/2020/05/05/two-men-arrested-stolen-guns-and-ammunition-seized-in-calexico/
CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY)-Border Patrol agents and sheriffs arrest two men in Calexico
suspected of stealing firearms, ammunition, and guns, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
CBP said on April 29 the Imperial County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) initiated an investigation
along with the Yuma Police Department and Border Patrol agents
in regards to stolen firearms and ammunition from Yuma.
CBP says the investigation led agents to contact ICSO and issued a warrant in Calexico.
Upon the search warrants, agents successfully recovered 11 firearms,
including a .50 caliber rifle and a short-barreled shotgun.
Agents also recovered large amounts of military-grade ammunition and several high capacity magazines.
A 34-year-old man and a 36-year-old man were arrested.
Both men are Mexican nationals that reside legally in Calexico.
"The ICSO and USBP teams did a fantastic job bringing two foreign nationals into custody,"
said El Centro Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino.
"Anytime heavy weapons are involved the anxiety levels go up,
however the Sheriffs and Border Patrol teams are trained and very capable."
Both men were placed under arrest and booked into Imperial County Jail pending criminal charges.
END
AZ BP agent dragged 15 feet
BP agent dragged 15 feet down road while pursuing suspected human smuggler NEW
May 6, 2020
11:58 am
https://kvoa.com/news/top-stories/2020/05/06/bp-agent-dragged-15-feet-down-road-while-pursuing-suspected-human-smuggler/
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Border Patrol says an agent was dragged 15 feet down a road after trying to apprehend a suspected human smuggler.
The agent was working a highway checkpoint in southern Arizona and had tried to stop the driver, but the driver, who was not identified, drove off.
The driver had ingested chemical substances and was hospitalized before being charged with human smuggling and assault on a federal agent.
The agent didn't sustain serious injuries.
No further information was provided.
end
May 6, 2020
11:58 am
https://kvoa.com/news/top-stories/2020/05/06/bp-agent-dragged-15-feet-down-road-while-pursuing-suspected-human-smuggler/
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Border Patrol says an agent was dragged 15 feet down a road after trying to apprehend a suspected human smuggler.
The agent was working a highway checkpoint in southern Arizona and had tried to stop the driver, but the driver, who was not identified, drove off.
The driver had ingested chemical substances and was hospitalized before being charged with human smuggling and assault on a federal agent.
The agent didn't sustain serious injuries.
No further information was provided.
end
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 17-3-20
AZMEX UPDATE 17 MAR 2020
Plane carrying drugs and firearms crashes in San Felipe
Tribuna de San Luis
https://kyma.com/news/2020/03/17/plane-carrying-drugs-and-firearms-crashes-in-san-felipe/
SAN FELIPE, B.C. (KYMA, KECY)-
Mexican police said a small plane crashed on a runway in San Felipe, Baja California over the weekend.
Tribuna de San Luis said Mexican police found drugs and firearms inside the plane.
According to police, the bags found inside the small plane contained heroin, cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl.
Police also found ten pistols and ten AR-15 rifles with magazines.
Tribuna de San Luis did not report if any arrests were made.
Police continue to work to narrow down the scenarios for organizations dedicated to drug trafficking.
End
Plane carrying drugs and firearms crashes in San Felipe
Tribuna de San Luis
https://kyma.com/news/2020/03/17/plane-carrying-drugs-and-firearms-crashes-in-san-felipe/
SAN FELIPE, B.C. (KYMA, KECY)-
Mexican police said a small plane crashed on a runway in San Felipe, Baja California over the weekend.
Tribuna de San Luis said Mexican police found drugs and firearms inside the plane.
According to police, the bags found inside the small plane contained heroin, cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl.
Police also found ten pistols and ten AR-15 rifles with magazines.
Tribuna de San Luis did not report if any arrests were made.
Police continue to work to narrow down the scenarios for organizations dedicated to drug trafficking.
End
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 11-3-20
AZMEX UPDATE 11 MAR 2020
Hundreds of Chinese migrants detained at US border amid coronavirus-tied travel ban
By William La Jeunesse | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-chinese-migrants-detained-at-us-border-amid-coronavirus-tied-travel-banhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-chinese-migrants-detained-at-us-border-amid-coronavirus-tied-travel-ban
Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan on progress to secure US border, threat from coronavirus
Since October 2019, approximately 14,000 more illegal immigrants have been removed from the U.S. than arrived; insight from acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan.
Since officials first reported the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in late December
and the United States imposed a travel ban for those entering from China,
Border Patrol agents have detained 333 Chinese nationals attempting to enter the United States illegally,
according to Department of Homeland Security data obtained by Fox News.
While none have tested positive for the virus, the southern border remains a primary focus of the Trump administration,
which sees the area as high risk and a gateway for COVID-19 to spread in the U.S.
"We have a unique public health threat posed by individuals arriving unlawfully at the border, where migrants, law enforcement officials, frontline personnel, and the American public are put at risk," said a DHS official who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak publicly by the agency.
TRUMP, DEM GOVERNORS CLASH OVER CORONAVIRUS SPREAD
Under MPP, which stands for the Migrant Protection Protocol, the U.S. has deported some 60,000 migrants to Mexico
to await their deportation hearings. Unless the Supreme Court acts, the policy will be ruled illegal in California and Arizona
and those individuals and other migrants claiming asylum will be allowed to remain in the U.S. indefinitely.
"All it would take is a single infected individual to impact the detained migrant community within DHS facilities without proper precautions,
which can only happen through orderly, lawful migration, the virus threatens to spread rapidly," the official said.
"Any halting of MPP would exacerbate this threat."
The U.S. southern border is a microcosm of the world, with foreign nationals from 122 separate countries
apprehended or denied entry already this fiscal year -- from October through the end of February.
Seventy of those countries currently report confirmed COVID-19 cases, led by China
but followed by Italy, Iran, India, Romania, Vietnam and Brazil.
The virus started popping up on health officials' radar screens in late December in China
and has since spread around the world.
Some of the countries on the list have had very low rates of the virus, including Mexico. ( Reported that is )
Meanwhile, the number of cases in the U.S. has risen dramatically in recent days, topping 1,000.
China has nearly 81,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, Italy has more than 10,000 and Iran has about 8,000.
Last week the Border Patrol asked the CDC to take over testing of those migrants who show symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also runs 16 detention facilities with airborne infection isolation rooms.
So far, it tested 4 migrants, all coming back negative.
"It's absolutely a risk that we're monitoring and we're evaluating,"
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan told Fox News.
"And if it shifts and we're asked to do more at the SW border, we're ready to operationalize that."
Agents say the threat is threefold.
One, Border Patrol agents can't work from home or practice social distancing.
Those who work in the field are exposed to human contact every day with dozens they have never met,
often in poor physical shape, coughing and sneezing.
Secondly, unlike legal immigration, where tourists and migrants arrive with a passport and travel history,
migrants arriving illegally have no medical history and no travel manifest,
allowing agents to determine what countries they visited and how long.
Frequently, those apprehended stayed in stash houses in Mexico with many others in the days ahead of crossing.
None of those people know where the others came from or who they traveled with,
whether sick people preceded them in the houses, who may have slept in that spot the night before, whether it was cleaned.
Finally, Border Patrol detention facilities are crowded, usually overflowing with migrants stuffed into pods
for several days awaiting immigration hearings or transport to an airfield, community center or deportation to Mexico.
These detention centers are breeding ground for many types of communicable diseases:
chickenpox, measles and the flu.
In May of last year, a detention center in Texas had to be isolated and shut down
after nearly three dozen detainees became ill with the flu and a 16-year-old boy died.
In June, ICE reported 297 cases of the mumps in 39 detention facilities as the disease spread across several states.
As for COVID-19, last week DHS acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf told the House Homeland Committee:
"The administration will continue to closely monitor the virus globally, as well as in our hemisphere,
and will adjust our proactive measures as necessary."
Roughly, 1,000 migrants a day are caught attempting to enter illegally from Mexico,
which has detected seven coronavirus cases. President Trump considered closing the border,
but has since downplayed the idea, while still using the virus as a talking point to support his call for a wall.
END
Hundreds of Chinese migrants detained at US border amid coronavirus-tied travel ban
By William La Jeunesse | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-chinese-migrants-detained-at-us-border-amid-coronavirus-tied-travel-banhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/hundreds-of-chinese-migrants-detained-at-us-border-amid-coronavirus-tied-travel-ban
Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan on progress to secure US border, threat from coronavirus
Since October 2019, approximately 14,000 more illegal immigrants have been removed from the U.S. than arrived; insight from acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan.
Since officials first reported the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in late December
and the United States imposed a travel ban for those entering from China,
Border Patrol agents have detained 333 Chinese nationals attempting to enter the United States illegally,
according to Department of Homeland Security data obtained by Fox News.
While none have tested positive for the virus, the southern border remains a primary focus of the Trump administration,
which sees the area as high risk and a gateway for COVID-19 to spread in the U.S.
"We have a unique public health threat posed by individuals arriving unlawfully at the border, where migrants, law enforcement officials, frontline personnel, and the American public are put at risk," said a DHS official who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak publicly by the agency.
TRUMP, DEM GOVERNORS CLASH OVER CORONAVIRUS SPREAD
Under MPP, which stands for the Migrant Protection Protocol, the U.S. has deported some 60,000 migrants to Mexico
to await their deportation hearings. Unless the Supreme Court acts, the policy will be ruled illegal in California and Arizona
and those individuals and other migrants claiming asylum will be allowed to remain in the U.S. indefinitely.
"All it would take is a single infected individual to impact the detained migrant community within DHS facilities without proper precautions,
which can only happen through orderly, lawful migration, the virus threatens to spread rapidly," the official said.
"Any halting of MPP would exacerbate this threat."
The U.S. southern border is a microcosm of the world, with foreign nationals from 122 separate countries
apprehended or denied entry already this fiscal year -- from October through the end of February.
Seventy of those countries currently report confirmed COVID-19 cases, led by China
but followed by Italy, Iran, India, Romania, Vietnam and Brazil.
The virus started popping up on health officials' radar screens in late December in China
and has since spread around the world.
Some of the countries on the list have had very low rates of the virus, including Mexico. ( Reported that is )
Meanwhile, the number of cases in the U.S. has risen dramatically in recent days, topping 1,000.
China has nearly 81,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, Italy has more than 10,000 and Iran has about 8,000.
Last week the Border Patrol asked the CDC to take over testing of those migrants who show symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also runs 16 detention facilities with airborne infection isolation rooms.
So far, it tested 4 migrants, all coming back negative.
"It's absolutely a risk that we're monitoring and we're evaluating,"
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan told Fox News.
"And if it shifts and we're asked to do more at the SW border, we're ready to operationalize that."
Agents say the threat is threefold.
One, Border Patrol agents can't work from home or practice social distancing.
Those who work in the field are exposed to human contact every day with dozens they have never met,
often in poor physical shape, coughing and sneezing.
Secondly, unlike legal immigration, where tourists and migrants arrive with a passport and travel history,
migrants arriving illegally have no medical history and no travel manifest,
allowing agents to determine what countries they visited and how long.
Frequently, those apprehended stayed in stash houses in Mexico with many others in the days ahead of crossing.
None of those people know where the others came from or who they traveled with,
whether sick people preceded them in the houses, who may have slept in that spot the night before, whether it was cleaned.
Finally, Border Patrol detention facilities are crowded, usually overflowing with migrants stuffed into pods
for several days awaiting immigration hearings or transport to an airfield, community center or deportation to Mexico.
These detention centers are breeding ground for many types of communicable diseases:
chickenpox, measles and the flu.
In May of last year, a detention center in Texas had to be isolated and shut down
after nearly three dozen detainees became ill with the flu and a 16-year-old boy died.
In June, ICE reported 297 cases of the mumps in 39 detention facilities as the disease spread across several states.
As for COVID-19, last week DHS acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf told the House Homeland Committee:
"The administration will continue to closely monitor the virus globally, as well as in our hemisphere,
and will adjust our proactive measures as necessary."
Roughly, 1,000 migrants a day are caught attempting to enter illegally from Mexico,
which has detected seven coronavirus cases. President Trump considered closing the border,
but has since downplayed the idea, while still using the virus as a talking point to support his call for a wall.
END
Friday, March 6, 2020
AZMEX POLICY 6-3-2020
AZMEX POLICY 6 MAR 2020
Comment: the Chamber is not your friend.
Arizona chamber CEO says anti-sanctuary city bill should be dropped
Posted: 8:06 AM, Mar 05, 2020 Updated: 8:06 AM, Mar 05, 2020
By: Jeff Gifford, Phoenix Business Journal
https://www.abc15.com/news/business/arizona-chamber-ceo-says-anti-sanctuary-city-bill-should-be-dropped
Photo by: Courtesy Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The leader of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce is bringing renewed pressure from the state's business community
to stop an effort against "sanctuary cities."
Glenn Hamer, the chamber's president and CEO, said a legislative proposal to allow individual lawsuits against cities
that don't cooperate with federal immigration officials isn't needed,
according to a report by the Arizona Capitol Times.
Hamer told the Times he informed lawmakers as well as Gov. Doug Ducey the bill should be killed,
saying the state already has strong sanctuary city laws and the measure under consideration creates needless controversy.
House Bill 2598, sponsored by Rep. Bret Roberts, R-Maricopa,
would open the way for crime victims to sue local governments with policies that bar cooperation between their law enforcement officers
and those of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Read more from the Phoenix Business Journal.
End
Comment: the Chamber is not your friend.
Arizona chamber CEO says anti-sanctuary city bill should be dropped
Posted: 8:06 AM, Mar 05, 2020 Updated: 8:06 AM, Mar 05, 2020
By: Jeff Gifford, Phoenix Business Journal
https://www.abc15.com/news/business/arizona-chamber-ceo-says-anti-sanctuary-city-bill-should-be-dropped
Photo by: Courtesy Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The leader of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce is bringing renewed pressure from the state's business community
to stop an effort against "sanctuary cities."
Glenn Hamer, the chamber's president and CEO, said a legislative proposal to allow individual lawsuits against cities
that don't cooperate with federal immigration officials isn't needed,
according to a report by the Arizona Capitol Times.
Hamer told the Times he informed lawmakers as well as Gov. Doug Ducey the bill should be killed,
saying the state already has strong sanctuary city laws and the measure under consideration creates needless controversy.
House Bill 2598, sponsored by Rep. Bret Roberts, R-Maricopa,
would open the way for crime victims to sue local governments with policies that bar cooperation between their law enforcement officers
and those of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Read more from the Phoenix Business Journal.
End
Friday, February 28, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 28-2-2020
AZMEX UPDATE 28 FEB 2020
Court docs: Drug trafficker found with lethal drugs worth thousands hidden in tires
• Zulekha Pitts
• Posted 16 hrs ago
https://www.azfamily.com/news/court-docs-drug-trafficker-found-with-lethal-drugs-worth-thousands/article_05f409b2-59e1-11ea-b663-57575d54a221.html
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Leon Luna, a 23-year-old man from Mexico living in Phoenix,
was arrested on Monday in connection to trafficking lethal drugs worth thousands
by hiding them inside tire and wheel assemblies, court documents say.
On Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, investigators did a stakeout at a residence
in the area of 53rd Avenue and Coronado Road, near Papago Freeway.
According to court documents, the investigators saw multiple men,
including Leon Luna, coming and going from the home during various hours of the day and night
taking what appeared to be heavy bags and packages.
They were reportedly also seen carrying wheels and tires in and out of the home.
Investigators concluded that this kind of activity was drug-trafficking related.
A little after 1 p.m. on Feb. 24, investigators saw another man, identified in court paperwork as Juan Alfonso Torres Rodrigues,
leaving the same residence to allegedly meet with his drug customer, Rigoberto Feria Cruz.
After investigators saw Rodrigues give Cruz a pound of meth, he was arrested, court paperwork said.
As detectives prepared to issue a warrant at the residence centered around this investigation,
they saw Luna driving a Jeep into the garage of that home. That's when they witnessed Luna and another man,
identified as Miguel Angel Flores Carlos, putting two tire and wheel assemblies into a vehicle before driving off in it.
A traffic stop was made on Luna, who was the driver, and Flores.
Investigators issued a search warrant on the vehicle and found 17 pounds of meth worth $25,000
hidden in parts of the tire and wheel assemblies inside the vehicle.
When detectives went back to the residence where Luna and Rodrigues live,
they reportedly discovered 61 pounds of meth worth $90,000 and 10,000 tablets believed to be fentanyl worth $50,000.
After getting arrested, during an interview,
Luna allegedly admitted that Torres and he were drug traffickers working for separate clients in Mexico.
Court documents say Luna is a Mexican citizen living in the U.S. illegally.
Due to the serious nature of his crimes, investigators wish that Luna have a cash-only bond of $50,000.
He faces felony charges, including the selling of dangerous drug possession, conspiracy and money laundering.
The consequences of the other men involved in this drug-trafficking operation are unknown at this time.
The investigation is ongoing.
END
Court docs: Drug trafficker found with lethal drugs worth thousands hidden in tires
• Zulekha Pitts
• Posted 16 hrs ago
https://www.azfamily.com/news/court-docs-drug-trafficker-found-with-lethal-drugs-worth-thousands/article_05f409b2-59e1-11ea-b663-57575d54a221.html
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Leon Luna, a 23-year-old man from Mexico living in Phoenix,
was arrested on Monday in connection to trafficking lethal drugs worth thousands
by hiding them inside tire and wheel assemblies, court documents say.
On Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, investigators did a stakeout at a residence
in the area of 53rd Avenue and Coronado Road, near Papago Freeway.
According to court documents, the investigators saw multiple men,
including Leon Luna, coming and going from the home during various hours of the day and night
taking what appeared to be heavy bags and packages.
They were reportedly also seen carrying wheels and tires in and out of the home.
Investigators concluded that this kind of activity was drug-trafficking related.
A little after 1 p.m. on Feb. 24, investigators saw another man, identified in court paperwork as Juan Alfonso Torres Rodrigues,
leaving the same residence to allegedly meet with his drug customer, Rigoberto Feria Cruz.
After investigators saw Rodrigues give Cruz a pound of meth, he was arrested, court paperwork said.
As detectives prepared to issue a warrant at the residence centered around this investigation,
they saw Luna driving a Jeep into the garage of that home. That's when they witnessed Luna and another man,
identified as Miguel Angel Flores Carlos, putting two tire and wheel assemblies into a vehicle before driving off in it.
A traffic stop was made on Luna, who was the driver, and Flores.
Investigators issued a search warrant on the vehicle and found 17 pounds of meth worth $25,000
hidden in parts of the tire and wheel assemblies inside the vehicle.
When detectives went back to the residence where Luna and Rodrigues live,
they reportedly discovered 61 pounds of meth worth $90,000 and 10,000 tablets believed to be fentanyl worth $50,000.
After getting arrested, during an interview,
Luna allegedly admitted that Torres and he were drug traffickers working for separate clients in Mexico.
Court documents say Luna is a Mexican citizen living in the U.S. illegally.
Due to the serious nature of his crimes, investigators wish that Luna have a cash-only bond of $50,000.
He faces felony charges, including the selling of dangerous drug possession, conspiracy and money laundering.
The consequences of the other men involved in this drug-trafficking operation are unknown at this time.
The investigation is ongoing.
END
AZMEX UPDATE 27-2-2020
AZMEX UPDATE 27 FEB 2020
By Sumiko Keil
today at 11:22 am
Published
February 27, 2020
9:46 am
https://kyma.com/news/top-stories/2020/02/27/agents-seized-440k-worth-of-drugs-at-the-i-8-immigration-checkpoint/
Agents seized $440K worth of drugs at the I-8 Immigration Checkpoint
CBP
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - An Avondale man is arrested after agents found over $440,000 worth of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin at the Interstate 8 Immigration Checkpoint, according to Border Patrol.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the driver of a Chevrolet Cruz was sent to secondary inspection after a canine alerted them to his vehicle last Friday.
While agents searched the vehicle, it led to the discovery of a false compartment in the floorboard containing numerous packages.
CBP says over 100 packages of meth, cocaine, and heroin were found.
The total weight of meth was 103 pounds, cocaine weighed more than 10 pounds and nearly four pounds of heroin.
The 24-year-old driver, a United States citizen, was in possession of a SENTRI card,
which provides expedited processing at the border for pre-approved travelers who are considered low risk.
END
ALSO:
126th cross-border tunnel discovered in Nogales
• Staff Reports
https://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_news/th-cross-border-tunnel-discovered-in-nogales/article_1ee01b2f-d49a-545b-a214-7a4a10005258.html
• Feb 27, 2020 Updated 1 hr ago
Border Patrol agents and Mexican law enforcement worked to identify a cross-border tunnel in Nogales Tuesday.
CBP
NOGALES – U.S. Border Patrol agents, working with Mexican law enforcement, discovered yet another cross-border tunnel Tuesday, that runs beneath the streets of Nogales.
Tucson Sector agents and Mexico's Guardia Nacional located the tunnel's entrance in the floor of the existing Grand Avenue drainage system in Mexico. The rudimentary tunnel, located approximately 580 yards west of the Dennis DeConcin Crossing at the Nogales Port of Entry, is hand-dug with no shoring, ventilation or lighting, authorities said.
The tunnel runs approximately 15-20 feet underground at its deepest point and extends approximately 30 feet from beginning to end, where the cartel left it incomplete.
U.S. authorities will continuously monitor the area until they remediate the tunnel. This is the 126th tunnel discovered in the Tucson Sector since 1990 and the second discovered mid-completion this fiscal year.
U.S. Border Patrol regularly works with the Government of Mexico, and binational cooperation with Mexican law enforcement plays a vital role in border security. Efforts such as tunnel sweeps aim to disrupt smuggling organizations and prevent the smuggling of narcotics and humans across the border.
END
AND:
• BORDER & IMMIGRATION
Charge against border activist Scott Warren dropped
Was due to be sentenced for misdemeanor conviction
Arizona border activist Scott Warren. (Source: Source; KOLD News 13)
By KOLD News 13 Staff | February 27, 2020 at 1:09 PM MST - Updated February 27 at 4:18 PM
https://www.kold.com/2020/02/27/charge-against-border-activist-scott-warren-dropped/
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) -
A Federal Court judge in Tucson dropped charges against a local humanitarian volunteer who was arrested while trying to help migrants in the desert.
The decision came on Thursday, Feb. 27 —
the day Scott Warren was supposed to be sentenced for a misdemeanor conviction of driving in a wilderness area
while working with No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes.
Federal prosecutors requested the dismissal in a last-minute filing, which was granted by Senior District Judge Raner Collins.
In a statement released from the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey
said humanitarian groups like No More Deaths need to follow the law.
Warren was acquitted of felony charges for giving aid to migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border in November 2019.
Defense attorneys for Warren cited religious freedom exception from the charges.
Greg Kuykendall, Warren's defense attorney, affirmed his argument that humanitarian aid "is not a crime"
following Thursday's dropped charges, according to a statement from No More Deaths.
END
By Sumiko Keil
today at 11:22 am
Published
February 27, 2020
9:46 am
https://kyma.com/news/top-stories/2020/02/27/agents-seized-440k-worth-of-drugs-at-the-i-8-immigration-checkpoint/
Agents seized $440K worth of drugs at the I-8 Immigration Checkpoint
CBP
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - An Avondale man is arrested after agents found over $440,000 worth of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin at the Interstate 8 Immigration Checkpoint, according to Border Patrol.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the driver of a Chevrolet Cruz was sent to secondary inspection after a canine alerted them to his vehicle last Friday.
While agents searched the vehicle, it led to the discovery of a false compartment in the floorboard containing numerous packages.
CBP says over 100 packages of meth, cocaine, and heroin were found.
The total weight of meth was 103 pounds, cocaine weighed more than 10 pounds and nearly four pounds of heroin.
The 24-year-old driver, a United States citizen, was in possession of a SENTRI card,
which provides expedited processing at the border for pre-approved travelers who are considered low risk.
END
ALSO:
126th cross-border tunnel discovered in Nogales
• Staff Reports
https://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_news/th-cross-border-tunnel-discovered-in-nogales/article_1ee01b2f-d49a-545b-a214-7a4a10005258.html
• Feb 27, 2020 Updated 1 hr ago
Border Patrol agents and Mexican law enforcement worked to identify a cross-border tunnel in Nogales Tuesday.
CBP
NOGALES – U.S. Border Patrol agents, working with Mexican law enforcement, discovered yet another cross-border tunnel Tuesday, that runs beneath the streets of Nogales.
Tucson Sector agents and Mexico's Guardia Nacional located the tunnel's entrance in the floor of the existing Grand Avenue drainage system in Mexico. The rudimentary tunnel, located approximately 580 yards west of the Dennis DeConcin Crossing at the Nogales Port of Entry, is hand-dug with no shoring, ventilation or lighting, authorities said.
The tunnel runs approximately 15-20 feet underground at its deepest point and extends approximately 30 feet from beginning to end, where the cartel left it incomplete.
U.S. authorities will continuously monitor the area until they remediate the tunnel. This is the 126th tunnel discovered in the Tucson Sector since 1990 and the second discovered mid-completion this fiscal year.
U.S. Border Patrol regularly works with the Government of Mexico, and binational cooperation with Mexican law enforcement plays a vital role in border security. Efforts such as tunnel sweeps aim to disrupt smuggling organizations and prevent the smuggling of narcotics and humans across the border.
END
AND:
• BORDER & IMMIGRATION
Charge against border activist Scott Warren dropped
Was due to be sentenced for misdemeanor conviction
Arizona border activist Scott Warren. (Source: Source; KOLD News 13)
By KOLD News 13 Staff | February 27, 2020 at 1:09 PM MST - Updated February 27 at 4:18 PM
https://www.kold.com/2020/02/27/charge-against-border-activist-scott-warren-dropped/
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) -
A Federal Court judge in Tucson dropped charges against a local humanitarian volunteer who was arrested while trying to help migrants in the desert.
The decision came on Thursday, Feb. 27 —
the day Scott Warren was supposed to be sentenced for a misdemeanor conviction of driving in a wilderness area
while working with No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes.
Federal prosecutors requested the dismissal in a last-minute filing, which was granted by Senior District Judge Raner Collins.
In a statement released from the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey
said humanitarian groups like No More Deaths need to follow the law.
Warren was acquitted of felony charges for giving aid to migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border in November 2019.
Defense attorneys for Warren cited religious freedom exception from the charges.
Greg Kuykendall, Warren's defense attorney, affirmed his argument that humanitarian aid "is not a crime"
following Thursday's dropped charges, according to a statement from No More Deaths.
END
Monday, February 24, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 24 -2-2020
AZMEX UPDATE 24 FEB 2020
Disarm 160 police officers in San Juan de los Lagos for possible links to organized crime
This measure originated after an investigation by federal authorities.
By EFE
February 24th
https://www.elimparcial.com/mexico/Desarman-a-160-policias-de-San-Juan-de-los-Lagos-por-posibles-vinculos-con-crimen-organizado-20200224-0086.html
The municipality will be supervised indefinitely by at least 500 state police officers, the National Guard and the Mexican Army. | Pixabay
Guadalajara.- About 160 police officers from the municipality of San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, were disarmed and relieved of their positions on suspicion of links with organized crime groups, the State Security Council of the Government of this state reported Monday.
This measure originated after an investigation by federal authorities indicating that "a possible infiltration" of the police corporation by organized crime.
"The decision was made to intervene today at the municipal police station of San Juan de los Lagos because, because of intelligence information both federal and state and observations of those who form the security table, there are well-founded suspicions of inappropriate links," he announced at a conference press Jalisco security coordinator Macedonio Tamez.
He added that in addition to taking control of security, the State Security Secretariat assumed control of the facilities, communication and computer equipment, files and all assets of the corporation.
The municipality will be supervised indefinitely by at least 500 state police officers, the National Guard and the Mexican Army.
"This is intended to restore peace and tranquility not only to the municipality but to the entire region as well as to show the citizens of this Government that it is not going to be tolerated that any municipal authority dissociates itself from its duty to protect and serve the people ", he pointed.
The 160 agents that make up the San Juan de los Lagos Police will be transferred to the facilities of the Academy of the Ministry of Security, where they will remain quartered as long as the corresponding assessments are made and whether or not they collaborate with organized crime.
This Sunday the attack on a bar and a wine and liquor store in San Juan de los Lagos was recorded by a group of armed men that resulted in four people killed and two seriously injured.
End
Disarm 160 police officers in San Juan de los Lagos for possible links to organized crime
This measure originated after an investigation by federal authorities.
By EFE
February 24th
https://www.elimparcial.com/mexico/Desarman-a-160-policias-de-San-Juan-de-los-Lagos-por-posibles-vinculos-con-crimen-organizado-20200224-0086.html
The municipality will be supervised indefinitely by at least 500 state police officers, the National Guard and the Mexican Army. | Pixabay
Guadalajara.- About 160 police officers from the municipality of San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, were disarmed and relieved of their positions on suspicion of links with organized crime groups, the State Security Council of the Government of this state reported Monday.
This measure originated after an investigation by federal authorities indicating that "a possible infiltration" of the police corporation by organized crime.
"The decision was made to intervene today at the municipal police station of San Juan de los Lagos because, because of intelligence information both federal and state and observations of those who form the security table, there are well-founded suspicions of inappropriate links," he announced at a conference press Jalisco security coordinator Macedonio Tamez.
He added that in addition to taking control of security, the State Security Secretariat assumed control of the facilities, communication and computer equipment, files and all assets of the corporation.
The municipality will be supervised indefinitely by at least 500 state police officers, the National Guard and the Mexican Army.
"This is intended to restore peace and tranquility not only to the municipality but to the entire region as well as to show the citizens of this Government that it is not going to be tolerated that any municipal authority dissociates itself from its duty to protect and serve the people ", he pointed.
The 160 agents that make up the San Juan de los Lagos Police will be transferred to the facilities of the Academy of the Ministry of Security, where they will remain quartered as long as the corresponding assessments are made and whether or not they collaborate with organized crime.
This Sunday the attack on a bar and a wine and liquor store in San Juan de los Lagos was recorded by a group of armed men that resulted in four people killed and two seriously injured.
End
Saturday, February 22, 2020
AZMEX UPDATE 22-2-2020
AZMEX UPDATE 22 FEB 2020
Comment: And of course the commie run, America Hating ACLU.
Time for the DOJ to issue permanent warrants?
Thx
Greyhound to stop allowing immigration checks on buses
Published 6 hours ago
Updated 2 hours ago
News
Associated Press
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/greyhound-to-stop-allowing-immigration-checks-on-buses
A file image dated Sept. 11, 2018 shows a Greyhound bus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
SEATTLE - Greyhound, the nation's largest bus company, said Friday it will stop allowing Border Patrol agents
without a warrant to board its buses to conduct routine immigration checks.
The company's announcement came one week after The Associated Press reported on a leaked Border Patrol memo confirming that agents can't board private buses without the consent of the bus company. Greyhound had previously insisted that even though it didn't like the immigration checks, it had no choice under federal law but to allow them.
In an emailed statement, the company said it would notify the Department of Homeland Security that it does not consent to unwarranted searches on its buses or in areas of terminals that are not open to the public — such as company offices or any areas a person needs a ticket to access.
Greyhound said it would provide its drivers and bus station employees updated training regarding the new policy, and that it would place stickers on all its buses clearly stating that it does not consent to the searches.
"Our primary concern is the safety of our customers and team members, and we are confident these changes will lead to an improved experience for all parties involved," the statement said. ( total BS )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Greyhound has faced pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union, immigrant rights activists and Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (C?) to stop allowing sweeps on buses within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of an international border or coastline. In many cases, the buses being checked were not crossing or even approaching an international boundary.
Critics say the practice is intimidating and discriminatory and has become more common under President Donald Trump. Border Patrol arrests videotaped by other passengers have sparked criticism, and Greyhound faces a lawsuit in California alleging that it violated consumer protection laws by facilitating raids.
"We are pleased to see Greyhound clearly communicate that it does not consent to racial profiling and harassment on its buses," Andrea Flores, deputy director of policy for the ACLU's Equality Division, said in an email. "By protecting its customers and employees, Greyhound is sending a message that it prioritizes the communities it serves."
Ferguson said in an email his office will follow up with Greyhound to ensure compliance.
"Today's announcement from Greyhound confirms what should have been obvious to the company since I contacted them a year ago – it has both the power and the responsibility to stand up for its customers, who suffered for far too long from Greyhound's indifference to CBP's suspicionless bus raids and harassment," he said.
The Border Patrol has insisted that it does not profile passengers based on their appearance, but instead asks all passengers whether they are citizens or in the country legally. The agency says the bus checks are an important way to ferret out human trafficking, narcotics and illegal immigration.
Some other bus companies, including Jefferson Lines, which operates in 14 states, and MTRWestern, which operates in the Pacific Northwest, have already taken similar steps to those announced by Greyhound. Flores said the ACLU would continue to push others to follow suit.
The memo obtained by the AP was dated Jan. 28, addressed to all chief patrol agents and signed by then-Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost just before she retired. It confirms the legal position that Greyhound's critics have taken: that the Constitution's Fourth Amendment prevents agents from boarding buses and questioning passengers without a warrant or the consent of the company.
"When transportation checks occur on a bus at non-checkpoint locations, the agent must demonstrate that he or she gained access to the bus with the consent of the company's owner or one of the company's employees," the memo states. An agent's actions while on the bus "would not cause a reasonable person to believe that he or she is unable to terminate the encounter with the agent."
Greyhound previously argued that case law, including a 1973 Supreme Court ruling, did not extend the Fourth Amendment's protections to commercial carriers.
End
Comment: And of course the commie run, America Hating ACLU.
Time for the DOJ to issue permanent warrants?
Thx
Greyhound to stop allowing immigration checks on buses
Published 6 hours ago
Updated 2 hours ago
News
Associated Press
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/greyhound-to-stop-allowing-immigration-checks-on-buses
A file image dated Sept. 11, 2018 shows a Greyhound bus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
SEATTLE - Greyhound, the nation's largest bus company, said Friday it will stop allowing Border Patrol agents
without a warrant to board its buses to conduct routine immigration checks.
The company's announcement came one week after The Associated Press reported on a leaked Border Patrol memo confirming that agents can't board private buses without the consent of the bus company. Greyhound had previously insisted that even though it didn't like the immigration checks, it had no choice under federal law but to allow them.
In an emailed statement, the company said it would notify the Department of Homeland Security that it does not consent to unwarranted searches on its buses or in areas of terminals that are not open to the public — such as company offices or any areas a person needs a ticket to access.
Greyhound said it would provide its drivers and bus station employees updated training regarding the new policy, and that it would place stickers on all its buses clearly stating that it does not consent to the searches.
"Our primary concern is the safety of our customers and team members, and we are confident these changes will lead to an improved experience for all parties involved," the statement said. ( total BS )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Greyhound has faced pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union, immigrant rights activists and Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (C?) to stop allowing sweeps on buses within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of an international border or coastline. In many cases, the buses being checked were not crossing or even approaching an international boundary.
Critics say the practice is intimidating and discriminatory and has become more common under President Donald Trump. Border Patrol arrests videotaped by other passengers have sparked criticism, and Greyhound faces a lawsuit in California alleging that it violated consumer protection laws by facilitating raids.
"We are pleased to see Greyhound clearly communicate that it does not consent to racial profiling and harassment on its buses," Andrea Flores, deputy director of policy for the ACLU's Equality Division, said in an email. "By protecting its customers and employees, Greyhound is sending a message that it prioritizes the communities it serves."
Ferguson said in an email his office will follow up with Greyhound to ensure compliance.
"Today's announcement from Greyhound confirms what should have been obvious to the company since I contacted them a year ago – it has both the power and the responsibility to stand up for its customers, who suffered for far too long from Greyhound's indifference to CBP's suspicionless bus raids and harassment," he said.
The Border Patrol has insisted that it does not profile passengers based on their appearance, but instead asks all passengers whether they are citizens or in the country legally. The agency says the bus checks are an important way to ferret out human trafficking, narcotics and illegal immigration.
Some other bus companies, including Jefferson Lines, which operates in 14 states, and MTRWestern, which operates in the Pacific Northwest, have already taken similar steps to those announced by Greyhound. Flores said the ACLU would continue to push others to follow suit.
The memo obtained by the AP was dated Jan. 28, addressed to all chief patrol agents and signed by then-Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost just before she retired. It confirms the legal position that Greyhound's critics have taken: that the Constitution's Fourth Amendment prevents agents from boarding buses and questioning passengers without a warrant or the consent of the company.
"When transportation checks occur on a bus at non-checkpoint locations, the agent must demonstrate that he or she gained access to the bus with the consent of the company's owner or one of the company's employees," the memo states. An agent's actions while on the bus "would not cause a reasonable person to believe that he or she is unable to terminate the encounter with the agent."
Greyhound previously argued that case law, including a 1973 Supreme Court ruling, did not extend the Fourth Amendment's protections to commercial carriers.
End
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
AZMEX POLICY-2 19-2-2020
AZMEX POLICY-2 19 FEB 2020
Comment: yet another corrupt federal judge ?
Maybe the "migrants" should stay home
instead of forcing their way into our country
Thx
US judge sides with migrants in case against Border Patrol
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
FEBRUARY 19, 2020 AT 5:00 PM
https://ktar.com/story/2986830/us-judge-sides-with-migrants-in-case-against-border-patrol/
FILE - This September, 2015, file image made from U.S. Border Patrol surveillance video shows a child crawling on the concrete floor near the bathroom area of a holding cell, and a woman and children wrapped in Mylar sheets at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection station in Douglas, Ariz. A U.S. judge in Arizona has issued a permanent order requiring the Border Patrol to provide clean mats and thin blankets to migrants within 12 hours of arriving at a facility. The order issued on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, applies to eight Border Patrol stations in Arizona following a lawsuit that claims the agency holds migrants in overcrowded, unsafe and inhumane conditions. (U.S. Border Patrol via AP, File)
PHOENIX (AP) — Conditions at most Border Patrol facilities in Arizona are punitive and unconstitutional, a U.S. judge in Arizona said Wednesday while ruling in favor of migrants who have long-complained about inhumane and unsanitary conditions in holding cells.
The ruling came weeks after the conclusion of a seven-day trial in which attorneys for migrants who sued in2015 argued that the agency holds immigrants in extremely cold, overcrowded, unsanitary and inhumane cells.
The order makes permanent a preliminary injunction that U.S. District Court Judge David C. Bury issued in 2016 requiring the Tucson Sector to provide clean mats and thin blankets to migrants held for longer than 12 hours and to allow them to clean themselves.
It also bars the agency from holding migrants more than 48 hours if they've been fully processed, which is common when other agencies involved in taking the migrants, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, don't have the capacity to pick them up in a reasonable amount of time.
Bury is also banning the use of bathrooms for sleeping, which came to light during the trial this year, when video was shown of a man trying to reach a bathroom but failing to because migrants were sleeping in them.
"Today's decision is a tremendous victory for communities everywhere fighting courageously to uphold human dignity and the rights enshrined in our Constitution," Alvaro M. Huerta, staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, said in a statement.
The center was one of the advocacy groups that brought the case forward. It was argued in court by attorneys for the law firm Morrison & Foerster.
"We are enthused that our justice system has intervened in a meaningful way to institute much needed change and hold CBP accountable," Huerta said.
Customs and Border Protection didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In his order, Bury said there's no evidence CBP intends to create punitive conditions, but that the agency has stretched resources to "provide the best conditions of confinement available under the circumstances."
Although the lawsuit predates last year's surge in immigrant arrivals, it illustrates some of the challenges posed when migrants are detained, especially if they are children. Reports of hellish conditions circulated in many parts of the Texas border last year, where thousands of immigrants — largely families — crossed over from Mexico. In El Paso, an inspection by the government's internal watchdog found there were 900 people crammed into a 125-person facility at one point in May.
In his order Wednesday, Bury wrote that the Border Patrol and its parent agencies, or the defendants in the case, "administer a detention system that deprives detainees, who are held in CBP stations, Tucson Sector, longer than 48 hours, of conditions of confinement that meet basic human needs."
Conditions that migrants — who are considered civil detainees, not criminal — are subjected to after 12 hours are "presumptivelypunitive and violate the Constitution," and are even worse than a criminal jail or prison, the judge wrote.
Bury has been critical of the agency, saying it has done little to remedy issues, especially around overcrowding and migrants' inability to sleep.
"Nobody has done anything. Is that why a court has to jump in?" Bury asked during the last day of trial on Jan. 22. "It just seems like the lack of a response to these numbers just calls for a court order."
Government attorneys said in their closing arguments last month that plaintiffs didn't prove the agency violated any constitutional rights. It says many things are out of the agency's control, such as whether other agencies involved in taking migrants have capacity.
Its facilities were built of short-term stays, for adults. Holding cells are in odd shapes, reducing the number of sleeping mats that can comfortably fit on the ground. On nights when agents arrest large groups of people, or when other agencies involved in immigration don't have the capacity to pick them up, cells become extremely overcrowded.
A video displayed on the opening day of the trial showed a man walking over body after body as he tried to make his way to the bathroom. Once there, he realized all stalls had people sleeping in them.
Migrants have long decried conditions in Border Patrol facilities, now infamously known as hieleras, or iceboxes. And although the Tucson Sector hasn't experienced the massive number of immigrants that other parts of the Southwest border has, the number of hours that migrants spend in custody there has continued to grow.
About 12,000 people were in custody for more than 72 hours in the Tucson Sector last year, or about 20%. The average time in custody was nearly 54 hours.
On Friday, another federal judge ruled in favor of immigrant s and against the government. The judge found the U.S. government in contempt after authorities deported five young immigrants who were seeking to remain in the country under a program for abused and neglected immigrant children.
End
Comment: yet another corrupt federal judge ?
Maybe the "migrants" should stay home
instead of forcing their way into our country
Thx
US judge sides with migrants in case against Border Patrol
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
FEBRUARY 19, 2020 AT 5:00 PM
https://ktar.com/story/2986830/us-judge-sides-with-migrants-in-case-against-border-patrol/
FILE - This September, 2015, file image made from U.S. Border Patrol surveillance video shows a child crawling on the concrete floor near the bathroom area of a holding cell, and a woman and children wrapped in Mylar sheets at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection station in Douglas, Ariz. A U.S. judge in Arizona has issued a permanent order requiring the Border Patrol to provide clean mats and thin blankets to migrants within 12 hours of arriving at a facility. The order issued on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, applies to eight Border Patrol stations in Arizona following a lawsuit that claims the agency holds migrants in overcrowded, unsafe and inhumane conditions. (U.S. Border Patrol via AP, File)
PHOENIX (AP) — Conditions at most Border Patrol facilities in Arizona are punitive and unconstitutional, a U.S. judge in Arizona said Wednesday while ruling in favor of migrants who have long-complained about inhumane and unsanitary conditions in holding cells.
The ruling came weeks after the conclusion of a seven-day trial in which attorneys for migrants who sued in2015 argued that the agency holds immigrants in extremely cold, overcrowded, unsanitary and inhumane cells.
The order makes permanent a preliminary injunction that U.S. District Court Judge David C. Bury issued in 2016 requiring the Tucson Sector to provide clean mats and thin blankets to migrants held for longer than 12 hours and to allow them to clean themselves.
It also bars the agency from holding migrants more than 48 hours if they've been fully processed, which is common when other agencies involved in taking the migrants, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, don't have the capacity to pick them up in a reasonable amount of time.
Bury is also banning the use of bathrooms for sleeping, which came to light during the trial this year, when video was shown of a man trying to reach a bathroom but failing to because migrants were sleeping in them.
"Today's decision is a tremendous victory for communities everywhere fighting courageously to uphold human dignity and the rights enshrined in our Constitution," Alvaro M. Huerta, staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, said in a statement.
The center was one of the advocacy groups that brought the case forward. It was argued in court by attorneys for the law firm Morrison & Foerster.
"We are enthused that our justice system has intervened in a meaningful way to institute much needed change and hold CBP accountable," Huerta said.
Customs and Border Protection didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In his order, Bury said there's no evidence CBP intends to create punitive conditions, but that the agency has stretched resources to "provide the best conditions of confinement available under the circumstances."
Although the lawsuit predates last year's surge in immigrant arrivals, it illustrates some of the challenges posed when migrants are detained, especially if they are children. Reports of hellish conditions circulated in many parts of the Texas border last year, where thousands of immigrants — largely families — crossed over from Mexico. In El Paso, an inspection by the government's internal watchdog found there were 900 people crammed into a 125-person facility at one point in May.
In his order Wednesday, Bury wrote that the Border Patrol and its parent agencies, or the defendants in the case, "administer a detention system that deprives detainees, who are held in CBP stations, Tucson Sector, longer than 48 hours, of conditions of confinement that meet basic human needs."
Conditions that migrants — who are considered civil detainees, not criminal — are subjected to after 12 hours are "presumptivelypunitive and violate the Constitution," and are even worse than a criminal jail or prison, the judge wrote.
Bury has been critical of the agency, saying it has done little to remedy issues, especially around overcrowding and migrants' inability to sleep.
"Nobody has done anything. Is that why a court has to jump in?" Bury asked during the last day of trial on Jan. 22. "It just seems like the lack of a response to these numbers just calls for a court order."
Government attorneys said in their closing arguments last month that plaintiffs didn't prove the agency violated any constitutional rights. It says many things are out of the agency's control, such as whether other agencies involved in taking migrants have capacity.
Its facilities were built of short-term stays, for adults. Holding cells are in odd shapes, reducing the number of sleeping mats that can comfortably fit on the ground. On nights when agents arrest large groups of people, or when other agencies involved in immigration don't have the capacity to pick them up, cells become extremely overcrowded.
A video displayed on the opening day of the trial showed a man walking over body after body as he tried to make his way to the bathroom. Once there, he realized all stalls had people sleeping in them.
Migrants have long decried conditions in Border Patrol facilities, now infamously known as hieleras, or iceboxes. And although the Tucson Sector hasn't experienced the massive number of immigrants that other parts of the Southwest border has, the number of hours that migrants spend in custody there has continued to grow.
About 12,000 people were in custody for more than 72 hours in the Tucson Sector last year, or about 20%. The average time in custody was nearly 54 hours.
On Friday, another federal judge ruled in favor of immigrant s and against the government. The judge found the U.S. government in contempt after authorities deported five young immigrants who were seeking to remain in the country under a program for abused and neglected immigrant children.
End
AZMEX POLICY 19-2-2020
AZMEX POLICY 19 FEB 2020
Comment: now we know who not to do business with:
https://directory.localfirstaz.com
https://www.localfirstaz.com/members
https://directory.localfirstaz.com/listing/business-services
End
Proposal to ban sanctuary cities sees opposition from Arizona businesses
BY KTAR.COM
FEBRUARY 18, 2020 AT 4:45 PM
https://ktar.com/story/2984382/proposal-to-ban-sanctuary-cities-sees-opposition-from-arizona-businesses/
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — When it comes to controversial sanctuary city policies, a coalition of Arizona small businesses is taking a stand.
"Local First Arizona," a group of roughly 3,000 local businesses, have voiced their opposition to SCR 1007 and HCR 2036 in a press release.
The controversial proposals are currently undergoing fierce debate in Arizona's state legislature,
and would prohibit localities and cities from self-designating themselves as "sanctuaries" for those who enter the country illegally.
Local First Arizona regards the measures as "unnecessary" since such action is
"already prohibited under existing state legilsation," according to the release.
Among Local First Arizona's allies in this fight is Democratic Party presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren,
who took to Twitter to oppose the GOP-backed proposal:
This dangerous bill would separate families, scapegoat immigrant communities,
and pit Arizonans against each other.
I stand with the activists and organizations fighting to stop SCR1007.
https://
twitter.com/JayesGreenJ/st
atus/1228364898138091520
…
Jonathan Jayes-Green
@JayesGreenJ
AZ GOP is trying to move the state back to some of the darkest years in the state's history by pushing for SCR1007.
I am deeply grateful to @Gomez_Alex07, @LUCHA_AZ all of the freedom fighters
in AZ putting their bodies on the line and calling this out.
https://www.
nytimes.com/aponline/2020/
02/13/us/ap-us-sanctuary-policy-ban-1st-ld-writethru.html?fbclid=IwAR16ChGgIwDcWWHRa9iEUvVUZ2d4Um7VJ2LZBzXM9OA_ml9mdoAqvvthDZI
…
Concerned that these measures will mirror the negative effects of Arizona's controversial
2010 SB 1070 legislation, the coalition insists: "These bills are bad for business.
Related Links
Elizabeth Warren slams 'dangerous' Arizona move to ban sanctuary cities
Officials see need to boost Arizona border security despite fall in activity
"They will broadcast a negative image of Arizona that will inflict significant damage
to our state's fiscal opportunities and will haunt our tourism industry for decades to come."
Local First Arizona was founded in 2003, and has since been advocating
"for a strong and inclusive Arizona economy," as stated in the release.
End
Comment: now we know who not to do business with:
https://directory.localfirstaz.com
https://www.localfirstaz.com/members
https://directory.localfirstaz.com/listing/business-services
End
Proposal to ban sanctuary cities sees opposition from Arizona businesses
BY KTAR.COM
FEBRUARY 18, 2020 AT 4:45 PM
https://ktar.com/story/2984382/proposal-to-ban-sanctuary-cities-sees-opposition-from-arizona-businesses/
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — When it comes to controversial sanctuary city policies, a coalition of Arizona small businesses is taking a stand.
"Local First Arizona," a group of roughly 3,000 local businesses, have voiced their opposition to SCR 1007 and HCR 2036 in a press release.
The controversial proposals are currently undergoing fierce debate in Arizona's state legislature,
and would prohibit localities and cities from self-designating themselves as "sanctuaries" for those who enter the country illegally.
Local First Arizona regards the measures as "unnecessary" since such action is
"already prohibited under existing state legilsation," according to the release.
Among Local First Arizona's allies in this fight is Democratic Party presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren,
who took to Twitter to oppose the GOP-backed proposal:
This dangerous bill would separate families, scapegoat immigrant communities,
and pit Arizonans against each other.
I stand with the activists and organizations fighting to stop SCR1007.
https://
twitter.com/JayesGreenJ/st
atus/1228364898138091520
…
Jonathan Jayes-Green
@JayesGreenJ
AZ GOP is trying to move the state back to some of the darkest years in the state's history by pushing for SCR1007.
I am deeply grateful to @Gomez_Alex07, @LUCHA_AZ all of the freedom fighters
in AZ putting their bodies on the line and calling this out.
https://www.
nytimes.com/aponline/2020/
02/13/us/ap-us-sanctuary-policy-ban-1st-ld-writethru.html?fbclid=IwAR16ChGgIwDcWWHRa9iEUvVUZ2d4Um7VJ2LZBzXM9OA_ml9mdoAqvvthDZI
…
Concerned that these measures will mirror the negative effects of Arizona's controversial
2010 SB 1070 legislation, the coalition insists: "These bills are bad for business.
Related Links
Elizabeth Warren slams 'dangerous' Arizona move to ban sanctuary cities
Officials see need to boost Arizona border security despite fall in activity
"They will broadcast a negative image of Arizona that will inflict significant damage
to our state's fiscal opportunities and will haunt our tourism industry for decades to come."
Local First Arizona was founded in 2003, and has since been advocating
"for a strong and inclusive Arizona economy," as stated in the release.
End
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
AZMEX SPECIAL 18-2-2020
AZMEX SPECIAL 18 FEB 2020
Mexican cartels seize the avocado market
Posted: 9:20 AM, Feb 18, 2020 Updated: 9:25 AM, Feb 18, 2020
By: KGTV Staff
https://
www.abc15.com/news/national/mexican-cartels-seize-the-avocado-market
The avocado boom in Mexico has pulled parts of the country out of poverty in just 10 years,
but the prosperity there turns deadly as money-hungry cartels take hold of the market.
VALLEY CENTER, Calif. – The avocado boom in Mexico has pulled parts of the country out of poverty in just 10 years,
but the prosperity there turns deadly as money-hungry cartels take hold of the market.
While there's brutality below the border, there's a history in the homegrown in San Diego.
"San Diego is the biggest producer of avocados in the state of California," said farmer Noel Stehly.
KGTV took a trip to Stehly Farms in North County where you'll find more than 250 acres of the flourishing fruit.
The land has been in Stehly's farm for decades.
"Those that buy California, great, but if you want it in November, you want a Haas avocado,
it's not going to come from California," said Stehly.
That's where Mexico comes in, filling in the gaps with avocados that can be grown year-round.
They're competing with American growers in production and now threatening their workers.
"I have a lot of my employees that work here right now in Michoacan," said Stehly.
"They're home for the holiday, they'll come back over the next couple of weeks
and my last words to them are, 'Just be careful. Just really be careful.'"
Michocan is the heart of the violence, where gangs robbed USDA food inspectors at gunpoint in August.
"You hear the stories of what goes on down there," said Stehly.
"They live in these pueblos that are in the growing regions that are dangerous.
They're absolutely dangerous."
The cartels are at war with themselves while threatening growers
and police departments with kidnapping, extortion and murder.
"I just worry about them they're part of my family." said Stehly.
"Most of them were at my wedding and have been here long enough to know every one of my kids.
I know every one of their kids; they're part of the family."
But the cartels aren't the only problem. Stehly said the water that feeds his farm is not what it used to be.
The water now comes from the Colorado River instead of Northern California.
"I don't have enough well water to irrigate everything on my farm," said Stehly.
"The price of water has gone up exponentially.
Our water system in the state of California is broken and nobody's gonna fix it."
The composition of the water has also changed with high levels of salt killing off his crop.
The water issue is causing production on the farm to go down.
"I do sell a lot less, I grow a lot less," said Stehly.
"It's sad. It's sad to have drying trees on your property."
For this second-generation farmer, it's personal.
"This property is special. It's a labor of love now. It paid a lot of bills," said Stehly.
"It's an important part of us. It would be hard to see it go."
Farmers are battling a water crisis in San Diego while violence rages to the south.
"It's gonna be tough to be a farmer anywhere in California," said Stehly.
"Whether its avocados, lettuce, alfalfa."
He said the best thing you can do is keep your support in San Diego.
"I don't care if it's a local craft beer or a farmer," said Stehly. "Support local."
This story was originally published by Jennifer Delacruz at KGTV.
END
Mexican cartels seize the avocado market
Posted: 9:20 AM, Feb 18, 2020 Updated: 9:25 AM, Feb 18, 2020
By: KGTV Staff
https://
www.abc15.com/news/national/mexican-cartels-seize-the-avocado-market
The avocado boom in Mexico has pulled parts of the country out of poverty in just 10 years,
but the prosperity there turns deadly as money-hungry cartels take hold of the market.
VALLEY CENTER, Calif. – The avocado boom in Mexico has pulled parts of the country out of poverty in just 10 years,
but the prosperity there turns deadly as money-hungry cartels take hold of the market.
While there's brutality below the border, there's a history in the homegrown in San Diego.
"San Diego is the biggest producer of avocados in the state of California," said farmer Noel Stehly.
KGTV took a trip to Stehly Farms in North County where you'll find more than 250 acres of the flourishing fruit.
The land has been in Stehly's farm for decades.
"Those that buy California, great, but if you want it in November, you want a Haas avocado,
it's not going to come from California," said Stehly.
That's where Mexico comes in, filling in the gaps with avocados that can be grown year-round.
They're competing with American growers in production and now threatening their workers.
"I have a lot of my employees that work here right now in Michoacan," said Stehly.
"They're home for the holiday, they'll come back over the next couple of weeks
and my last words to them are, 'Just be careful. Just really be careful.'"
Michocan is the heart of the violence, where gangs robbed USDA food inspectors at gunpoint in August.
"You hear the stories of what goes on down there," said Stehly.
"They live in these pueblos that are in the growing regions that are dangerous.
They're absolutely dangerous."
The cartels are at war with themselves while threatening growers
and police departments with kidnapping, extortion and murder.
"I just worry about them they're part of my family." said Stehly.
"Most of them were at my wedding and have been here long enough to know every one of my kids.
I know every one of their kids; they're part of the family."
But the cartels aren't the only problem. Stehly said the water that feeds his farm is not what it used to be.
The water now comes from the Colorado River instead of Northern California.
"I don't have enough well water to irrigate everything on my farm," said Stehly.
"The price of water has gone up exponentially.
Our water system in the state of California is broken and nobody's gonna fix it."
The composition of the water has also changed with high levels of salt killing off his crop.
The water issue is causing production on the farm to go down.
"I do sell a lot less, I grow a lot less," said Stehly.
"It's sad. It's sad to have drying trees on your property."
For this second-generation farmer, it's personal.
"This property is special. It's a labor of love now. It paid a lot of bills," said Stehly.
"It's an important part of us. It would be hard to see it go."
Farmers are battling a water crisis in San Diego while violence rages to the south.
"It's gonna be tough to be a farmer anywhere in California," said Stehly.
"Whether its avocados, lettuce, alfalfa."
He said the best thing you can do is keep your support in San Diego.
"I don't care if it's a local craft beer or a farmer," said Stehly. "Support local."
This story was originally published by Jennifer Delacruz at KGTV.
END
Monday, February 17, 2020
AZMEX I3 16-2-2020
AZMEX I3 16 FEB 2020
BORDER & IMMIGRATION
Border Patrol arrests six in alleged human smuggling attempt
Border Patrol agents found four Guatemalans and a Mexican national, all in the country illegally, hiding in a Nissan Altima. (Source: U.S. Border Patrol)
By KOLD News 13 Staff | February 14, 2020 at 4:41 PM MST - Updated February 14 at 4:41 PM
https://www.kold.com/2020/02/14/border-patrol-arrests-six-alleged-human-smuggling-attempt/
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Border Patrol said it arrested six people in an allegedly human smuggling attempt near Tucson early Thursday, Feb. 13.
Tucson Sector agents made an immigration stop on the west side of the Tucson city limits around 8 a.m.
Agents said they found four Guatemalans and a Mexican national, all in the country illegally, hiding in a Nissan Altima.
The five were arrested along with the driver of the vehicle, an American.
The driver is being held on human smuggling charges while the five passengers will be processed for immigration violations.
END
ALSO:
Kirkpatrick decries 'stonewalling' from feds as border wall construction continues
By Shar Porier shar.porier@myheraldreview.com Feb 13, 2020 Updated Feb 13, 2020
https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/cochise_county/kirkpatrick-decries-stonewalling-from-feds-as-border-wall-construction-continues/article_f2afcfc6-4e87-11ea-99a4-5b641380da30.html
On Wednesday, clearing trees along the San Pedro River had filled a large roll off contractor's container full of limbs and trunks of cottonwoods of varying ages.
Drone photo provided by Glenn Spencer
BISBEE — The letter from the Cochise County Board of Supervisors supporting U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick's (D) efforts to obtain the plans for the border barrier along the San Pedro River has led the congresswoman to once again knock on doors at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Supervisors Tom Borer, Ann English and Peggy Judd approved the letter in the Feb. 12 meeting and heard from a number of dismayed constituents who asked them to seek a public meeting to discuss the plans for the border wall across the San Pedro River.
On Jan. 26, Hands Across the River, a peaceful assembly organized to show community support for continued respect and regard for the river's importance to the unique ecosystem it supports, brought several hundred people from across the county and beyond down to the river in Hereford.
Their displeasure with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is in charge of the construction, was made clear when the following day, with no set plans and no public input, the bulldozing of land and cutting of cottonwood trees continued as an overwhelming cry went out to local and federal electeds.
In Cochise County, areas of concern include the San Pedro River and the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge (SBNWR), both of which are being impacted by the construction, not just through the clearing of land, but also tapping into the limited water supplies of aquifers and springs.
Kirkpatrick already sent two letters, one in November and one in January, to Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf in regard to the river crossing as well as the barrier across the SBWR and has received no replies from his office.
In a Feb. 12 press release, she accused the DHS of "stonewalling Congressional inquiries" and criticized the "lack of responsiveness."
Further, she wrote, "The San Pedro River is a precious treasure and we must do everything possible to protect it. Building a border wall without hearing from the people who know the river is not a good policy and it is not how the government is supposed to work. If our government agencies want to be credible, they must be accountable and transparent with the community. DHS needs to remember that it is a government entity — paid to serve the people with taxpayer funds — and it should be forthcoming about a project of this magnitude."
As for the SBNWR, Kirkpatrick noted, "The ecosystem is extremely fragile, and steps must be taken to mitigate the environmental damage that will inevitably come from a construction project like this. We have serious concerns about this project and we deserve some answers."
While she stated she and her constituents understand the DHS authority to waive environmental laws to expedite the construction, they "also believe the DHS has the authority to engage state and local agencies and the public" in its plans for needed boots on the ground input. Once federal, state and local agencies see the details, minus any classified electronic monitoring information, she asks for the plans to be shared with citizens for their review and comment.
Kirkpatrick stated, "I, like my constituents, appreciate the need for border security and want to have a constructive dialogue with you and staff in the Tucson sector about the barrier."
( Comment: You betcha ! )
Additionally, Kirkpatrick wrote, the DHS should "establish ongoing monitoring of environmental conditions resulting from the border barrier on the San Pedro River, including wildlife behavior and movement, to identify needed corrections."
As of Feb. 10, Joe Curren, CBP spokesperson, said the plans for the pedestrian barrier across the San Pedro River in the SPRNCA had not been finalized. When the plans are finalized, the public will be informed, though he did not have any details about what information will be offered.
With no public input, the 30-foot tall bollard wall has been installed across parts of Texas, New Mexico, California and Arizona despite concerns raised by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Injunctions have been filed to stop construction on behalf of these lands and the wildlife which call them home to no avail since President Trump has allowed the DHS Secretary to waive all environmental and cultural laws, which has been supported by the courts so far.
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), Animal Legal Defense Fund, Defenders of the Wildlife and Southwest Environmental Center made a final effort to halt construction through a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari recently.
It asked the U.S. Supreme Court Justices to determine if President Trump and the DHS overstepped their executive powers in the waivers of the National Environmental Protection Act and other regulatory protections of cultural and archeological heritage.
The justices will decide to hear the case, or not, sometime this year
END
BORDER & IMMIGRATION
Border Patrol arrests six in alleged human smuggling attempt
Border Patrol agents found four Guatemalans and a Mexican national, all in the country illegally, hiding in a Nissan Altima. (Source: U.S. Border Patrol)
By KOLD News 13 Staff | February 14, 2020 at 4:41 PM MST - Updated February 14 at 4:41 PM
https://www.kold.com/2020/02/14/border-patrol-arrests-six-alleged-human-smuggling-attempt/
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Border Patrol said it arrested six people in an allegedly human smuggling attempt near Tucson early Thursday, Feb. 13.
Tucson Sector agents made an immigration stop on the west side of the Tucson city limits around 8 a.m.
Agents said they found four Guatemalans and a Mexican national, all in the country illegally, hiding in a Nissan Altima.
The five were arrested along with the driver of the vehicle, an American.
The driver is being held on human smuggling charges while the five passengers will be processed for immigration violations.
END
ALSO:
Kirkpatrick decries 'stonewalling' from feds as border wall construction continues
By Shar Porier shar.porier@myheraldreview.com Feb 13, 2020 Updated Feb 13, 2020
https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/cochise_county/kirkpatrick-decries-stonewalling-from-feds-as-border-wall-construction-continues/article_f2afcfc6-4e87-11ea-99a4-5b641380da30.html
On Wednesday, clearing trees along the San Pedro River had filled a large roll off contractor's container full of limbs and trunks of cottonwoods of varying ages.
Drone photo provided by Glenn Spencer
BISBEE — The letter from the Cochise County Board of Supervisors supporting U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick's (D) efforts to obtain the plans for the border barrier along the San Pedro River has led the congresswoman to once again knock on doors at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Supervisors Tom Borer, Ann English and Peggy Judd approved the letter in the Feb. 12 meeting and heard from a number of dismayed constituents who asked them to seek a public meeting to discuss the plans for the border wall across the San Pedro River.
On Jan. 26, Hands Across the River, a peaceful assembly organized to show community support for continued respect and regard for the river's importance to the unique ecosystem it supports, brought several hundred people from across the county and beyond down to the river in Hereford.
Their displeasure with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is in charge of the construction, was made clear when the following day, with no set plans and no public input, the bulldozing of land and cutting of cottonwood trees continued as an overwhelming cry went out to local and federal electeds.
In Cochise County, areas of concern include the San Pedro River and the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge (SBNWR), both of which are being impacted by the construction, not just through the clearing of land, but also tapping into the limited water supplies of aquifers and springs.
Kirkpatrick already sent two letters, one in November and one in January, to Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf in regard to the river crossing as well as the barrier across the SBWR and has received no replies from his office.
In a Feb. 12 press release, she accused the DHS of "stonewalling Congressional inquiries" and criticized the "lack of responsiveness."
Further, she wrote, "The San Pedro River is a precious treasure and we must do everything possible to protect it. Building a border wall without hearing from the people who know the river is not a good policy and it is not how the government is supposed to work. If our government agencies want to be credible, they must be accountable and transparent with the community. DHS needs to remember that it is a government entity — paid to serve the people with taxpayer funds — and it should be forthcoming about a project of this magnitude."
As for the SBNWR, Kirkpatrick noted, "The ecosystem is extremely fragile, and steps must be taken to mitigate the environmental damage that will inevitably come from a construction project like this. We have serious concerns about this project and we deserve some answers."
While she stated she and her constituents understand the DHS authority to waive environmental laws to expedite the construction, they "also believe the DHS has the authority to engage state and local agencies and the public" in its plans for needed boots on the ground input. Once federal, state and local agencies see the details, minus any classified electronic monitoring information, she asks for the plans to be shared with citizens for their review and comment.
Kirkpatrick stated, "I, like my constituents, appreciate the need for border security and want to have a constructive dialogue with you and staff in the Tucson sector about the barrier."
( Comment: You betcha ! )
Additionally, Kirkpatrick wrote, the DHS should "establish ongoing monitoring of environmental conditions resulting from the border barrier on the San Pedro River, including wildlife behavior and movement, to identify needed corrections."
As of Feb. 10, Joe Curren, CBP spokesperson, said the plans for the pedestrian barrier across the San Pedro River in the SPRNCA had not been finalized. When the plans are finalized, the public will be informed, though he did not have any details about what information will be offered.
With no public input, the 30-foot tall bollard wall has been installed across parts of Texas, New Mexico, California and Arizona despite concerns raised by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Injunctions have been filed to stop construction on behalf of these lands and the wildlife which call them home to no avail since President Trump has allowed the DHS Secretary to waive all environmental and cultural laws, which has been supported by the courts so far.
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), Animal Legal Defense Fund, Defenders of the Wildlife and Southwest Environmental Center made a final effort to halt construction through a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari recently.
It asked the U.S. Supreme Court Justices to determine if President Trump and the DHS overstepped their executive powers in the waivers of the National Environmental Protection Act and other regulatory protections of cultural and archeological heritage.
The justices will decide to hear the case, or not, sometime this year
END
Thursday, February 13, 2020
AZMEX POLICY 13 -2-2020
AZMEX POLICY 13 FEB 2020
Republicans introduce bill to pull funds from states that give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants
By Adam Shaw | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-bill-drivers-licenses-illegal-immigrants
ICE issues list of 'fugitive' illegal immigrants freed by NYC's sanctuary policies
ICE is putting pressure on New York City by sharing a list of illegal immigrants who have been released despite deportation requests.
Republicans in the House and the Senate are introducing legislation that would block federal funds from states
that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses -- the latest move in an escalating fight over "sanctuary" laws.
The Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act would block funds to sanctuary states —
which limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities -- and those that give licenses to illegal immigrants.
Specifically, it would halt Justice Department (DOJ) grants, in particular those awarded under
the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant,
which is a top source of federal criminal justice funding for states.
NEW YORK SHERIFFS CALL OUT 'UNWISE' GREEN LIGHT LAW AS CUOMO MEETS TRUMP
The legislation is being introduced in the Senate by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
It is being co-sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.;
Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
Meanwhile, in the House, Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., is introducing companion legislation.
That bill is co-sponsored by 21 other members.
"Tennesseans know all too well what can happen when illegal immigrants are granted driver licenses," Blackburn said in a statement.
"While Tennessee and many other states prohibit driver licenses for illegal aliens,
a growing number of states are moving in the opposite direction and unleashing dangerous open borders policies.
Immigrants must follow the proper federal process and obtain citizenship or lawful status before obtaining a state driver license."
"In America, no one is above the law," she added.
ICE SUBPOENAS NY FOR INFO ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF MURDER, AS SANCTUARY CITY FIGHT ESCALATES
Her office estimates that states that issued licenses to illegal immigrants received nearly $53 million from the program in fiscal year 2019.
Video
The bicameral legislation comes amid a growing fight over sanctuary legislation.
The Trump administration has been attempting to highlight attention to the dangers of the policy
and has been shining light on cases whereby illegal immigrants have killed Americans.
"The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans, not criminal aliens,"
Trump said at his State of the Union address last week.
The administration has also been caught up in a fight with New York over its "Green Light Law" that both gives driver's licenses to illegal immigrants
and bans state Department of Motor Vehicles agencies from sharing information with federal immigration authorities.
The latter move led the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week to announce that it is suspending Global Entry
and other Trusted Traveler Programs for New York residents,
saying that the law makes DHS agencies unable to run the necessary security checks and risk assessments.
Adam Shaw is a reporter covering U.S. and European politics for Fox News..
He can be reached here.
END
Republicans introduce bill to pull funds from states that give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants
By Adam Shaw | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-bill-drivers-licenses-illegal-immigrants
ICE issues list of 'fugitive' illegal immigrants freed by NYC's sanctuary policies
ICE is putting pressure on New York City by sharing a list of illegal immigrants who have been released despite deportation requests.
Republicans in the House and the Senate are introducing legislation that would block federal funds from states
that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses -- the latest move in an escalating fight over "sanctuary" laws.
The Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act would block funds to sanctuary states —
which limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities -- and those that give licenses to illegal immigrants.
Specifically, it would halt Justice Department (DOJ) grants, in particular those awarded under
the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant,
which is a top source of federal criminal justice funding for states.
NEW YORK SHERIFFS CALL OUT 'UNWISE' GREEN LIGHT LAW AS CUOMO MEETS TRUMP
The legislation is being introduced in the Senate by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
It is being co-sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.;
Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
Meanwhile, in the House, Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., is introducing companion legislation.
That bill is co-sponsored by 21 other members.
"Tennesseans know all too well what can happen when illegal immigrants are granted driver licenses," Blackburn said in a statement.
"While Tennessee and many other states prohibit driver licenses for illegal aliens,
a growing number of states are moving in the opposite direction and unleashing dangerous open borders policies.
Immigrants must follow the proper federal process and obtain citizenship or lawful status before obtaining a state driver license."
"In America, no one is above the law," she added.
ICE SUBPOENAS NY FOR INFO ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF MURDER, AS SANCTUARY CITY FIGHT ESCALATES
Her office estimates that states that issued licenses to illegal immigrants received nearly $53 million from the program in fiscal year 2019.
Video
The bicameral legislation comes amid a growing fight over sanctuary legislation.
The Trump administration has been attempting to highlight attention to the dangers of the policy
and has been shining light on cases whereby illegal immigrants have killed Americans.
"The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans, not criminal aliens,"
Trump said at his State of the Union address last week.
The administration has also been caught up in a fight with New York over its "Green Light Law" that both gives driver's licenses to illegal immigrants
and bans state Department of Motor Vehicles agencies from sharing information with federal immigration authorities.
The latter move led the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week to announce that it is suspending Global Entry
and other Trusted Traveler Programs for New York residents,
saying that the law makes DHS agencies unable to run the necessary security checks and risk assessments.
Adam Shaw is a reporter covering U.S. and European politics for Fox News..
He can be reached here.
END
Monday, February 10, 2020
AZMEX POLICY 10-2-2020
AZMEX POLICY 10 FEB 2020
Arizona legislator sets sights on sanctuary cities with billA
BY KTAR.COM | FEBRUARY 10, 2020 AT 10:00 AM
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 10, 2020 AT 10:25 AM
https://ktar.com/story/2972068/arizona-legislator-sets-sights-on-sanctuary-cities-with-bill/
PHOENIX – An Arizona lawmaker said legislation he recently introduced to crack down on sanctuary cities
in the state was focused on citizens' safety.
Republican Rep. Bret Roberts said HB 2598 was designed to hold any sanctuary city, town or county accountable for damages
against victims of crimes committed by anyone who is in living in the country illegally.
"The bill is about public safety," the city of Maricopa legislator told KTAR News 92.3 FM's Arizona's Morning News on Monday.
"It protects our citizens."
Voters in Tucson turned down a ballot proposition last November that would have made it the state's first sanctuary city.
Related Links
Tucson voters overwhelmingly say no to sanctuary city proposition
Bill seeks to amend Arizona Constitution with sanctuary city ban
But Proposition 205 inspired Roberts and other legislators to shore up Arizona law
that allows the state to cut off funding to cities that pass laws conflicting with state.
"It would give our citizens the opportunity, if they were to become a victim of someone that,
that municipality did not cooperate with on an ICE detainer, then (the victim) could go back and sue that municipality.
It creates a civil liability issue."
By law, sanctuary cities can be penalized anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000 each day the violation lasts.
The stipulation passed in 2016.
Another bill introduced last week would amend the state Constitution to ban sanctuary cities via voters.
Roberts' bill "says to (sanctuary cities), if you're going to do this, then you need to be …
ready to take care of the financial responsibility that comes along with those policies," he said.
Sponsoring the bill has come with some blowback.
"I tend to take it personally when they're throwing those narratives out there because
if you're saying the bill is racist, then you're trying to say I'm racist.
"And I'm tired of that narrative."
END
Arizona legislator sets sights on sanctuary cities with billA
BY KTAR.COM | FEBRUARY 10, 2020 AT 10:00 AM
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 10, 2020 AT 10:25 AM
https://ktar.com/story/2972068/arizona-legislator-sets-sights-on-sanctuary-cities-with-bill/
PHOENIX – An Arizona lawmaker said legislation he recently introduced to crack down on sanctuary cities
in the state was focused on citizens' safety.
Republican Rep. Bret Roberts said HB 2598 was designed to hold any sanctuary city, town or county accountable for damages
against victims of crimes committed by anyone who is in living in the country illegally.
"The bill is about public safety," the city of Maricopa legislator told KTAR News 92.3 FM's Arizona's Morning News on Monday.
"It protects our citizens."
Voters in Tucson turned down a ballot proposition last November that would have made it the state's first sanctuary city.
Related Links
Tucson voters overwhelmingly say no to sanctuary city proposition
Bill seeks to amend Arizona Constitution with sanctuary city ban
But Proposition 205 inspired Roberts and other legislators to shore up Arizona law
that allows the state to cut off funding to cities that pass laws conflicting with state.
"It would give our citizens the opportunity, if they were to become a victim of someone that,
that municipality did not cooperate with on an ICE detainer, then (the victim) could go back and sue that municipality.
It creates a civil liability issue."
By law, sanctuary cities can be penalized anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000 each day the violation lasts.
The stipulation passed in 2016.
Another bill introduced last week would amend the state Constitution to ban sanctuary cities via voters.
Roberts' bill "says to (sanctuary cities), if you're going to do this, then you need to be …
ready to take care of the financial responsibility that comes along with those policies," he said.
Sponsoring the bill has come with some blowback.
"I tend to take it personally when they're throwing those narratives out there because
if you're saying the bill is racist, then you're trying to say I'm racist.
"And I'm tired of that narrative."
END
Friday, February 7, 2020
AZMEX CORRUPTION SPECIAL 7-2-2020
AZMEX CORRUPTION SPECIAL 7 FEB 2020
Comment: yet another corrupt federal judge.
L.A. Judge Bans ICE Detainers
posted by City News Service - Just Now
https://kfiam640.iheart.com/content/2020-02-07-la-judge-bans-ice-detainers/
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A Los Angeles federal judge has formalized an earlier ruling putting a stop
to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's practice of issuing arrest requests
based solely on error-ridden electronic databases, court papers obtained today show.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte Jr. deals with the legality of ICE's signature deportation program, Secure Communities,
which is said to be responsible for 70% of all ICE arrests.
The judge's ruling, issued Wednesday, enjoins ICE from issuing these arrest requests, known as detainers,
from its Pacific Enforcement Response Center to states that have not expressly authorized
their local law enforcement agencies to make arrests for deportation purposes.
``This victory strikes at the core of the S-COMM (Secure Communities) program and supports jurisdictions
from New York to Seattle to L.A.
seeking to kick ICE completely out of our criminal justice system,'' said Pablo Alvarado,
co-executive director of the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
``ICE, not immigrants, is a threat to public safety,'' he said.
``Immigrants should not be subject to double suspicion and double punishment. Period.
It is ICE that must be scrutinized and exposed for what it is.''
The class-action case, Gonzalez v. ICE, has been making its way through the courts since 2013.
Immigration activists have long held that a significant portion of ICE arrests
stem from detainers issued solely on the basis of unreliable electronic databases.
In a ruling last September, Birotte wrote that ``many U.S. citizens become exposed to possible false arrest
when ICE relies solely on deficient databases.''
In a statement released after the latest ruling, the White House press secretary said
``a single, unelected, district judge in the Central District of California
issued a legally groundless and sweeping injunction that -- if not immediately lifted —
will guarantee the release of innumerable criminal illegal aliens into our communities putting citizens at dire risk.''
The statement said Birotte's ruling ``undermines the pillars of immigration enforcement and blocks traditional
and vital law enforcement cooperation that has occurred for decades.
This injunction puts the health and lives of innocent Americans in direct jeopardy.
Our neighborhoods are less safe today as a result of this dangerous district court ruling.''
A March 6 status conference is scheduled in Birotte's courtroom.
END
Comment: yet another corrupt federal judge.
L.A. Judge Bans ICE Detainers
posted by City News Service - Just Now
https://kfiam640.iheart.com/content/2020-02-07-la-judge-bans-ice-detainers/
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A Los Angeles federal judge has formalized an earlier ruling putting a stop
to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's practice of issuing arrest requests
based solely on error-ridden electronic databases, court papers obtained today show.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte Jr. deals with the legality of ICE's signature deportation program, Secure Communities,
which is said to be responsible for 70% of all ICE arrests.
The judge's ruling, issued Wednesday, enjoins ICE from issuing these arrest requests, known as detainers,
from its Pacific Enforcement Response Center to states that have not expressly authorized
their local law enforcement agencies to make arrests for deportation purposes.
``This victory strikes at the core of the S-COMM (Secure Communities) program and supports jurisdictions
from New York to Seattle to L.A.
seeking to kick ICE completely out of our criminal justice system,'' said Pablo Alvarado,
co-executive director of the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
``ICE, not immigrants, is a threat to public safety,'' he said.
``Immigrants should not be subject to double suspicion and double punishment. Period.
It is ICE that must be scrutinized and exposed for what it is.''
The class-action case, Gonzalez v. ICE, has been making its way through the courts since 2013.
Immigration activists have long held that a significant portion of ICE arrests
stem from detainers issued solely on the basis of unreliable electronic databases.
In a ruling last September, Birotte wrote that ``many U.S. citizens become exposed to possible false arrest
when ICE relies solely on deficient databases.''
In a statement released after the latest ruling, the White House press secretary said
``a single, unelected, district judge in the Central District of California
issued a legally groundless and sweeping injunction that -- if not immediately lifted —
will guarantee the release of innumerable criminal illegal aliens into our communities putting citizens at dire risk.''
The statement said Birotte's ruling ``undermines the pillars of immigration enforcement and blocks traditional
and vital law enforcement cooperation that has occurred for decades.
This injunction puts the health and lives of innocent Americans in direct jeopardy.
Our neighborhoods are less safe today as a result of this dangerous district court ruling.''
A March 6 status conference is scheduled in Birotte's courtroom.
END
Thursday, February 6, 2020
AZMEX POLICY 6-2-2020
AZMEX POLICY 6 FEB 2020
COMMENT: From the party of the criminal and parasite.
Thx
OPINIONPublished 1 hour ago
Tucker Carlson: Criminals would be protected from deportation under bill AOC and other House Democrats back
By Tucker Carlson | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-criminals-would-be-protected-from-deportation-under-bill-aoc-and-other-house-democrats-backmocrats-back
Tucker: Left downplaying MS-13 threat, making America less safe
Immigrants who commit serious crimes allowed to stay in the U.S.
At this moment there is a bill pending in Congress called the New Way Forward Act. It's received almost no publicity, which is unfortunate as well as revealing.
The legislation is sponsored by 44 House Democrats, including Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
At roughly 4,400 words, it's almost exactly as long as the U.S. Constitution.
Like the Constitution, this legislation is designed to create a whole new country.
The bill would entirely remake our immigration system, with the explicit purpose of ensuring that criminals are able to move here, and settle here permanently, with impunity.
You may think we're exaggerating for effect. We're not – not even a little.
The New Way Forward act is the most radical single piece of legislation we've seen proposed in this country.
It makes the Green New Deal look like the status quo.
A document produced by Democrats to promote the bill says: "Convictions … should not lead to deportation."
Keep in mind, we're not talking about convictions for double parking.
The bill targets felony convictions – serious crimes that send you to prison for years.
A press release from Rep., Jesus Garcia, D-Ill., is explicit about this.
Garcia brags that the bill will break the "prison to deportation pipeline."
How does the bill do that? Under current U.S. law, legal U.S. immigrants can be deported if they commit an "aggravated felony"
or a "crime of moral turpitude" – that is, a vile, depraved act, like molesting a child.
Under the New Way Forward Act, "crimes of moral turpitude" are eliminated entirely as a justification for deportation.
And the category of "aggravated felony" gets circumscribed too.
What does that mean?
Consider this: Under current law, immigrants who commit serious crimes – such as robbery, fraud, or child sexual abuse – must be deported,
regardless of the sentence they receive. Other crimes – less severe ones like racketeering – require deportation
as long as the perpetrator receives at least a one-year sentence.
But if this bill passes the House and Senate and is signed into law by the president,
there will no longer be any crimes that automatically require deportation.
None.
And one crime – falsifying a passport – will be made immune from deportation, no matter what.
Because apparently 9/11 never happened, and we no longer care about fake government documents.
If you just renewed your driver's license to comply with the Real ID Act, you must feel like an idiot.
Under the proposed legislation, the minimum prison sentence for crimes that still require deportation would rise from one year to five.
We checked the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
According to federal data, crimes like car theft, fraud, and weapons offenses all carry average prison sentences of fewer than five years.
And that's just looking at averages. There are people who commit rape, child abuse and even manslaughter
and receive sentences of fewer than five years. Lots of them.
If the New Way Forward Act becomes law, immigrants who commit those crimes and receive those sentences would remain in the country.
They'll all be eligible for citizenship one day, too.
But even that is understating the law's effect. Even a five-year prison sentence won't necessarily be enough to secure deportation.
The bill would grant sweeping new powers to immigration judges, allowing them to nullify a deportation order.
The only requirement is that "the immigration judge finds such an exercise of discretion appropriate in pursuit of humanitarian purposes,
to assure family unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest." In other words, anti-American immigration judges
– and many of them are exactly that – would have a blank check to open the borders.
No vote required.
Sound shocking to you? We're just getting started. Current U.S. law makes drug addiction grounds for deportation,
because why wouldn't it? This bill would eliminate that statute.
Current law also states that those who have committed drug crimes abroad, or any "crimes involving moral turpitude," are ineligible to immigrate here.
The New Way Forward Act abolishes that statute.
A Mexican drug cartel leader could be released from prison, then freely come to America immediately. A
nd if he wants, he could come here illegally, and it wouldn't be a crime – because, and you were waiting for this,
the bill also decriminalizes illegal entry into America, even by those previously deported.
According to a document promoting the bill, criminalizing illegal entry into America is "white supremacist."
By this point, you're beginning to wonder if we're making this up. We're not. In fact, we're barely halfway through the bill.
The legislation doesn't just make it harder to deport legal immigrants who commit crimes. It doesn't just make it easier for criminals to legally move here.
The bill would also effectively abolish all existing enforcement against illegal immigration.
To detain illegal immigrants, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would have to prove in court that the illegal immigrants are dangerous or a flight risk.
But of course, ICE wouldn't be allowed to use a detainee's prior criminal behavior as proof he or she is dangerous. That's banned.
ICE would have to overcome even more hurdles if the detainee claims to be gay or transgender, under 21, or can't speak English and an interpreter isn't immediately available.
In other words, it would be much harder to arrest an illegal alien than it is to arrest you. They're the protected class here. You're just some loser who's paying for it all.
But believe it or not, we saved the nuttiest part for last. What could be more destructive than changing U.S. law,
specifically to allow rapists, child molesters, and drug dealers to stay in America? How about this:
Using taxpayer money to bring deported criminals back into America.
That's right. This bill would not only abolish your right to control who lives in your own country, but it invents a new right in return: the "right to come home."
The bill orders the government to create a "pathway for those previously deported to apply to return to their homes and families in the United States,"
as long as they would have been eligible to stay under the new law.
The Department of Homeland Security must spend taxpayer dollars transporting convicted criminal illegal aliens into the United States.
Who will be eligible for these free flights? Tens of thousands of people kicked out of this country for all kinds of crimes.
Sexual abuse. Robbery. Assault. Drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, human trafficking.
From 2002 to 2018, 480,000 people were deported for illegal entry or reentry into America.
And under this bill, you'd have to buy them all a plane ticket to come back. The tickets alone would cost about a billion dollars,
and that's before Democrats make you start paying for these criminals' free health care, too.
Which they plan to.
The New Way Forward Act fundamentally inverts every assumption you have about America. Under this legislation, the criminals are the victims.
Law enforcement is illegitimate. It's racist, just like the country you live in, and the only solution is to get rid of both.
America would be better off as a borderless rest area for the world's worst predators and parasites.
This is a big deal. It's hard to believe any American would put these ideas on paper, much less pass them into law.
Yet, remarkably, the press has ignored it.
Scores of Democrats have backed it, but the bill hasn't been mentioned in The New York Times, or on CNN,
or even in self-described conservative outlets like National Review.
If a lone Republican state legislator from Minot, N.D., had proposed a bill this extreme,
that would remake America this completely, the president himself would be expected to answer for it.
CNN would demand the president "disavow," even if he knew nothing about it.
But when one-fifth of the Democratic caucus backs a bill demanding that you pay to import illegal alien felons, it's a non-event in American media.
They don't think you should know about it. That's dangerous.
Whether the press cares or not, these are the stakes of the 2020 election. A growing wing of the Democratic Party views America as essentially illegitimate –
a rogue state, in which everything must be destroyed and remade: our laws, our institutions, our freedoms, our history and our values.
That's the point of all this, of course. An entirely new country, in which resistance is crushed, and they're in charge forever.
Adapted from Tucker Carlson's monologue on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Feb. 6, 2020.
End
COMMENT: From the party of the criminal and parasite.
Thx
OPINIONPublished 1 hour ago
Tucker Carlson: Criminals would be protected from deportation under bill AOC and other House Democrats back
By Tucker Carlson | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-criminals-would-be-protected-from-deportation-under-bill-aoc-and-other-house-democrats-backmocrats-back
Tucker: Left downplaying MS-13 threat, making America less safe
Immigrants who commit serious crimes allowed to stay in the U.S.
At this moment there is a bill pending in Congress called the New Way Forward Act. It's received almost no publicity, which is unfortunate as well as revealing.
The legislation is sponsored by 44 House Democrats, including Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
At roughly 4,400 words, it's almost exactly as long as the U.S. Constitution.
Like the Constitution, this legislation is designed to create a whole new country.
The bill would entirely remake our immigration system, with the explicit purpose of ensuring that criminals are able to move here, and settle here permanently, with impunity.
You may think we're exaggerating for effect. We're not – not even a little.
The New Way Forward act is the most radical single piece of legislation we've seen proposed in this country.
It makes the Green New Deal look like the status quo.
A document produced by Democrats to promote the bill says: "Convictions … should not lead to deportation."
Keep in mind, we're not talking about convictions for double parking.
The bill targets felony convictions – serious crimes that send you to prison for years.
A press release from Rep., Jesus Garcia, D-Ill., is explicit about this.
Garcia brags that the bill will break the "prison to deportation pipeline."
How does the bill do that? Under current U.S. law, legal U.S. immigrants can be deported if they commit an "aggravated felony"
or a "crime of moral turpitude" – that is, a vile, depraved act, like molesting a child.
Under the New Way Forward Act, "crimes of moral turpitude" are eliminated entirely as a justification for deportation.
And the category of "aggravated felony" gets circumscribed too.
What does that mean?
Consider this: Under current law, immigrants who commit serious crimes – such as robbery, fraud, or child sexual abuse – must be deported,
regardless of the sentence they receive. Other crimes – less severe ones like racketeering – require deportation
as long as the perpetrator receives at least a one-year sentence.
But if this bill passes the House and Senate and is signed into law by the president,
there will no longer be any crimes that automatically require deportation.
None.
And one crime – falsifying a passport – will be made immune from deportation, no matter what.
Because apparently 9/11 never happened, and we no longer care about fake government documents.
If you just renewed your driver's license to comply with the Real ID Act, you must feel like an idiot.
Under the proposed legislation, the minimum prison sentence for crimes that still require deportation would rise from one year to five.
We checked the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
According to federal data, crimes like car theft, fraud, and weapons offenses all carry average prison sentences of fewer than five years.
And that's just looking at averages. There are people who commit rape, child abuse and even manslaughter
and receive sentences of fewer than five years. Lots of them.
If the New Way Forward Act becomes law, immigrants who commit those crimes and receive those sentences would remain in the country.
They'll all be eligible for citizenship one day, too.
But even that is understating the law's effect. Even a five-year prison sentence won't necessarily be enough to secure deportation.
The bill would grant sweeping new powers to immigration judges, allowing them to nullify a deportation order.
The only requirement is that "the immigration judge finds such an exercise of discretion appropriate in pursuit of humanitarian purposes,
to assure family unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest." In other words, anti-American immigration judges
– and many of them are exactly that – would have a blank check to open the borders.
No vote required.
Sound shocking to you? We're just getting started. Current U.S. law makes drug addiction grounds for deportation,
because why wouldn't it? This bill would eliminate that statute.
Current law also states that those who have committed drug crimes abroad, or any "crimes involving moral turpitude," are ineligible to immigrate here.
The New Way Forward Act abolishes that statute.
A Mexican drug cartel leader could be released from prison, then freely come to America immediately. A
nd if he wants, he could come here illegally, and it wouldn't be a crime – because, and you were waiting for this,
the bill also decriminalizes illegal entry into America, even by those previously deported.
According to a document promoting the bill, criminalizing illegal entry into America is "white supremacist."
By this point, you're beginning to wonder if we're making this up. We're not. In fact, we're barely halfway through the bill.
The legislation doesn't just make it harder to deport legal immigrants who commit crimes. It doesn't just make it easier for criminals to legally move here.
The bill would also effectively abolish all existing enforcement against illegal immigration.
To detain illegal immigrants, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would have to prove in court that the illegal immigrants are dangerous or a flight risk.
But of course, ICE wouldn't be allowed to use a detainee's prior criminal behavior as proof he or she is dangerous. That's banned.
ICE would have to overcome even more hurdles if the detainee claims to be gay or transgender, under 21, or can't speak English and an interpreter isn't immediately available.
In other words, it would be much harder to arrest an illegal alien than it is to arrest you. They're the protected class here. You're just some loser who's paying for it all.
But believe it or not, we saved the nuttiest part for last. What could be more destructive than changing U.S. law,
specifically to allow rapists, child molesters, and drug dealers to stay in America? How about this:
Using taxpayer money to bring deported criminals back into America.
That's right. This bill would not only abolish your right to control who lives in your own country, but it invents a new right in return: the "right to come home."
The bill orders the government to create a "pathway for those previously deported to apply to return to their homes and families in the United States,"
as long as they would have been eligible to stay under the new law.
The Department of Homeland Security must spend taxpayer dollars transporting convicted criminal illegal aliens into the United States.
Who will be eligible for these free flights? Tens of thousands of people kicked out of this country for all kinds of crimes.
Sexual abuse. Robbery. Assault. Drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, human trafficking.
From 2002 to 2018, 480,000 people were deported for illegal entry or reentry into America.
And under this bill, you'd have to buy them all a plane ticket to come back. The tickets alone would cost about a billion dollars,
and that's before Democrats make you start paying for these criminals' free health care, too.
Which they plan to.
The New Way Forward Act fundamentally inverts every assumption you have about America. Under this legislation, the criminals are the victims.
Law enforcement is illegitimate. It's racist, just like the country you live in, and the only solution is to get rid of both.
America would be better off as a borderless rest area for the world's worst predators and parasites.
This is a big deal. It's hard to believe any American would put these ideas on paper, much less pass them into law.
Yet, remarkably, the press has ignored it.
Scores of Democrats have backed it, but the bill hasn't been mentioned in The New York Times, or on CNN,
or even in self-described conservative outlets like National Review.
If a lone Republican state legislator from Minot, N.D., had proposed a bill this extreme,
that would remake America this completely, the president himself would be expected to answer for it.
CNN would demand the president "disavow," even if he knew nothing about it.
But when one-fifth of the Democratic caucus backs a bill demanding that you pay to import illegal alien felons, it's a non-event in American media.
They don't think you should know about it. That's dangerous.
Whether the press cares or not, these are the stakes of the 2020 election. A growing wing of the Democratic Party views America as essentially illegitimate –
a rogue state, in which everything must be destroyed and remade: our laws, our institutions, our freedoms, our history and our values.
That's the point of all this, of course. An entirely new country, in which resistance is crushed, and they're in charge forever.
Adapted from Tucker Carlson's monologue on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Feb. 6, 2020.
End
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