AZMEX UPDATE 27-8-14

AZMEX UPDATE 27 AUG 2014


One month later: gap still in U.S. Mexico border fence from monsoon

Posted: Aug 27, 2014 8:58 AM EDT
Updated: Aug 27, 2014 10:27 AM EDT
By Maria Hechanova - email

Hole in border fence, as of August 27, 2014. (Source: Tucson News Now)


Hole in the border fence as of July 28, 2014. (Source: Tucson News Now)
Vehicle barricades block the hole in the fence (Source: Tucson News Now)

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/26381929/one-month-later-gap-still-in-us-mexico-border-fence-from-monsoon

NOGALES, AZ (Tucson News Now) - There is still a big gap in the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Nogales, Arizona just west of the Mariposa Port of Entry.

It has been one month since the monsoon dumped a lot of rain in a small area in a short amount of time. The large amount of rushing water crossed the border and drained from Mexico into the U.S. in this area taking the fence down with it.

Tucson Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents say the reason for the delay is because contractors are waiting to fix the fence when the ground is less saturated.

The estimated repair date is still to be determined, though contractors have already assessed the damage and determined how the repairs need to be made.

Weather-related border fence damage does not happen often. According to officials, the last time something like this took place was back in 2011 in Lukeville, in western Pima County.

Right now, agents are continuing to monitor the section of missing fence in Nogales on the ground and with cameras to make sure there is not a security threat or breach. Though according to one BP agent on the scene there have been people trying to cross over into the U.S. via the hole, on foot.

According to agents, it is an already highly visible spot and no extra resources are necessary to keep it safe. Agents already assigned to the area are just keeping a closer eye on it.

The fence, which agents say can range from 18 to 26 feet tall in the area is made of steel, rebar, and concrete and is set deep in the ground. They say it would not make any sense to put the fence up now, because the foundation would not set correctly or hold up well in the next storm.

It is unclear if any modifications will be made to the original design to make the fence stronger or prevent an event like this from happening again. There is also no word yet on how much the repairs will cost.

END




And then this one;

Former Gulf Cartel leader fights for U.S. citizenship
Posted: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 6:29 pm
LAURA B. MARTINEZ | STAFF WRITER

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/former-gulf-cartel-leader-fights-for-u-s-citizenship/article_cb771d96-2d78-11e4-a9cb-001a4bcf6878.html

Reputed drug kingpin Juan Garcia Abrego is taking the federal government and the state of Texas to court. He wants both agencies to declare him a U.S. citizen.
Although Garcia Abrego claims he was born in Texas, the state and federal governments maintain Garcia Abrego is a Mexican national and that his birth occurred in Matamoros, Mexico.
In October 1996, Garcia Abrego, the original leader of the Gulf Cartel, was found guilty of 22 federal counts that included distributing more than 14 tons of cocaine into the U.S. and laundering more than $10.5 million. He was also ordered to forfeit $350 million to the government.
Garcia Abrego was sentenced to life in prison and is being held at the "SuperMax" federal prison in Florence, Colorado.
According to federal court documents filed last week at a Brownsville federal court, Garcia Abrego wants the government to clarify his status as a U.S. citizen and declare him a citizen of this country.
The documents state Garcia Abrego has tried to get a certified copy of a birth certificate that states he was born Sept. 13, 1944, in La Paloma, Texas.
Court records show that an administrative hearing was held March 13, 2013, regarding the Texas State Register denying Garcia access to a certified copy of the birth certificate "due to information indicating that the certificate was false."
The false birth certificate mentioned in the hearing is one that Garcia Abrego filed in May 1965, labeled as a Texas delayed certificate of birth. It was reportedly filed under the name Juan Garcia.
The state indicates it cannot provide Garcia Abrego with the document declaring him a U.S. citizen because the state has documentation that reveals he was born in Matamoros, records show.
Fred Kowalski, Garcia Abrego's lead attorney, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Garcia Abrego was one of the FBI's "Most Wanted," and prosecutors say he was making $2 billion a year before his arrest in January 1996.
In October 1989, Texas Department of Public Safety narcotics officers seized nine tons of cocaine valued at $1 billion outside Harlingen. The drugs were linked to the Garcia Abrego ring.
A pretrial conference on the case has been scheduled for Dec. 2 before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.

end