AZMEX UPDATE 8 DEC 2015
Note: Local interest mostly.
From $300 to $50,000 USD per load, smuggling wages range widely
By Murphy Woodhouse
Nogales International Updated 23 hrs ago Comments
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/from-to-per-load-smuggling-wages-range-widely/article_ba54b638-9d37-11e5-a8ca-8ba3d9d0ce92.html
County Probation Officer Hugh Odom looks at the cases he's managing this year, which he catalogues on sticky notes and mostly involve drug smuggling.
On Nov. 9, 2014, Jorge Alberto Saracho Velarde, 37, approached the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry with 26 pounds of cocaine, which was eventually found in his Chevy truck's tires by port officials.
Before being sentenced to 2.5 years in prison at Santa Cruz County courts, the Caborca, Sonora resident told a probation officer that he had been promised $2,000 for the load if he was successful in delivering it.
Just over a year later, then-Border Patrol agent and Rio Rico resident Juan Pimentel, 47, was pulled over on Interstate 10 northwest of Tucson with more than 100 pounds of the same drug hidden in several suitcases. Pimentel allegedly told one of the arresting officers that he had known about the drugs and was taking them to Chicago in exchange for $50,000, meaning he was expecting 25 times the payout for just four times as much coke as Saracho had carried. Pimentel, of course, had a much longer drive than Saracho and a federal badge to boot.
When it comes to moving drugs in the local area, or out of it, the payment smugglers receive ranges widely, according to testimony provided by suspects sentenced in local courts over the last year.
A number of factors are at play behind the compensation offered, including age, nationality, the type of drugs and their weight, the experience of the smuggler and the sort of smuggling work being done, several law enforcement officials who work on local drug cases said.
But for a lot of would-be smugglers, the payouts, coming under $4,000 for most and under $1,000 for many, especially minors, pale in comparison to the legal consequences faced by those who are caught, said Hugh Odom, a long-time adult probation officer in Santa Cruz County.
Odom, who conducts pre-sentence interviews with adults convicted at Superior Court for drug-smuggling offenses, noted that many cite "serious economic problems, of support of their family, wife and children, sometimes an invalid mother or father," as their motivation for the crime.
"And they do this, and they get caught, whatever the problem was before, they've compounded it, made it much worse," he said.
Short-lived success
Most of the people Odom speaks with are first-timers, people with limited or no previous criminal background who get talked into smuggling by recruiters on both sides of the border, often because their economic circumstances have recently worsened. Some, he said, aren't even told what it is they'll be carrying, either on their person or in a vehicle.
The most common offer for what Odom called "greenhorns" is $1,000, though he qualified that by saying that larger loads or more valuable drugs can drive the wage upward.
He said, "$1,000 impresses people, I guess," adding that he has come to trust the reported figures because those who have already pleaded guilty "have no reason to lie."
Francisco Burrola, assistant special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigation's Nogales office, said cartel operatives will scout the ports of entry, looking for frequent pedestrian and vehicle crossers and marking them for recruitment.
A first-time offer for a 20- to 25-pound vehicle-carried load of hard drugs, such as meth, cocaine or heroin, is often between $3,000 to $4,000, he said. But Burrola and Odom said that with a few successful deliveries, smugglers can start commanding higher wages, with Burrola citing upwards of $8,000 per load.
Those good times don't often last long, Burrola said, adding that few captured smugglers say they had more than a half-dozen successful carries before their luck ran out.
The highest reported offer found in a search of sentencing stories published in the NI was $5,000 offered to a Nogales man for smuggling nearly 15 pounds of meth through the DeConcini port in January. While most arrangements delay payment until delivery, Burrola and Odom said those overseeing the load pay the promised amount on time if things go well.
"That's why they go up to bat on the second run," Burrola said, adding that those in charge of the loads have an incentive to recruit talented smugglers because they are often on the hook for lost product.
However, Kismet Flores, a Santa Cruz County juvenile probation officer, said that minors sometimes get less than they were promised, and are sometimes even physically abused by their handlers if things don't go well.
Mostly Mexicans
Toward the lower end of the smuggling pay scale are those who cross marijuana in 50- to 60-pound backpacks out in the desert or small amounts of harder drugs on their persons at ports. Many of the desert crossers are migrants who are offered free or reduced-cost human smuggling services in exchange for carrying a load. Those who do it for money earn between $500 and $2,000 due to the lower profit margins on relatively small marijuana loads, Burrola said.
Body carriers can earn between $500 and $1,500, Burrola said. For example, a young Nogales woman carrying 2.4 pounds of heroin through the Morley Avenue pedestrian crossing last fall told a probation officer she was offered $700, with which she hoped to help her grandmother with bills.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the worst money is made by minors, though they are normally entrusted with marijuana or the smallest loads of hard drugs, usually as body carriers. Burrola said that teens as young as 13 have been caught at Nogales ports.
"It's rare that we get a juvenile over $1,000," Flores said, adding $400 is about as low as it goes for minors carrying drugs across the border.
Flores said many young smugglers are told they will face minimal legal consequences if they get caught. For U.S. citizen minors with no prior convictions, getting caught trafficking usually results in probation, but Mexican national minors can end up serving time even if they have no record, Flores said.
Most of those caught locally, minors and adults alike, are Mexican nationals, Odom and Flores said, though Flores said that more local youths are being recruited.
Port officers are constantly learning about new smuggling methods and finding ways to catch those employing them, Burrola said. However, a more vexing challenge for federal officers is the seemingly endless supply of people in challenging economic circumstances, especially in Mexico, who are willing to roll the dice with a load.
"Until the Mexican government makes a change in the way they take care of their people, we'll be battling that day in day out," he said.
fin
Arizona authorities seize 1,382 pounds of pot, arrest 14 in five days
KTAR NEWSROOM | December 8, 2015 @ 1:46 pm
Seized bales of marijuana are shown. (Pinal County Sheriff's Office Photo)
PHOENIX — In what turned out to be a busy five days for deputies, more than 1,300 pounds of pot was seized and 14 people were arrested in multiple incidents in Arizona's Pinal County.
The busts began Nov. 29, when a Pinal County Sheriff's Office deputy tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver, Guadalupe Acosta Gutierrez, allegedly sped off before ramming into some trees and attempting to run away. He was chased down and arrested.
Deputies said they found 20 bales of marijuana in Gutierrez's vehicle.
The next day, deputies were contacted by U.S. Border Patrol to help them chase a possible smuggler. After the vehicle was abandoned by all but the driver, German Nunez-Mojarro, an estimated 500 pounds of marijuana was found inside.
On Dec. 2, a deputy was involved in a short chase with a vehicle on Highway 84, north of Interstate 8. After the car came to a stop, three people fled into the desert while three others were caught at the car.
Deputies found two assault-type rifles and what appeared to be survival supplies. The driver and the two other people were arrested.
Later that evening, deputies spotted a minivan driving down a highway with its door open. A deputy pulled the vehicle over and seven people ran into the desert. Four people, including the driver, were arrested after 502 pounds of marijuana was found in the vehicle.
On Dec. 3, a deputy pulled an SUV over and nine men wearing camouflage jumped out. Five of them were captured.
Later that day, a deputy saw two drivers driving erratically and both vehicles were pulled over. Six people fled the vehicles and, though none were caught, two bales of marijuana were seized.
end
Border Patrol seizes $1M in drugs so far this month
A canine team seized nearly 14 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the rear bumper of this vehicle, the Border Patrol said. The driver was attempting to travel through the Wellton Station checkpoint on Interstate 8, east of Yuma.
Related Stories
Related: Border Patrol seizes $1M in drugs, arrest 24 so far in December
Related: 3 women arrested, $522K in drugs seized by Border Patrol
Related: Border Patrol has busy holiday week on Arizona border
Posted: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 9:46 am
Staff Reports
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/border-patrol-seizes-m-in-drugs-so-far-this-month/article_761cc5b0-9e94-11e5-8422-57137bceaed8.html
YUMA — Border Patrol agents patrolling the Interstate 8 corridor have seized more than $1 million in drugs and arrested 24 suspected smugglers during the first week of December.
Several incidents during the weekend resulted in the seizure of 1,658 pounds of marijuana, worth $829,000, and the arrest of 12 illegal immigrants, authorities said.
Also in the last five days, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies have arrested 14 suspected smugglers and seized 1,382 pounds of marijuana in separate incidents. The interdictions were the efforts of PCSO deputies working on regular patrol or assisting Border Patrol agents working in western Pinal County.
On Friday, Wellton Station Border Patrol agents seized 469 pounds of marijuana, valued at an estimated $234,500, and arrested five suspected illegal immigrants in the Sonoran Desert.
The following morning, Yuma Station Border Patrol agents seized a vehicle and an estimated $359,500 worth of marijuana after its occupants illegally crossed into the U.S. through a shallow point of the Colorado River and the vehicle became inoperable. Six people evaded arrest by running back to Mexico, abandoning 719 pounds of marijuana.
That afternoon, Wellton Station Border Patrol agents seized two abandoned bundles of marijuana weighing 45 pounds and valued at an estimated $22,500, discovered by Air and Marine Operations Yuma Branch pilots.
On Sunday, Border Patrol agents assigned to Camp Grip, Yuma Sector's forward operating base, seized an abandoned ATV and 247 pounds of marijuana. The drugs are valued at an estimated $123,500.
Also on Sunday, Wellton Station Border Patrol agents arrested seven suspected illegal immigrants and seized 178 pounds of marijuana valued at an estimated $89,000.
On Thursday, two incidents resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals and the seizure of more than 400 pounds of drugs. The drugs had an estimated value of $280,674.
A Border Patrol canine team seized nearly 14 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the rear bumper of a vehicle. The driver was attempting to travel through the Wellton Station checkpoint on Interstate 8, east of Yuma. The drugs had an estimated value of $68,674.
Border Patrol agents arrested 11 suspected illegal immigrants and seized 424 pounds of marijuana while patrolling in Yuma Sector's remote southeast area of operations. The agents were assigned to the sector's forward operating base, Camp Grip. The drugs had an estimated value of $212,000.
end
Note: some good news, although overall numbers not good.
No local cases of dengue fever
Tribune San Luis
December 8, 2015
By Joel Olea Galindo
http://www.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/notas/n4022315.htm
San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.- So far this year, in San Luis Rio Colorado has not been presented so far no cases of dengue fever, so the continuing need for action to avoid the presence of the mosquitoes, following the recommendations for prevention based on hygiene.
That was announced by the director of the General Hospital of the Ministry of Health, Government of the State of Sonora, Dr. Joel Godinez Lopez, who noted that despite some cases not presented this year in the municipality will remain a constant operational for prevention and control of mosquito breeding dengue transmitter.
The state official addressed the importance of always keeping at home the four steps that are being promoted among the population to prevent this disease, the same consisting of "washing, cover, turn and throw."
He was emphatic Dr. Godinez Lopez in having a lot of attention in the vacant lots and report them to the authorities, in order to prevent the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae, transmitter of the disease.
"The alert is real, but fortunately so far not presented any case of dengue fever in San Luis Rio Colorado, fundamental actions taken in health in the towns of the valley and the city remain, highlighting dengue control, so a deployment of health teams working hard to achieve the goal "is performed.
Joel Godinez Lopez said it's important that the sanluisina population aware of the risk of occurrence of dengue, even though there is no record of any, we insist to take precautions and follow the preventive measures that we issued in the Secretariat Bless you".
Interviewed reiterated that the main recommendations to prevent dengue are based on hygiene, so reminiscent of sanluisinas families keep their homes and yards clean and provide proper treatment for batteries, buckets, vases and basins, where many often is the larva of the mosquito Aedes aegypti.
Finally, just seven days ago, Health Secretary in the state, Gilberto Beltran Ungson reported that so far this year there have been at Sonora 2,015 dengue fever cases against 2,874, which had the same week 2014, ie about 850 cases less.
Health minister said that in the case of hemorrhagic fever have occurred in Sonora 523 cases in total this year, giving a total of 2,538 dengue cases with five deaths to date.
finish
Note: But we are Told That Rocks are not dangerous? Or just not when delivered north of the line? SLRC, Son. Just south of Yuma, AZ.
Two minors hit with stones in serious condition
Very serious Davy brothers were hospitalized Josia and Sergio David Avila 17 and 15 years, because of gang attack in Chulavista II.
Tribune San Luis
December 8, 2015
Fredy Mejia
http://www.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/notas/n4022303.htm
San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.-Yesterday at noon during a quarrel in the neighborhood Chulavista II, were seriously injured and feet beaten with stones by a gang Davy Josiah gang brothers Sergio and David Avila, 17 and 15 years.
Because of the traumatic head injury the family proceeded to make the necessary arrangements with the authorities of the United States for the transfer of David Josiah to Yuma Regional Medical Center.
The family made the transfer of injured from both the General Hospital Chulavista II aboard a 1998 Mercury Mystique white car with Arizona plates BPB9740, driven by stepfather Jeffery Alberto García Cruz.
García Cruz revealed unknown facts as they occurred, since at the time since they were awakened at home.
And stepchildren are students attending US schools where they originated.
Traffic police officers and to detect the car circulating on la Libertad , and proceeded to intercept because of the immoderate speed and were informed it was carrying two children who had been injured in Chulavista II.
With siren and escorted the unit to the General Hospital, seen by medical staff immediately after being brought.
Their mother said she would make the appropriate arrangements for them to be hospitalized in the United States, as the doctor said Josiah Davy was unconscious.
Later in intensive operation in the colony made possible the arrest of four of the participants of the assault identified as Jesus Eduardo, 15; Christian Alberto Macias Cervantes; a Jesus Alejandro Ortega Vidaña, 20, and Luis Antonio Garcia Alamillo, 21.
All were placed behind bars and available to the Office of the Public Prosecutor's Office for investigations.
end
Yaquis lift blockade Vícam
Details Published on Monday December 7, 2015,
Written by Drafting / El Diario
http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=63042
The state government managed by the Yaqui ethnicity lifting the roadblock at Vícam, after complying with the agreements with the tribe and was described by Sonora Governor Pavlovich Claudia Arellano as a reconciliation.
After talking with leaders on a satellite link that had the company of the Secretary of Government, Miguel Ernesto Pompa Corella alongside traditional authorities they admitted that no more blockades, said he was very satisfied with the work of the team, to also highlight the phrase 'Before like before and now like now. '
finish
Drugs Drugs Drugs
Seize drug plane in Magdalena
Details Published on Monday December 7, 2015,
Written by Drafting / The Journal
http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=63040
The National Defense Secretariat through the Commander of the Second Military Region (Mexicali, BC) and 45 / a. Military Zone (Nogales, Son.) Report that this date, approximately 9 kilometers southeast of the Municipality. . of Magdalena de Kino, Son, personnel of the Mexican Army, said:
➢ A Cessna plane.
➢ 500 kilograms of marijuana.
The aircraft and the drugs, were made available to the Federal Public Ministry of Nogales, Son.
FINISH
PESP seize the marijuana cargo equivalent to one hundred thousand doses
Details Published on Tuesday December 8, 2015,
Written by Cesar Barragan / El Diario
http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=63091
Nogales
Being distributed in small portions drugs may have reached a value of 2 million pesos.
Members of the State Police Public Safety PESP, made the seizure of more than 68 kilos of marijuana in a vehicle abandoned near the ranch "El Bellotoso" of the border.
According to official reports elements (PESP) conducted surveillance patrols on the road leading to the property mentioned, where at kilometer 5, they saw a white Chevrolet, Suburban that was in apparent condition of abandonment.
After taking appropriate safety measures, they proceeded to check the vehicle, finding inside 9 packages wrapped in tape, which contained the herb known as marijuana.
The officials took the narcotics weighing approximately 68 kilograms of the drug, which amount to over 100 thousand doses with value in excess of 2 million pesos on the black market.
The agents conducted drug seizure which was made available to the Federal Public Ministry, in the premises of the PGR of this city, where they continue with the investigations.
In another case of police agents of the Unified Command in the town of Tubutama, managed to secure a backpack with about 4 kilograms of drugs.
The weekend events around 15:00 occurred when members of the State Public Security Police (PESP) patrols conducted surveillance on the main road from Saric to the town of Sasabe.
In the place they saw a man who threw a backpack to run and avoid arrest, the person threw a camouflaged backpack to escape, which contained a package wrapped in tape, which contained marijuana with an approximate weight to 4 kg drug.
The drug was secured, leaving it to the Public Prosecutor's Office for appropriate inquiries.
FINISH
Friday, December 11, 2015
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA2 9-12-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA2 9 DEC 2015
Two given life sentences for 2010 killing of US border agent Brian Terry
Posted: Dec 09, 2015 7:46 AM MST
Updated: Dec 09, 2015 12:15 PM MST
By Som Lisaius
Brian Terry. (Source: U.S. Border Patrol)
About two dozen Border Patrol agents attended the sentencing in support of Brian Terry and his family. (Source: Tucson News Now)
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza or Lionel Portillo-Meza. (Source: FBI)
Ivan Soto-Barraza. (Source: FBI)
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now/AP) -
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/30704740/two-to-be-sentenced-for-2010-killing-of-us-border-agent-brian-terry
Two men convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of a Border Patrol agent whose death brought to light a bungled federal gun-tracking operation were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday in Tucson.
Brian Terry was killed in a shootout in December 2010.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza and Ivan Soto-Barraza faced a mandatory life sentence and 20 years for each of the other counts. They were convicted in October.
Counts 2, 4 and 5 were vacated without prejudice. Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were sentenced to 20 years for Counts 6, 7 and 8. They were sentenced to 10 years for Count 9.
About two dozen Border Patrol agents attended the sentencing in support of Terry and his family.
Terry's killing exposed the Fast and Furious operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them. But the agency lost most of the guns, including two that were found at scene of Terry's death.
Authorities say Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were members of a rip-crew that planned on robbing drug smugglers. Instead, they encountered border agents and engaged in a shootout.
Five other men have been accused of being involved in the shooting.
Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Aug. 11, 2015. Burboa, who authorities said was responsible for organizing the "rip-off" crew, received a 27-year sentenced in October.
Manuel Osorio Arellanes pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in February 2014 and was sentenced to 30 years.
Rito Osorio-Arellanes, who was in custody at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery in February 2013. He was sentenced to eight years.
Authorities are still searching for Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga and Heraclio Osorio- Arellanes. Both are wanted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, use and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer.
END
Two given life sentences for 2010 killing of US border agent Brian Terry
Posted: Dec 09, 2015 7:46 AM MST
Updated: Dec 09, 2015 12:15 PM MST
By Som Lisaius
Brian Terry. (Source: U.S. Border Patrol)
About two dozen Border Patrol agents attended the sentencing in support of Brian Terry and his family. (Source: Tucson News Now)
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza or Lionel Portillo-Meza. (Source: FBI)
Ivan Soto-Barraza. (Source: FBI)
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now/AP) -
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/30704740/two-to-be-sentenced-for-2010-killing-of-us-border-agent-brian-terry
Two men convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of a Border Patrol agent whose death brought to light a bungled federal gun-tracking operation were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday in Tucson.
Brian Terry was killed in a shootout in December 2010.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza and Ivan Soto-Barraza faced a mandatory life sentence and 20 years for each of the other counts. They were convicted in October.
Counts 2, 4 and 5 were vacated without prejudice. Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were sentenced to 20 years for Counts 6, 7 and 8. They were sentenced to 10 years for Count 9.
About two dozen Border Patrol agents attended the sentencing in support of Terry and his family.
Terry's killing exposed the Fast and Furious operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them. But the agency lost most of the guns, including two that were found at scene of Terry's death.
Authorities say Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were members of a rip-crew that planned on robbing drug smugglers. Instead, they encountered border agents and engaged in a shootout.
Five other men have been accused of being involved in the shooting.
Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Aug. 11, 2015. Burboa, who authorities said was responsible for organizing the "rip-off" crew, received a 27-year sentenced in October.
Manuel Osorio Arellanes pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in February 2014 and was sentenced to 30 years.
Rito Osorio-Arellanes, who was in custody at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery in February 2013. He was sentenced to eight years.
Authorities are still searching for Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga and Heraclio Osorio- Arellanes. Both are wanted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, use and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer.
END
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 9-12-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 9 DEC 2015
2 men to be sentenced in 2010 killing of US border agent
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -
The latest on the sentencing of two men convicted of killing a Border Patrol agent (all times local):
7:45 a.m.
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30702511/2-men-to-be-sentenced-in-2010-border-agents-murder
Two men convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of a Border Patrol agent whose death brought to light a bungled federal gun-tracking operation are scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in Tucson, Arizona.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza and Ivan Soto-Barraza face a mandatory life sentence on the murder charges plus an extra 20 years for each of several other counts for which they were convicted in October.
The December 2010 killing of Brian Terry exposed the Fast and Furious operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them. But the agency lost most of the guns, including two that were found at scene of Terry's death.
Authorities say Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were members of a rip-crew that planned on robbing drug smugglers. Instead, they encountered border agents and engaged in a shootout.
END
2 men to be sentenced in 2010 killing of US border agent
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -
The latest on the sentencing of two men convicted of killing a Border Patrol agent (all times local):
7:45 a.m.
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30702511/2-men-to-be-sentenced-in-2010-border-agents-murder
Two men convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of a Border Patrol agent whose death brought to light a bungled federal gun-tracking operation are scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in Tucson, Arizona.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza and Ivan Soto-Barraza face a mandatory life sentence on the murder charges plus an extra 20 years for each of several other counts for which they were convicted in October.
The December 2010 killing of Brian Terry exposed the Fast and Furious operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them. But the agency lost most of the guns, including two that were found at scene of Terry's death.
Authorities say Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were members of a rip-crew that planned on robbing drug smugglers. Instead, they encountered border agents and engaged in a shootout.
END
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 1-12-15
AZMEX UPDATE 1 DEC 2015
Comment: Some of the usual turf & funding fights. It is suspected in some quarters that one or more of the SO's would continue to be ineffective regardless of resources.
Updated Nov 30, 2015 - 6:46 pm
Arizona sheriffs push back against Gov. Doug Ducey's border security plan
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS |
November 30, 2015 @ 4:22 pm
http://ktar.com/story/789599/arizona-sheriffs-push-back-against-governors-border-security-plan/
(AP Photo/Refugio Ruiz)
PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey should restore money taken from counties and fix ongoing problems with the state Department of Public Safety before pouring more cash into a new state border security strike force, the state sheriffs association said Monday.
The Arizona Sheriffs Association said in an open letter that Ducey's new plan relies on cash previously taken by the state from counties that has hampered their efforts to secure the border. In addition, the group said the state police needs to fill about 100 vacant positions that are hindering normal highway patrol functions, upgrade its aging radio system, its counter-terrorism information center and its crime lab.
"Personally I don't think it's needed, I haven't met a border sheriff yet that says it is," Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot said of Ducey's new border force. "If they found moneys that they want to spend in regards to border security, they can send that money to the counties to help offset the cost that we've incurred doing the job we're doing now."
Wilmot signed the letter as president of the association, which represents all 15 county sheriffs. He said Ducey's plan to hire as many as 180 new DPS officers makes no sense given current understaffing and the time it would take to get the new officers hired, trained and deployed.
"You're biting off a lot more than you can chew. It would take you over a year to get an officer hired on and field trained before they can actually get out on the street," Wilmot said. "A better use of the money would be to boost funding for special teams already deployed around the state and by helping counties with their border-related costs."
Ducey formally announced the creation of the border strike force last week, saying he would ask the Legislature to approve tens of millions of dollars of new funding in the coming state budget. He said his proposal will add staffing, technology, air assets and highway patrol coverage. He also wants to boost spending on prosecutors, help county jails pay for holding added prisoners and temporarily use Arizona National Guard troops.
The opposition from the sheriffs association comes after years of budget cuts to counties by the state. Wilmot said sheriffs' ability to respond to border crime has been severely hampered by the cuts. Just this year, the budget Ducey signed shifted more than $54 million in new costs to counties. For several years, the state highway user fund known as HURF that normally supports county road-building efforts has been tapped to fund the Highway Patrol.
"Send the HURF money back to the counties, quit putting cost shifts onto the counties to fix the budget at the state level," Wilmot said in an interview. "The state needs to look at funding DPS through general fund moneys and address the concerns that we have before we even look at considering supporting any future additional projects the governor might have in mind for the Arizona Department of Public Safety."
Ducey said last week that his administration would work with local sheriffs to implement his plan, but he sidestepped a question about opposition from some sheriffs. Ducey spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said he was reviewing the letter Monday afternoon.
END
Note: and then Howie's take on it.
Sheriffs push back against Gov. Ducey's border security plan
Association says funds should go to communities
Border Security Hearing
With seized drugs and weapons from border-crossing drug smugglers, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, left, speaks at a news conference after testifying at a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the Arizona Capitol Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Phoenix. R. Gil Kerlikowske, center, commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, listens in during the news conference. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Posted: Tuesday, December 1, 2015 8:38 am
By HOWARD FISCHER, Capitol Media Services
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/sheriffs-push-back-against-gov-ducey-s-border-security-plan/article_9e8489b0-9841-11e5-8336-db6e3d0bc0d2.html
PHOENIX — County sheriffs are panning plans by Gov. Doug Ducey to use tax dollars to create a border strike force, with one calling the proposal "a little insulting."
In an open letter to the governor signed by Chris Nanos of Pima County and Leon Wimot of Yuma County, the pair said they are glad to see Ducey "taking a proactive stance in Arizona regarding border related crimes." The pair were writing on behalf of all 15 sheriffs in the Arizona Sheriffs Association. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is a vice president in the association. Wimot is the president.
The sheriffs derided the fact that Ducey's plan to add perhaps up to 200 new officers to the Department of Public Safety comes on the heels of the state, with the governor's blessing, taking more than $54 million this year alone from counties. "When the governor takes money from the local communities that's one thing,'' Nanos told Capitol Media Services. "But then to tell the local communities, 'I'm going to put it into a law enforcement effort at the state level to dictate to the local levels what kind of services they need for law enforcement,' that's a little insulting," the Pima sheriff continued.
The sheriffs told Ducey if he wants to pour more money into DPS he should deal with the agency's existing problems, like not having enough officers to patrol all the state's roads on a 24/7 basis.
"We applaud the effort to help curb drug smuggling in Arizona, but I'm concerned that the DPS is being stretched too thin to meet their primary responsibilities of patrolling our state's highways and running the state's crime lab," Babeu said. " On rural, state routes in Pinal County, when the troopers go off duty, PCSO deputies take their calls."
In his own county's case, Nanos said he would prefer that Ducey give back the $22 million the state took this fiscal year. "Maybe some of my deputies, who haven't seen a pay raise in 10 years, would get a pay raise," he explained. "Maybe my staff levels could increase from 80-90 percent up to a full staff level,'' Nanos continued. "Maybe I could have some needs to meet community policing efforts, not necessarily border crime fighting.''
In unveiling the plan last week, the governor said he wants "tens of millions'' of dollars for the strike force. He said that would pay for not only additional DPS officers but also more money to prosecute criminals and helping counties pay for incarceration costs.
And Ducey said he wants to use the Arizona National Guard, at least on a temporary basis.
"We appreciate the governor for wanting to step in and help us," Nanos said. "But we think he'd be better equipped at helping us if he asked us what our needs really were."
Gubernatorial press aide Daniel Scarpinato acknowledged that the budget signed by his boss took money from counties to balance the budget. But he said it's irrelevant that Ducey says the state has money now to invest in things like the strike force.
"You're conflating two issues here," he said.
Scarpinato said his boss is working with local sheriffs to understand and deal with their specific local problems. And he said some are being addressed, like having round-the-clock troopers on state roads — albeit only in the border area. He also said the task force, which actually has been in operation since September, has already seized more heroin at the border than DPS seized in all of 2014.
Nanos, however, said that still leaves the state making decisions on crime-fighting priorities.
The sheriff said there may be some sheriffs that want additional boots on the ground to deal with drug and human smuggling across the border. But he stressed that each county's law enforcement needs are different.
That failure to consult with them, the sheriffs say, is only half the problem. The other half is Ducey creating a new program for DPS when they said the agency does not have the funds to fulfill its current mission.
For example, they said the agency has about 100 vacant positions.
"Priority One should be to fill those positions to adequately handle their regular patrols on the interstates and highways of Arizona," they wrote to Ducey. They said counties must "fill those gaps," especially in rural areas, when there are no DPS officers working certain shifts.
They also pointed out what they called the DPS' "aging radio system" which cannot communicate with county and local law enforcement.
And then there's the crime lab which the sheriffs says is "plagued by long turnaround times for evidence analysis which prohibits timely prosecution of cases." "Wouldn't you be better off staffing your jobs that you're responsible for, get those up and running in an acceptable manner, and then come back and say, 'Hey, what else can we do?' " Nanos said.
It's not just the shortcomings of DPS that make the sheriffs wary of expanding the current DPS mission.
That sentiment was echoed in the letter on behalf of all the sheriffs who said in their letter that they're still waiting for the governor to provide them with information on exactly how the strike force would operate.
But they said they cannot support the plan until they get to see that and until DPS "is able to address some of the challenges ... with their current mandated services.'' Only then, they told Ducey will they "gladly reconsider our support of any future additional projects being taken on by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.''
The Pima sheriff also questioned how much difference some additional DPS officers along the border would actually make. "We have 4,000 Border Patrol (officers) down here,'' he said.
"I think they've got a pretty good handle on it,'' Nanos continued. "I don't think adding 100 to 200 more bodies is going to make a difference."
end
Comment: Some of the usual turf & funding fights. It is suspected in some quarters that one or more of the SO's would continue to be ineffective regardless of resources.
Updated Nov 30, 2015 - 6:46 pm
Arizona sheriffs push back against Gov. Doug Ducey's border security plan
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS |
November 30, 2015 @ 4:22 pm
http://ktar.com/story/789599/arizona-sheriffs-push-back-against-governors-border-security-plan/
(AP Photo/Refugio Ruiz)
PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey should restore money taken from counties and fix ongoing problems with the state Department of Public Safety before pouring more cash into a new state border security strike force, the state sheriffs association said Monday.
The Arizona Sheriffs Association said in an open letter that Ducey's new plan relies on cash previously taken by the state from counties that has hampered their efforts to secure the border. In addition, the group said the state police needs to fill about 100 vacant positions that are hindering normal highway patrol functions, upgrade its aging radio system, its counter-terrorism information center and its crime lab.
"Personally I don't think it's needed, I haven't met a border sheriff yet that says it is," Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot said of Ducey's new border force. "If they found moneys that they want to spend in regards to border security, they can send that money to the counties to help offset the cost that we've incurred doing the job we're doing now."
Wilmot signed the letter as president of the association, which represents all 15 county sheriffs. He said Ducey's plan to hire as many as 180 new DPS officers makes no sense given current understaffing and the time it would take to get the new officers hired, trained and deployed.
"You're biting off a lot more than you can chew. It would take you over a year to get an officer hired on and field trained before they can actually get out on the street," Wilmot said. "A better use of the money would be to boost funding for special teams already deployed around the state and by helping counties with their border-related costs."
Ducey formally announced the creation of the border strike force last week, saying he would ask the Legislature to approve tens of millions of dollars of new funding in the coming state budget. He said his proposal will add staffing, technology, air assets and highway patrol coverage. He also wants to boost spending on prosecutors, help county jails pay for holding added prisoners and temporarily use Arizona National Guard troops.
The opposition from the sheriffs association comes after years of budget cuts to counties by the state. Wilmot said sheriffs' ability to respond to border crime has been severely hampered by the cuts. Just this year, the budget Ducey signed shifted more than $54 million in new costs to counties. For several years, the state highway user fund known as HURF that normally supports county road-building efforts has been tapped to fund the Highway Patrol.
"Send the HURF money back to the counties, quit putting cost shifts onto the counties to fix the budget at the state level," Wilmot said in an interview. "The state needs to look at funding DPS through general fund moneys and address the concerns that we have before we even look at considering supporting any future additional projects the governor might have in mind for the Arizona Department of Public Safety."
Ducey said last week that his administration would work with local sheriffs to implement his plan, but he sidestepped a question about opposition from some sheriffs. Ducey spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said he was reviewing the letter Monday afternoon.
END
Note: and then Howie's take on it.
Sheriffs push back against Gov. Ducey's border security plan
Association says funds should go to communities
Border Security Hearing
With seized drugs and weapons from border-crossing drug smugglers, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, left, speaks at a news conference after testifying at a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the Arizona Capitol Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Phoenix. R. Gil Kerlikowske, center, commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, listens in during the news conference. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Posted: Tuesday, December 1, 2015 8:38 am
By HOWARD FISCHER, Capitol Media Services
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/sheriffs-push-back-against-gov-ducey-s-border-security-plan/article_9e8489b0-9841-11e5-8336-db6e3d0bc0d2.html
PHOENIX — County sheriffs are panning plans by Gov. Doug Ducey to use tax dollars to create a border strike force, with one calling the proposal "a little insulting."
In an open letter to the governor signed by Chris Nanos of Pima County and Leon Wimot of Yuma County, the pair said they are glad to see Ducey "taking a proactive stance in Arizona regarding border related crimes." The pair were writing on behalf of all 15 sheriffs in the Arizona Sheriffs Association. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is a vice president in the association. Wimot is the president.
The sheriffs derided the fact that Ducey's plan to add perhaps up to 200 new officers to the Department of Public Safety comes on the heels of the state, with the governor's blessing, taking more than $54 million this year alone from counties. "When the governor takes money from the local communities that's one thing,'' Nanos told Capitol Media Services. "But then to tell the local communities, 'I'm going to put it into a law enforcement effort at the state level to dictate to the local levels what kind of services they need for law enforcement,' that's a little insulting," the Pima sheriff continued.
The sheriffs told Ducey if he wants to pour more money into DPS he should deal with the agency's existing problems, like not having enough officers to patrol all the state's roads on a 24/7 basis.
"We applaud the effort to help curb drug smuggling in Arizona, but I'm concerned that the DPS is being stretched too thin to meet their primary responsibilities of patrolling our state's highways and running the state's crime lab," Babeu said. " On rural, state routes in Pinal County, when the troopers go off duty, PCSO deputies take their calls."
In his own county's case, Nanos said he would prefer that Ducey give back the $22 million the state took this fiscal year. "Maybe some of my deputies, who haven't seen a pay raise in 10 years, would get a pay raise," he explained. "Maybe my staff levels could increase from 80-90 percent up to a full staff level,'' Nanos continued. "Maybe I could have some needs to meet community policing efforts, not necessarily border crime fighting.''
In unveiling the plan last week, the governor said he wants "tens of millions'' of dollars for the strike force. He said that would pay for not only additional DPS officers but also more money to prosecute criminals and helping counties pay for incarceration costs.
And Ducey said he wants to use the Arizona National Guard, at least on a temporary basis.
"We appreciate the governor for wanting to step in and help us," Nanos said. "But we think he'd be better equipped at helping us if he asked us what our needs really were."
Gubernatorial press aide Daniel Scarpinato acknowledged that the budget signed by his boss took money from counties to balance the budget. But he said it's irrelevant that Ducey says the state has money now to invest in things like the strike force.
"You're conflating two issues here," he said.
Scarpinato said his boss is working with local sheriffs to understand and deal with their specific local problems. And he said some are being addressed, like having round-the-clock troopers on state roads — albeit only in the border area. He also said the task force, which actually has been in operation since September, has already seized more heroin at the border than DPS seized in all of 2014.
Nanos, however, said that still leaves the state making decisions on crime-fighting priorities.
The sheriff said there may be some sheriffs that want additional boots on the ground to deal with drug and human smuggling across the border. But he stressed that each county's law enforcement needs are different.
That failure to consult with them, the sheriffs say, is only half the problem. The other half is Ducey creating a new program for DPS when they said the agency does not have the funds to fulfill its current mission.
For example, they said the agency has about 100 vacant positions.
"Priority One should be to fill those positions to adequately handle their regular patrols on the interstates and highways of Arizona," they wrote to Ducey. They said counties must "fill those gaps," especially in rural areas, when there are no DPS officers working certain shifts.
They also pointed out what they called the DPS' "aging radio system" which cannot communicate with county and local law enforcement.
And then there's the crime lab which the sheriffs says is "plagued by long turnaround times for evidence analysis which prohibits timely prosecution of cases." "Wouldn't you be better off staffing your jobs that you're responsible for, get those up and running in an acceptable manner, and then come back and say, 'Hey, what else can we do?' " Nanos said.
It's not just the shortcomings of DPS that make the sheriffs wary of expanding the current DPS mission.
That sentiment was echoed in the letter on behalf of all the sheriffs who said in their letter that they're still waiting for the governor to provide them with information on exactly how the strike force would operate.
But they said they cannot support the plan until they get to see that and until DPS "is able to address some of the challenges ... with their current mandated services.'' Only then, they told Ducey will they "gladly reconsider our support of any future additional projects being taken on by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.''
The Pima sheriff also questioned how much difference some additional DPS officers along the border would actually make. "We have 4,000 Border Patrol (officers) down here,'' he said.
"I think they've got a pretty good handle on it,'' Nanos continued. "I don't think adding 100 to 200 more bodies is going to make a difference."
end
Monday, November 30, 2015
AZMEX EXTRA 30-11-15
AZMEX EXTRA 30 NOV 2015
Former U.S. Marine on hunting trip with kids arrested after entering Mexico by mistake
By Bill Vourvoulias
Published November 30, 2015
Fox News Latino
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/11/30/former-us-marine-on-hunting-trip-with-his-kids-arrested-after-entering-mexico/?intcmp=hplnws
An 18-year-veteran of the Marine Corps who did tours of service in Iraq and Afghanistan earning a Bronze Star was hoping for some much-needed dad time with his kids.
So retired 1st Sgt. Jeromie Slaughter, 38, planned a deer-hunting trip with them a few hours from his Houston-area home — a trip that became an odyssey when he took a wrong turn and wound up arrested in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, for carrying weapons.
And when his family tried to find a Mexican lawyer to represent him, the ones they contacted asked for cash in U.S. dollars to help secure his release, Slaughter's mother, Beverly McKinney, said.
"A shakedown is what it was," McKinney told Fox News Latino.
According to McKinney, the Texas City resident piled into his pickup with his 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter after Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. They were heading for a deer lease – private property that's open to hunters for a fee – near Rocksprings, about 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, about a 6-hour drive.
Instead, Slaughter made a wrong turn and, at about 1 a.m. Friday morning, wound up crossing a bridge into Ciudad Acuña, across the border from Del Rio, Texas.
"He knew they were lost, and when he saw the sign that said 'No guns,' you know, no weapons, he knew that he had gone too far," McKinney told Houston television station KPCR-2.
Slaughter asked to turn around, but Mexican immigration agents didn't allow it, detaining him after they found three hunting rifles in the vehicle.
The agents allowed him to call his mom.
"I was beside myself," McKinney said. "You know I waited for those kind of calls when he was in the military, not hunting."
According to McKinney, the kids were released Friday afternoon into the custody of Slaughter's grandfather and are now back with their mother in Texas City.
Slaughter wasn't released until later that night.
It was frustrating, McKinney told FNL on Monday, because Mexican officials "were treating him like he is a terrorist. He was on a hunting trip, [he is] not a terrorist. He has fought them, he isn't one."
"He was not treated well," she added. "He wasn't given anything to eat or drink. They strip searched him at least twice."
And they kept being told that it would take anywhere between $1,000 and $25,000 to get Slaughter released. In the end, however, they hired a lawyer in Del Rio who helped secure his release.
"Jeromie worked security for the State Department when he was with the Marines," McKinney said, "so we called their Houston office. They were not helpful – just gave me other numbers to call that I already had."
McKinney said that Slaughter remains in Del Rio, trying to arrange for the return of his truck. "We haven't had too many long conversations," she told FNL. "He's just trying to keep it together."
Despite the trouble, things might have gone worse for Slaughter.
In 2014, U.S. Marine reservist Andrew Tahmooressi was held in Mexican jails for 5 months after mistakenly crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro border checkpoint in California. Tahmooressi faced a potentially longer prison term because he was caught with handguns.
END
Former U.S. Marine on hunting trip with kids arrested after entering Mexico by mistake
By Bill Vourvoulias
Published November 30, 2015
Fox News Latino
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/11/30/former-us-marine-on-hunting-trip-with-his-kids-arrested-after-entering-mexico/?intcmp=hplnws
An 18-year-veteran of the Marine Corps who did tours of service in Iraq and Afghanistan earning a Bronze Star was hoping for some much-needed dad time with his kids.
So retired 1st Sgt. Jeromie Slaughter, 38, planned a deer-hunting trip with them a few hours from his Houston-area home — a trip that became an odyssey when he took a wrong turn and wound up arrested in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, for carrying weapons.
And when his family tried to find a Mexican lawyer to represent him, the ones they contacted asked for cash in U.S. dollars to help secure his release, Slaughter's mother, Beverly McKinney, said.
"A shakedown is what it was," McKinney told Fox News Latino.
According to McKinney, the Texas City resident piled into his pickup with his 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter after Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. They were heading for a deer lease – private property that's open to hunters for a fee – near Rocksprings, about 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, about a 6-hour drive.
Instead, Slaughter made a wrong turn and, at about 1 a.m. Friday morning, wound up crossing a bridge into Ciudad Acuña, across the border from Del Rio, Texas.
"He knew they were lost, and when he saw the sign that said 'No guns,' you know, no weapons, he knew that he had gone too far," McKinney told Houston television station KPCR-2.
Slaughter asked to turn around, but Mexican immigration agents didn't allow it, detaining him after they found three hunting rifles in the vehicle.
The agents allowed him to call his mom.
"I was beside myself," McKinney said. "You know I waited for those kind of calls when he was in the military, not hunting."
According to McKinney, the kids were released Friday afternoon into the custody of Slaughter's grandfather and are now back with their mother in Texas City.
Slaughter wasn't released until later that night.
It was frustrating, McKinney told FNL on Monday, because Mexican officials "were treating him like he is a terrorist. He was on a hunting trip, [he is] not a terrorist. He has fought them, he isn't one."
"He was not treated well," she added. "He wasn't given anything to eat or drink. They strip searched him at least twice."
And they kept being told that it would take anywhere between $1,000 and $25,000 to get Slaughter released. In the end, however, they hired a lawyer in Del Rio who helped secure his release.
"Jeromie worked security for the State Department when he was with the Marines," McKinney said, "so we called their Houston office. They were not helpful – just gave me other numbers to call that I already had."
McKinney said that Slaughter remains in Del Rio, trying to arrange for the return of his truck. "We haven't had too many long conversations," she told FNL. "He's just trying to keep it together."
Despite the trouble, things might have gone worse for Slaughter.
In 2014, U.S. Marine reservist Andrew Tahmooressi was held in Mexican jails for 5 months after mistakenly crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro border checkpoint in California. Tahmooressi faced a potentially longer prison term because he was caught with handguns.
END
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 24-11-15
AZMEX UPDATE 24 NOV 2015
Note: question remains if they really are paks? If so, which tribe, town, etc?
Men in Afghan-Pakistani migrant group allege assault
By JB Miller
The Bulletin Updated 20 hrs ago
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/men-in-afghan-pakistani-migrant-group-allege-assault/article_3f93bcc0-9222-11e5-83d7-fb3163b13af0.html
Two men who were part of a group of six Afghan and Pakistani nationals apprehended by Border Patrol agents near Patagonia last week claimed that their guide assaulted them after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.
At approximately 8 p.m. on Nov. 17, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office received a report that two of the men in a group detained the day before said they were assaulted by one of the two Mexican nationals guiding them.
Sheriff's Lt. Gerardo Castillo said deputies responded to the Sonoita Border Patrol station where they documented the complaint. However, Castillo said, the men did not want to press charges against their so-called "coyote," who was only identified as a 41-year-old man from Imuris, Sonora.
Castillo said the federal government is pursuing alien smuggling charges against both of the Mexican nationals who were caught with the group of five Pakistanis and an Afghan.
As for the migrants, the Border Patrol said last week that they had their identities checked against "numerous" law enforcement and national security-related databases. "Records checks revealed no derogatory information about the individuals," the agency said.
Castillo said guides have the advantage because the undocumented migrants they are smuggling usually have no idea where they are, and he noted cases in which guides have robbed, raped and assaulted the people they are smuggling into the United States. Unfortunately, he said, the crimes are rarely reported unless the undocumented migrants happen to get caught.
end
Note: A credible story
See also: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6c4fd4eae7284ac9b9453ce0040457dc/afghans-seeking-asylum-buy-fake-taliban-threat-letters
Afghan Asylum Seekers Purchase Forged Taliban Threats
Posted on Wednesday the 25th of November 2015, by Alice Greene : Guest Writer
http://punchingbagpost.com/afghan-asylum-seekers-purchase-forged-taliban-threats
Forged Taliban threat letter
While the small groups of Syrian refugees crossing into the US this week via Texas presented themselves to authorities legally, Afghans trying to get into Europe have resorted to Taliban threats – nearly all of which have been revealed as fake.
The Associated Press reports that of all the Taliban threat letters presented by asylum seekers to authorities, only about 1% are authentic. The photo above shows a forged letter received Friday, November 13th. The document is believed to have been written in Afghanistan's Kandahar province.
"Threatening letters from the Taliban, once tantamount to a death sentence, are now being forged and sold to Afghans who want to start a new life in Europe," AP reports. While authentic letters "were traditionally sent to those alleged to have worked with Afghan security forces or US-led troops, listing their 'crimes' and warning that a 'military commission' would decide on their punishment," the fake letters are harmless. Those selling are "doing a brisk business as tens of thousands of Afghans flee to Europe, hoping to claim asylum. Forgers say a convincing threat letter can go for up to $1,000."
"To this day I have only ever known one guy who genuinely got a threat letter from the Taliban. All the rest are fake," says Mukhamil, an Afghan who has forged and sold at least 20 false threats. The country of Afghanistan currenty faces a 24% unemployment rate. The government predicts that 160,000 Afghans will flee the country by the end of 2015.
Meanwhile, Germany continues to struggle under the crushing tide of refugees. The country has long been a supporter of Afghanistan and currently has over 900 soldiers stationed there. Germany's top security official complains that Afghans are even fleeing areas of the country that are relatively safe. The number of people coming to Germany from those areas is "unacceptable," he stated last month.
German officials aren't worried about the fake threat letters. "Such documents are assessed in the context of examining the credibility of the overall account of the applicant," says Susanne Eikemeier, spokeswoman for Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. "While they can be drawn on as evidence of a threat by the Taliban, the applicant's entire account has to be coherent, comprehensible, and credible."
Even the Taliban has admitted that most of the letters are false. "All these so-called Taliban threat letters are fake. We are trying to provide a good environment for our youth to remain in their country," says Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. There have been no arrests associated with forged letters.
end
Note: question remains if they really are paks? If so, which tribe, town, etc?
Men in Afghan-Pakistani migrant group allege assault
By JB Miller
The Bulletin Updated 20 hrs ago
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/men-in-afghan-pakistani-migrant-group-allege-assault/article_3f93bcc0-9222-11e5-83d7-fb3163b13af0.html
Two men who were part of a group of six Afghan and Pakistani nationals apprehended by Border Patrol agents near Patagonia last week claimed that their guide assaulted them after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.
At approximately 8 p.m. on Nov. 17, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office received a report that two of the men in a group detained the day before said they were assaulted by one of the two Mexican nationals guiding them.
Sheriff's Lt. Gerardo Castillo said deputies responded to the Sonoita Border Patrol station where they documented the complaint. However, Castillo said, the men did not want to press charges against their so-called "coyote," who was only identified as a 41-year-old man from Imuris, Sonora.
Castillo said the federal government is pursuing alien smuggling charges against both of the Mexican nationals who were caught with the group of five Pakistanis and an Afghan.
As for the migrants, the Border Patrol said last week that they had their identities checked against "numerous" law enforcement and national security-related databases. "Records checks revealed no derogatory information about the individuals," the agency said.
Castillo said guides have the advantage because the undocumented migrants they are smuggling usually have no idea where they are, and he noted cases in which guides have robbed, raped and assaulted the people they are smuggling into the United States. Unfortunately, he said, the crimes are rarely reported unless the undocumented migrants happen to get caught.
end
Note: A credible story
See also: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6c4fd4eae7284ac9b9453ce0040457dc/afghans-seeking-asylum-buy-fake-taliban-threat-letters
Afghan Asylum Seekers Purchase Forged Taliban Threats
Posted on Wednesday the 25th of November 2015, by Alice Greene : Guest Writer
http://punchingbagpost.com/afghan-asylum-seekers-purchase-forged-taliban-threats
Forged Taliban threat letter
While the small groups of Syrian refugees crossing into the US this week via Texas presented themselves to authorities legally, Afghans trying to get into Europe have resorted to Taliban threats – nearly all of which have been revealed as fake.
The Associated Press reports that of all the Taliban threat letters presented by asylum seekers to authorities, only about 1% are authentic. The photo above shows a forged letter received Friday, November 13th. The document is believed to have been written in Afghanistan's Kandahar province.
"Threatening letters from the Taliban, once tantamount to a death sentence, are now being forged and sold to Afghans who want to start a new life in Europe," AP reports. While authentic letters "were traditionally sent to those alleged to have worked with Afghan security forces or US-led troops, listing their 'crimes' and warning that a 'military commission' would decide on their punishment," the fake letters are harmless. Those selling are "doing a brisk business as tens of thousands of Afghans flee to Europe, hoping to claim asylum. Forgers say a convincing threat letter can go for up to $1,000."
"To this day I have only ever known one guy who genuinely got a threat letter from the Taliban. All the rest are fake," says Mukhamil, an Afghan who has forged and sold at least 20 false threats. The country of Afghanistan currenty faces a 24% unemployment rate. The government predicts that 160,000 Afghans will flee the country by the end of 2015.
Meanwhile, Germany continues to struggle under the crushing tide of refugees. The country has long been a supporter of Afghanistan and currently has over 900 soldiers stationed there. Germany's top security official complains that Afghans are even fleeing areas of the country that are relatively safe. The number of people coming to Germany from those areas is "unacceptable," he stated last month.
German officials aren't worried about the fake threat letters. "Such documents are assessed in the context of examining the credibility of the overall account of the applicant," says Susanne Eikemeier, spokeswoman for Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. "While they can be drawn on as evidence of a threat by the Taliban, the applicant's entire account has to be coherent, comprehensible, and credible."
Even the Taliban has admitted that most of the letters are false. "All these so-called Taliban threat letters are fake. We are trying to provide a good environment for our youth to remain in their country," says Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. There have been no arrests associated with forged letters.
end
Monday, November 23, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 23-11-15
AZMEX UPDATE 23 NOV 2015
Arizona governor wants major new spending on border security
ASSOCIATED PRESS |
November 23, 2015 @ 2:45 pm
http://ktar.com/story/779800/arizona-governor-wants-major-new-spending-on-border-security/
With seized drugs and weapons from border-crossing drug smugglers, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, left, speaks at a news conference after testifying at a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the Arizona Capitol Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Phoenix. R. Gil Kerlikowske, center, commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, listens in during the news conference. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Monday he wants the Legislature to approve "tens of millions of dollars" in new funding for a border security force made up of state police, a move intended to address border smuggling even as immigration and terrorism worries emerge as potent 2016 political issues.
The Republican governor said his new plan to target smuggling along the Arizona border will focus on adding staffing, technology, air assets and highway patrol coverage. He also wants to boost spending on prosecutors, help county jails pay for holding added prisoners and temporarily use Arizona National Guard troops.
The troops, equipment and added staffing will be used by a newly formed Arizona Department of Public Safety unit called the Border Strike Force. Since he created it in September, the unit has seized more than $2.2 million in cash, multiple firearms, nearly 4,000 pounds of marijuana, 73 pounds of meth, and 19 pounds of heroin – "more (heroin) than the entire amount seized in all of 2014," by state police, Ducey said.
Ducey highlighted the new efforts after testifying at a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the state Capitol. Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake attended the meeting chaired by Sen. Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin.
Johnson said the root cause of the smuggling issue along the border is "America's insatiable demand for drugs."
McCain noted that while the Border Patrol has made substantial progress, smuggling of drugs and people continues to be a major issue.
"We've made progress in securing our border, there's no doubt about that," McCain said. "But clearly we are losing the war with the transnational criminal organizations that smuggle illicit narcotics into our country. The demand for these drugs –heroin, meth, cocaine– is too high, and the profit the cartels make too great to simply arrest our way out of this problem."
The Arizona effort pales in comparison to what is happening in Texas, where new Republican Gov. Greg Abbott championed an $800 million, two-year border security proposal through the Legislature in June. Abbott pointed to drug cartel crime as the impetus for the effort.
Ducey's effort primarily targets cartel smugglers, but he also noted that increasing national concerns about terrorism play an important role in his effort. Just last week, the Border Patrol captured five Pakistani immigrants and one Afghan immigrant near the Arizona-Mexico border.
"What we're taking about today is seizing these weapons and these drugs that are causing so much hurt and anguish with our families," Ducey said. "At the same time we know that the world has changed. If you can get these things through our borders or our ports, you can certainly get other things through our borders and ports."
Ducey appeared alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, a move that highlights a new tack toward cooperation with federal officials on border security issues after years of acrimony.
"I think this is a recognition that we can do so much more when we work together," Ducey said, citing a conversation he had with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson after the Super Bowl. "Once we renewed that type of communication and relationship from federal to state to county to local law enforcement, what kind of difference could we make on the border. You're seeing the results of that in just eight weeks."
The hearings focused on heroin smuggling, a growing part of enforcement efforts as communities across the nation combat rising addition to the potent narcotic. But they also delved into problems of drug cartels smuggling other drugs and people into the U.S.
Ducey's plan drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, which called it a "misguided effort that is likely to create more problems than it solves."
"Arizonans have seen time and again that involving state police in U.S. border policies damages the well-being of our communities and the image of our state," ACLU executive director Alessandra Soler said. "Texas has wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on an initiative similar to Gov. Ducey's proposed 'strike force' that bipartisan critics agree has had little impact, other than to make communities less safe. We should not repeat these failed policies in Arizona."
But the governor rebuffed the criticism, saying his main job was to protect Arizona.
"You can look at the human toll that's happening in our communities, you can see the results … in the two months of this strike force," Ducey said. "My No. 1 concern is public safety for the state of Arizona."
Border sheriffs in Yuma and Santa Cruz counties said recently that new state efforts should focus on boosting highway patrols, aiding sheriffs that already have deputies on smuggling task forces and other support efforts. But Ducey said he's gotten positive feedback from other law enforcement and that those sheriffs will come around.
The use of National Guard troops will be small and short-lived, DPS Director Frank Milstead said. The small border force operating now uses air assets and support personnel from the Guard's joint narcotics task force, but the funding request will seek to replace them quickly.
"The national guard is not a sustainable alternative for us," Milstead said. "They're very expensive to use and they have other priorities as well. So the temporary use of their air assets and their staffing will fill that need right now."
Ducey said the issue of heroin and drug addiction resonates across the country.
"Arizona must hold the line for the sake of every state, every community and every family in this country, and we intend to do so," he said. "But this is not just Arizona's problem, it's America's problem and it must be met with more money, manpower and multilevel cooperation and support."
END
Arizona governor wants major new spending on border security
ASSOCIATED PRESS |
November 23, 2015 @ 2:45 pm
http://ktar.com/story/779800/arizona-governor-wants-major-new-spending-on-border-security/
With seized drugs and weapons from border-crossing drug smugglers, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, left, speaks at a news conference after testifying at a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the Arizona Capitol Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Phoenix. R. Gil Kerlikowske, center, commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, listens in during the news conference. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Monday he wants the Legislature to approve "tens of millions of dollars" in new funding for a border security force made up of state police, a move intended to address border smuggling even as immigration and terrorism worries emerge as potent 2016 political issues.
The Republican governor said his new plan to target smuggling along the Arizona border will focus on adding staffing, technology, air assets and highway patrol coverage. He also wants to boost spending on prosecutors, help county jails pay for holding added prisoners and temporarily use Arizona National Guard troops.
The troops, equipment and added staffing will be used by a newly formed Arizona Department of Public Safety unit called the Border Strike Force. Since he created it in September, the unit has seized more than $2.2 million in cash, multiple firearms, nearly 4,000 pounds of marijuana, 73 pounds of meth, and 19 pounds of heroin – "more (heroin) than the entire amount seized in all of 2014," by state police, Ducey said.
Ducey highlighted the new efforts after testifying at a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at the state Capitol. Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake attended the meeting chaired by Sen. Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin.
Johnson said the root cause of the smuggling issue along the border is "America's insatiable demand for drugs."
McCain noted that while the Border Patrol has made substantial progress, smuggling of drugs and people continues to be a major issue.
"We've made progress in securing our border, there's no doubt about that," McCain said. "But clearly we are losing the war with the transnational criminal organizations that smuggle illicit narcotics into our country. The demand for these drugs –heroin, meth, cocaine– is too high, and the profit the cartels make too great to simply arrest our way out of this problem."
The Arizona effort pales in comparison to what is happening in Texas, where new Republican Gov. Greg Abbott championed an $800 million, two-year border security proposal through the Legislature in June. Abbott pointed to drug cartel crime as the impetus for the effort.
Ducey's effort primarily targets cartel smugglers, but he also noted that increasing national concerns about terrorism play an important role in his effort. Just last week, the Border Patrol captured five Pakistani immigrants and one Afghan immigrant near the Arizona-Mexico border.
"What we're taking about today is seizing these weapons and these drugs that are causing so much hurt and anguish with our families," Ducey said. "At the same time we know that the world has changed. If you can get these things through our borders or our ports, you can certainly get other things through our borders and ports."
Ducey appeared alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, a move that highlights a new tack toward cooperation with federal officials on border security issues after years of acrimony.
"I think this is a recognition that we can do so much more when we work together," Ducey said, citing a conversation he had with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson after the Super Bowl. "Once we renewed that type of communication and relationship from federal to state to county to local law enforcement, what kind of difference could we make on the border. You're seeing the results of that in just eight weeks."
The hearings focused on heroin smuggling, a growing part of enforcement efforts as communities across the nation combat rising addition to the potent narcotic. But they also delved into problems of drug cartels smuggling other drugs and people into the U.S.
Ducey's plan drew criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, which called it a "misguided effort that is likely to create more problems than it solves."
"Arizonans have seen time and again that involving state police in U.S. border policies damages the well-being of our communities and the image of our state," ACLU executive director Alessandra Soler said. "Texas has wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on an initiative similar to Gov. Ducey's proposed 'strike force' that bipartisan critics agree has had little impact, other than to make communities less safe. We should not repeat these failed policies in Arizona."
But the governor rebuffed the criticism, saying his main job was to protect Arizona.
"You can look at the human toll that's happening in our communities, you can see the results … in the two months of this strike force," Ducey said. "My No. 1 concern is public safety for the state of Arizona."
Border sheriffs in Yuma and Santa Cruz counties said recently that new state efforts should focus on boosting highway patrols, aiding sheriffs that already have deputies on smuggling task forces and other support efforts. But Ducey said he's gotten positive feedback from other law enforcement and that those sheriffs will come around.
The use of National Guard troops will be small and short-lived, DPS Director Frank Milstead said. The small border force operating now uses air assets and support personnel from the Guard's joint narcotics task force, but the funding request will seek to replace them quickly.
"The national guard is not a sustainable alternative for us," Milstead said. "They're very expensive to use and they have other priorities as well. So the temporary use of their air assets and their staffing will fill that need right now."
Ducey said the issue of heroin and drug addiction resonates across the country.
"Arizona must hold the line for the sake of every state, every community and every family in this country, and we intend to do so," he said. "But this is not just Arizona's problem, it's America's problem and it must be met with more money, manpower and multilevel cooperation and support."
END
Friday, November 20, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 20-11-15
AZMEX UPDATE 20 NOV 2015
Note: a little more info. Some doubts if they really are Paks?
5 Pakistanis, 1 Afghani detained near Patagonia
Nogales International Updated 8 hrs ago Comments
Border Patrol Sonoita Station
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/pakistanis-afghani-detained-near-patagonia/article_554c0282-8f1d-11e5-b13a-8b40399cd23e.html
U.S. Border Patrol agents detained five undocumented border-crossers from Pakistan and another from Afghanistan near Patagonia this week.
The individuals were detained Monday along with two smugglers, the Border Patrol said in a statement issued Thursday. Patagonia Marshal Joe Patterson said the arrests occurred in the Rail X Ranch Estates neighborhood just northeast of town, near Milepost 22 on State Route 82.
"As a standard procedure, agents processed the six individuals and checked their identities against numerous law enforcement and national security-related databases," the Border Patrol statement said. "Records checks revealed no derogatory information about the individuals."
Still, their detention is likely to stoke fears that terrorists will try to gain access to the country through its porous southwest border with Mexico, especially coming only days after coordinated attacks carried out by the terrorist group ISIS in Paris killed 129 people.
Detentions of undocumented immigrants from Pakistan and Afghanistan are not especially rare in the United States. In Fiscal Year 2013, federal immigration authorities apprehended 334 Pakistanis and 70 Afghanis, according to the most recent Department of Homeland Security Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. Those figures include apprehensions made both by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in the interior of the country, and by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agencies near international boundaries.
While acknowledging that many people are fleeing violence and poverty in that part of the world, Art Del Cueto, president of the union that represents Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents, said there are reasons to be suspicious given the manner in which the men detained near Patagonia entered the country.
"Why not do it legally?" he asked. "If you're doing it right, what's there to hide?"
The six detainees are currently in federal custody and not at the Santa Cruz County jail, which houses some undocumented border-crossers as part of an agreement with the U.S. Marshal. In fact, Sheriff Antonio Estrada said Thursday he had been unaware of the detentions until he began receiving inquiries from the media.
"We checked our system and everything else and we never got a call, we were never involved," he said, adding: "Border Patrol catches a lot of illegals and they don't necessarily report them to us."
Meanwhile in Patagonia, "We're keeping our eyes open," Patterson said.
end
Note: a little more info. Some doubts if they really are Paks?
5 Pakistanis, 1 Afghani detained near Patagonia
Nogales International Updated 8 hrs ago Comments
Border Patrol Sonoita Station
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/pakistanis-afghani-detained-near-patagonia/article_554c0282-8f1d-11e5-b13a-8b40399cd23e.html
U.S. Border Patrol agents detained five undocumented border-crossers from Pakistan and another from Afghanistan near Patagonia this week.
The individuals were detained Monday along with two smugglers, the Border Patrol said in a statement issued Thursday. Patagonia Marshal Joe Patterson said the arrests occurred in the Rail X Ranch Estates neighborhood just northeast of town, near Milepost 22 on State Route 82.
"As a standard procedure, agents processed the six individuals and checked their identities against numerous law enforcement and national security-related databases," the Border Patrol statement said. "Records checks revealed no derogatory information about the individuals."
Still, their detention is likely to stoke fears that terrorists will try to gain access to the country through its porous southwest border with Mexico, especially coming only days after coordinated attacks carried out by the terrorist group ISIS in Paris killed 129 people.
Detentions of undocumented immigrants from Pakistan and Afghanistan are not especially rare in the United States. In Fiscal Year 2013, federal immigration authorities apprehended 334 Pakistanis and 70 Afghanis, according to the most recent Department of Homeland Security Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. Those figures include apprehensions made both by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in the interior of the country, and by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agencies near international boundaries.
While acknowledging that many people are fleeing violence and poverty in that part of the world, Art Del Cueto, president of the union that represents Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents, said there are reasons to be suspicious given the manner in which the men detained near Patagonia entered the country.
"Why not do it legally?" he asked. "If you're doing it right, what's there to hide?"
The six detainees are currently in federal custody and not at the Santa Cruz County jail, which houses some undocumented border-crossers as part of an agreement with the U.S. Marshal. In fact, Sheriff Antonio Estrada said Thursday he had been unaware of the detentions until he began receiving inquiries from the media.
"We checked our system and everything else and we never got a call, we were never involved," he said, adding: "Border Patrol catches a lot of illegals and they don't necessarily report them to us."
Meanwhile in Patagonia, "We're keeping our eyes open," Patterson said.
end
Thursday, November 19, 2015
AZMEX I3 Rev 1 19-11-15
AZMEX I3 REV. 1 19 NOV 2015
Note: from Sharyl Attkisson Good reporting.
Afghani, Pakistanis caught illegally entering U.S. at Mexican border, say agents
by sattkisson on November 18, 2015 in News
https://sharylattkisson.com/afghani-pakistanis-caught-illegally-entering-u-s-at-mexican-border-say-agents/
Updates: In other news: reports say 8 Syrians caught crossing U.S. from Mexican border Monday; 5 Syrians with stolen Greek passports caught in Honduras; DC Metro issues BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for bearded men behaving suspiciously on metro last weekend. No public indication any of those apprehended were connected to terrorist groups.
Agents with the U.S. Border Patrol are expressing frustration and anger after a group of men from Pakistan and Afghanistan was reportedly caught crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. this week. The agents say the incident was kept secret from them until they pressed their managers for information.
The group of citizens from the Mideast was reportedly captured after sneaking into Arizona on Monday, three days after the Paris attacks and four days after a double suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in both cities.
The Border Patrol would not confirm the incident officially, and declined to provide information or comment when asked about it today. Several agents working in Arizona say they were not originally briefed on the arrests but heard about it from other agents. They say the case was not presented to them in their regular intelligence briefing, and that they only received bare bones information today when they pressed their managers.
"It's the kind of stuff you need to know," says one agent, who asked not to be identified. He said agents were upset that the information was being kept secret from them by their own agency.
According to those briefed on the incident, the group of five people from Pakistan and one from Afghanistan was captured near Patagonia, an Arizona town 18 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. They were apprehended by agents stationed at the Sonoita, Arizona Border Patrol. The group had been led across the border by two Mexican guides who were also detained. The Mexican guides were so worried about getting caught with the group that they reportedly broke into fisticuffs over who was at fault.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are well known strongholds for terrorist groups. Border Patrol agents and F.B.I. agents have long expressed fear that potential terrorists are exploiting the porous U.S.-Mexican border and lax enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/over-the-line-fighting-corruption-on-our-border/
My calls today to Sonoita and Tucson Border Patrol offices today were referred to a public affairs office. That office said it would be back in touch when it had information for me, but did not provide any after eight hours.
"We received your request. We will contact you back once we have information for you," wrote the Tucson Sector Border Patrol Public Affairs Office in an email.
When asked if agents were on heightened alert in light of the terrorist attacks in Beirut and Paris, one said, "Oh yeah. I know it's coming."
Frustration levels inside the Border Patrol have reached a peak, say some agents, with concerns that they are often effectively kept from doing the job they were trained to do: stop illegal traffic from crossing the border.
"We have people from all over the world coming to the Mexican border and claiming asylum. Since they're not from Mexico, we can't send them back over," says one agent, speaking of performing his job on a daily basis. The agent spoke about his routine experience apprehending illegal immigrants.
"Since they have no criminal record in the United States, they are let into the country, and given a date to appear in court, usually months or years out. After they sign the paperwork, they're free to go, and disappear. Because they have no criminal records, ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] can't go looking for them since they are not 'priorities.' Even if ICE encounters them later on, ICE still can't arrest them if their criminal record isn't serious."
"We see a lot of Somali's, which…has a large Muslim population. In Nigeria, there is a huge contingent of Boko Haram, which is just a ruthless as ISIS. They have been slaughtering schools full of children and priests for years now. The truth is, anyone can get into this country and stay. It's not possible that we don't have any ISIS sympathizers here. It's just too easy for them to get here."
None one of the agents who provided information for this report was aware of the current whereabouts of the group captured on Monday. They speculate that the F.B.I. may be interviewing them or taking custody.
end
Note: Note: passports most likely sold, not stolen. By them anyway. Keep in mind also the extensive resources necessary for such a long voyage. From Lebanon, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and then Honduras. Very very expensive. Another Syrian also caught on Nov. 13th. No info or estimate on how many may have made it into U.S. ADDED: Also of interest will be the extensive support network needed to make all this happen. Collaborators, sympathizers and those doing it for the money. Although the Mexican drug cartels may determine it is bad for business and shut it down. A major incident could actually result in the US - MEX border being closed.
Thx
Note: will try this one in english this time.
Five Syrians with stolen Greek passports arrested
November 18, 2015 / 11:10 PM /
A warning that foreigners came to Honduras was received.
http://www.laprensa.hn/actualidad/902985-410/detienen-a-cinco-sirios-con-pasaportes-griegos-robados
DPI agents escort five Syrians in Toncontin. They were taken under heavy security.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Traveling with Greek passports, the Honduran authorities found these inconsistencies because they had already alerted.
The intelligence of Honduras have five Syrian citizens under investigation suspected.
They entered through the Toncontin airport on Tuesday at night, after landing the flight number 721 from San Jose, Costa Rica, where according to authorities where they stayed six days.
In the morning the Police Investigations Department (DPI) reported that those arrested were Syrian citizens, but in a statement issued last night by the National Migration Institute is not established what the true nationality.
The suspects were identified as Syrians Vasileios Bouzas, Charalampos Kyrimopou, Bellios Anastasios Konstantinos Marinakis and Alexandros Tzempelikos.
The version indicates that foreign detainees carried identification papers reported as stolen in Athens, Greece, according to information provided by the authorities of that country to the Government of Honduras.
Aníbal Baca spokesman DPI reported that the five foreigners left Syria and made stops in Lebanon, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and Costa Rica, before reaching Honduras. "It is assumed that they brought false documents (...) passports were stolen in Greece," he said.
The five people were pulled up yesterday morning Toncontin airport, where they were interrogated by the International Police (Interpol) and migration staff.
After spending the night at the airport they were taken with their luggage to the DPI in La Cañada village, amid tight security.
The police spokesman said that through Interpol alert came five Syrian nationals bound for Honduras was received, so "coordinations were made, it was seeing the itinerary of them last night and arrived at Toncontin Airport ".
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa said the government of that country is working "closely" with Honduras to verify the identities of the five individuals allegedly Syrians.
"Our embassy in Tegucigalpa is working closely with their Honduran counterparts to verify their identities," the embassy.
The Migration Institute confirmed that it had already given a similar case last Friday November 13 at Toncontín airport when a person is identified as Antonios Kallinteris, 381-13-59 passport, which also showed inconsistencies. It handled it was also of Syrian origin.
end
Note: from Sharyl Attkisson Good reporting.
Afghani, Pakistanis caught illegally entering U.S. at Mexican border, say agents
by sattkisson on November 18, 2015 in News
https://sharylattkisson.com/afghani-pakistanis-caught-illegally-entering-u-s-at-mexican-border-say-agents/
Updates: In other news: reports say 8 Syrians caught crossing U.S. from Mexican border Monday; 5 Syrians with stolen Greek passports caught in Honduras; DC Metro issues BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for bearded men behaving suspiciously on metro last weekend. No public indication any of those apprehended were connected to terrorist groups.
Agents with the U.S. Border Patrol are expressing frustration and anger after a group of men from Pakistan and Afghanistan was reportedly caught crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. this week. The agents say the incident was kept secret from them until they pressed their managers for information.
The group of citizens from the Mideast was reportedly captured after sneaking into Arizona on Monday, three days after the Paris attacks and four days after a double suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in both cities.
The Border Patrol would not confirm the incident officially, and declined to provide information or comment when asked about it today. Several agents working in Arizona say they were not originally briefed on the arrests but heard about it from other agents. They say the case was not presented to them in their regular intelligence briefing, and that they only received bare bones information today when they pressed their managers.
"It's the kind of stuff you need to know," says one agent, who asked not to be identified. He said agents were upset that the information was being kept secret from them by their own agency.
According to those briefed on the incident, the group of five people from Pakistan and one from Afghanistan was captured near Patagonia, an Arizona town 18 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. They were apprehended by agents stationed at the Sonoita, Arizona Border Patrol. The group had been led across the border by two Mexican guides who were also detained. The Mexican guides were so worried about getting caught with the group that they reportedly broke into fisticuffs over who was at fault.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are well known strongholds for terrorist groups. Border Patrol agents and F.B.I. agents have long expressed fear that potential terrorists are exploiting the porous U.S.-Mexican border and lax enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/over-the-line-fighting-corruption-on-our-border/
My calls today to Sonoita and Tucson Border Patrol offices today were referred to a public affairs office. That office said it would be back in touch when it had information for me, but did not provide any after eight hours.
"We received your request. We will contact you back once we have information for you," wrote the Tucson Sector Border Patrol Public Affairs Office in an email.
When asked if agents were on heightened alert in light of the terrorist attacks in Beirut and Paris, one said, "Oh yeah. I know it's coming."
Frustration levels inside the Border Patrol have reached a peak, say some agents, with concerns that they are often effectively kept from doing the job they were trained to do: stop illegal traffic from crossing the border.
"We have people from all over the world coming to the Mexican border and claiming asylum. Since they're not from Mexico, we can't send them back over," says one agent, speaking of performing his job on a daily basis. The agent spoke about his routine experience apprehending illegal immigrants.
"Since they have no criminal record in the United States, they are let into the country, and given a date to appear in court, usually months or years out. After they sign the paperwork, they're free to go, and disappear. Because they have no criminal records, ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] can't go looking for them since they are not 'priorities.' Even if ICE encounters them later on, ICE still can't arrest them if their criminal record isn't serious."
"We see a lot of Somali's, which…has a large Muslim population. In Nigeria, there is a huge contingent of Boko Haram, which is just a ruthless as ISIS. They have been slaughtering schools full of children and priests for years now. The truth is, anyone can get into this country and stay. It's not possible that we don't have any ISIS sympathizers here. It's just too easy for them to get here."
None one of the agents who provided information for this report was aware of the current whereabouts of the group captured on Monday. They speculate that the F.B.I. may be interviewing them or taking custody.
end
Note: Note: passports most likely sold, not stolen. By them anyway. Keep in mind also the extensive resources necessary for such a long voyage. From Lebanon, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and then Honduras. Very very expensive. Another Syrian also caught on Nov. 13th. No info or estimate on how many may have made it into U.S. ADDED: Also of interest will be the extensive support network needed to make all this happen. Collaborators, sympathizers and those doing it for the money. Although the Mexican drug cartels may determine it is bad for business and shut it down. A major incident could actually result in the US - MEX border being closed.
Thx
Note: will try this one in english this time.
Five Syrians with stolen Greek passports arrested
November 18, 2015 / 11:10 PM /
A warning that foreigners came to Honduras was received.
http://www.laprensa.hn/actualidad/902985-410/detienen-a-cinco-sirios-con-pasaportes-griegos-robados
DPI agents escort five Syrians in Toncontin. They were taken under heavy security.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Traveling with Greek passports, the Honduran authorities found these inconsistencies because they had already alerted.
The intelligence of Honduras have five Syrian citizens under investigation suspected.
They entered through the Toncontin airport on Tuesday at night, after landing the flight number 721 from San Jose, Costa Rica, where according to authorities where they stayed six days.
In the morning the Police Investigations Department (DPI) reported that those arrested were Syrian citizens, but in a statement issued last night by the National Migration Institute is not established what the true nationality.
The suspects were identified as Syrians Vasileios Bouzas, Charalampos Kyrimopou, Bellios Anastasios Konstantinos Marinakis and Alexandros Tzempelikos.
The version indicates that foreign detainees carried identification papers reported as stolen in Athens, Greece, according to information provided by the authorities of that country to the Government of Honduras.
Aníbal Baca spokesman DPI reported that the five foreigners left Syria and made stops in Lebanon, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and Costa Rica, before reaching Honduras. "It is assumed that they brought false documents (...) passports were stolen in Greece," he said.
The five people were pulled up yesterday morning Toncontin airport, where they were interrogated by the International Police (Interpol) and migration staff.
After spending the night at the airport they were taken with their luggage to the DPI in La Cañada village, amid tight security.
The police spokesman said that through Interpol alert came five Syrian nationals bound for Honduras was received, so "coordinations were made, it was seeing the itinerary of them last night and arrived at Toncontin Airport ".
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa said the government of that country is working "closely" with Honduras to verify the identities of the five individuals allegedly Syrians.
"Our embassy in Tegucigalpa is working closely with their Honduran counterparts to verify their identities," the embassy.
The Migration Institute confirmed that it had already given a similar case last Friday November 13 at Toncontín airport when a person is identified as Antonios Kallinteris, 381-13-59 passport, which also showed inconsistencies. It handled it was also of Syrian origin.
end
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
AZMEX I3 19-11-15
AZMEX I3 19 NOV 2015
Note: passports most likely sold, not stolen. By them anyway. Keep in mind also the extensive resources necessary for such a long voyage. From Lebanon, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and then Honduras. Very very expensive. Another Syrian also caught on Nov. 13th. No info or estimate on how many may have already made it into U.S.
Gracias
Honduras arrests five US-bound Syrians with stolen passports
3 hours ago
From the section Latin America & Caribbean
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34864193
One of the Syrians is escorted by police at Tegucigalpa airportImage
Image caption
One of the Syrians is escorted by police at Tegucigalpa airport
Police in Honduras have arrested five Syrians who were travelling on stolen Greek passports and reportedly intended to enter the US by land.
The five were detained after arriving on a flight from neighbouring El Salvador on Tuesday night, police said.
A spokesman for the Honduras's special police force, Anibal Baca, said they had been tipped off by Greece about the men's imminent arrival.
Greek diplomats in Honduras say none of the five speak Greek.
They were held at the international airport in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa.
According to Honduran police, they were planning to travel to the northern city of San Pedro Sula. From there, they intended to cross into Guatemala and then Mexico before reaching the US border, some 2,000km (1,2000 miles) away.
Unknown identities
"The passports were stolen in Athens," said Mr Baca, from the Police Investigations Division (DPI).
A possible review of the refugee programme has been dividing public opinion in the United States
"Those are not their real names. We are still trying to establish their identities," he told La Prensa newspaper.
The names on the passports are: Charalampos Kyrimopoulos, Alexandros Tzempelikos, Vasileios Bouzas, Konstantinos Marinakis and Anastasios Bellios.
Interpol will assist Honduran police with the investigation.
American politicians have expressed concern over the arrival of Middle Eastern refugees following Friday's attacks in Paris.
Republicans in the House of Representatives said they were drafting legislation to introduce tougher controls on Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
END
From Honduras: Photo also.
Detienen a cinco sirios con pasaportes griegos robados
18 Nov 2015 / 11:10 PM /
Se recibió una alerta de que los extranjeros venían para Honduras.
http://www.laprensa.hn/actualidad/902985-410/detienen-a-cinco-sirios-con-pasaportes-griegos-robados
Agentes de la DPI escoltan a los cinco sirios en Toncontín. Fueron llevados bajo fuertes medidas de seguridad.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Viajaban con pasaportes griegos y al presentarlos a las autoridades hondureñas estas encontraron inconsistencias porque ya los habían alertado.
Los cuerpos de inteligencia de Honduras tienen bajo investigación cinco presuntos ciudadanos sirios.
Ingresaron a través del aeropuerto Toncontín el martes en horas de la noche, luego de desembarcar el vuelo número 721 procedente de San José, Costa Rica, en donde según autoridades de ese país estuvieron seis días.
En horas de la mañana la Dirección Policial de Investigaciones (DPI) informó que los detenidos eran ciudadanos sirios, pero en un comunicado emitido anoche por el Instituto Nacional de Migración no se establece cuál es la verdadera nacionalidad.
Los presuntos sirios se identificaron como Vasileios Bouzas, Charalampos Kyrimopou, Anastasios Bellios, Konstantinos Marinakis y Alexandros Tzempelikos.
La versión apunta a que los extranjeros detenidos portaban documentos de identificación con reporte de robo en Atenas, Grecia, según información que brindaron las autoridades de ese país al Gobierno de Honduras.
Aníbal Baca, vocero de la DPI, informó que los cinco extranjeros salieron de Siria e hicieron escalas en Líbano, Turquía, Brasil, Argentina y Costa Rica, antes de llegar a Honduras. "Se supone que ellos traían documentación falsa (...) los pasaportes fueron robados en Grecia", dijo.
Las cinco personas fueron sacadas hasta ayer por la mañana del aeropuerto Toncontín, en donde fueron interrogados por agentes de la Policía Internacional (Interpol) y personal de Migración.
Tras pasar la noche en la terminal aérea fueron llevados con su equipaje hasta la DPI en aldea La Cañada, en medio de un fuerte dispositivo de seguridad.
El vocero policial dijo que a través de Interpol se recibió una alerta de que cinco ciudadanos sirios venían con rumbo a Honduras, por lo que "se hicieron las coordinaciones, se estuvo viendo el itinerario de ellos y la noche de ayer arribaron al aeropuerto de Toncontín".
Apoyo
Un portavoz de la embajada de Estados Unidos en Tegucigalpa dijo que el Gobierno de ese país trabaja "estrechamente" con Honduras para verificar las identidades de los cinco individuos presuntamente sirios.
"Nuestra embajada en Tegucigalpa está trabajando estrechamente con sus contrapartes hondureños para verificar sus identidades", informó la sede diplomática.
El Instituto de Migración confirmó que ya se había dado otro caso similar el pasado viernes 13 de noviembre en el aeropuerto Toncontín, cuando una persona se identificó como Antonios Kallinteris, con pasaporte 381-13-59, el cual también presentaba inconsistencias. Se maneja que también era de origen sirio.
fin
Note: passports most likely sold, not stolen. By them anyway. Keep in mind also the extensive resources necessary for such a long voyage. From Lebanon, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and then Honduras. Very very expensive. Another Syrian also caught on Nov. 13th. No info or estimate on how many may have already made it into U.S.
Gracias
Honduras arrests five US-bound Syrians with stolen passports
3 hours ago
From the section Latin America & Caribbean
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34864193
One of the Syrians is escorted by police at Tegucigalpa airportImage
Image caption
One of the Syrians is escorted by police at Tegucigalpa airport
Police in Honduras have arrested five Syrians who were travelling on stolen Greek passports and reportedly intended to enter the US by land.
The five were detained after arriving on a flight from neighbouring El Salvador on Tuesday night, police said.
A spokesman for the Honduras's special police force, Anibal Baca, said they had been tipped off by Greece about the men's imminent arrival.
Greek diplomats in Honduras say none of the five speak Greek.
They were held at the international airport in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa.
According to Honduran police, they were planning to travel to the northern city of San Pedro Sula. From there, they intended to cross into Guatemala and then Mexico before reaching the US border, some 2,000km (1,2000 miles) away.
Unknown identities
"The passports were stolen in Athens," said Mr Baca, from the Police Investigations Division (DPI).
A possible review of the refugee programme has been dividing public opinion in the United States
"Those are not their real names. We are still trying to establish their identities," he told La Prensa newspaper.
The names on the passports are: Charalampos Kyrimopoulos, Alexandros Tzempelikos, Vasileios Bouzas, Konstantinos Marinakis and Anastasios Bellios.
Interpol will assist Honduran police with the investigation.
American politicians have expressed concern over the arrival of Middle Eastern refugees following Friday's attacks in Paris.
Republicans in the House of Representatives said they were drafting legislation to introduce tougher controls on Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
END
From Honduras: Photo also.
Detienen a cinco sirios con pasaportes griegos robados
18 Nov 2015 / 11:10 PM /
Se recibió una alerta de que los extranjeros venían para Honduras.
http://www.laprensa.hn/actualidad/902985-410/detienen-a-cinco-sirios-con-pasaportes-griegos-robados
Agentes de la DPI escoltan a los cinco sirios en Toncontín. Fueron llevados bajo fuertes medidas de seguridad.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Viajaban con pasaportes griegos y al presentarlos a las autoridades hondureñas estas encontraron inconsistencias porque ya los habían alertado.
Los cuerpos de inteligencia de Honduras tienen bajo investigación cinco presuntos ciudadanos sirios.
Ingresaron a través del aeropuerto Toncontín el martes en horas de la noche, luego de desembarcar el vuelo número 721 procedente de San José, Costa Rica, en donde según autoridades de ese país estuvieron seis días.
En horas de la mañana la Dirección Policial de Investigaciones (DPI) informó que los detenidos eran ciudadanos sirios, pero en un comunicado emitido anoche por el Instituto Nacional de Migración no se establece cuál es la verdadera nacionalidad.
Los presuntos sirios se identificaron como Vasileios Bouzas, Charalampos Kyrimopou, Anastasios Bellios, Konstantinos Marinakis y Alexandros Tzempelikos.
La versión apunta a que los extranjeros detenidos portaban documentos de identificación con reporte de robo en Atenas, Grecia, según información que brindaron las autoridades de ese país al Gobierno de Honduras.
Aníbal Baca, vocero de la DPI, informó que los cinco extranjeros salieron de Siria e hicieron escalas en Líbano, Turquía, Brasil, Argentina y Costa Rica, antes de llegar a Honduras. "Se supone que ellos traían documentación falsa (...) los pasaportes fueron robados en Grecia", dijo.
Las cinco personas fueron sacadas hasta ayer por la mañana del aeropuerto Toncontín, en donde fueron interrogados por agentes de la Policía Internacional (Interpol) y personal de Migración.
Tras pasar la noche en la terminal aérea fueron llevados con su equipaje hasta la DPI en aldea La Cañada, en medio de un fuerte dispositivo de seguridad.
El vocero policial dijo que a través de Interpol se recibió una alerta de que cinco ciudadanos sirios venían con rumbo a Honduras, por lo que "se hicieron las coordinaciones, se estuvo viendo el itinerario de ellos y la noche de ayer arribaron al aeropuerto de Toncontín".
Apoyo
Un portavoz de la embajada de Estados Unidos en Tegucigalpa dijo que el Gobierno de ese país trabaja "estrechamente" con Honduras para verificar las identidades de los cinco individuos presuntamente sirios.
"Nuestra embajada en Tegucigalpa está trabajando estrechamente con sus contrapartes hondureños para verificar sus identidades", informó la sede diplomática.
El Instituto de Migración confirmó que ya se había dado otro caso similar el pasado viernes 13 de noviembre en el aeropuerto Toncontín, cuando una persona se identificó como Antonios Kallinteris, con pasaporte 381-13-59, el cual también presentaba inconsistencias. Se maneja que también era de origen sirio.
fin
AZMEX UPDATE 18-11-15
AZMEX UPDATE 18 NOV 2015
Note: Video and photos at link. Fox 10 Phx unexpected source for this story. Not mentioned is that the smugglers have to pass through the Cabeza Prieta NWR and the Organ Pipe Cactus NM first. Wonder if they will cover the adjoining reservation next? The Tohono O'odham (Papago) reservation is a major route north. A couple mass killings have been reported just south of the reservation in recent months. Also numerous bodies found, sometimes on a daily basis. Control of the area has been disputed for several years now, with several settlements reached with weapons provided by Obama administration. "Whispers" also persist of many more bodies "planted" on the res.
Gracias
Illegal immigrants smuggled across military range
The security of Arizona's southern border has been a long and often bitter debate, centered around how illegal immigrants and smugglers sneak into the country by the thousands.
By: Linda Williams
POSTED:NOV 17 2015 09:25PM MST
UPDATED:NOV 17 2015 09:49PM MST
GILA BEND, Ariz. (KSAZ) - The security of Arizona's southern border has been a long and often bitter debate, centered around how illegal immigrants and smugglers sneak into the country by the thousands.
There's a place just north of the border, named after one of Arizona's most renowned Senators, Barry M. Goldwater.
The clear blue skies above Arizona are perfect for training the U.S. Air Force pilots. In the desert north-west of Tucson there is live bombing practice. It's a daily occurrence for A-10, F-16, and F-35 pilots at the Barry Goldwater Range.
Photo Illegal immigrants smuggled across military range
"It's very hard to control access to a million acres, it's not all fenced in as you might think, we're not staffed to watch every inch of the land to see who is out there," said Range Director Chas Buchannan.
So who would be traveling through a live bombing range? People coming into the country illegally and their smugglers.
"We don't want to see them there, we don't want to see them get hurt, because of the business we're doing," said Buchannan.
Still they come, an illegal border crosser or smuggler can throw a wrench into the operations although the incursions are rare.
"When somebody is reported, we will stop operations and hold the airplanes high. They can still use the airspace, but cannot continue with weapons deployment or dropping bombs," said Buchannan.
Some are critical of the fact that not only are people coming into the country illegally but that they use a Federal government installation as a pathway is disturbing.
"These should be secure installations, here is a bombing range use by our military for their target and proficiency practice, and they have to stop operations because there are illegals or smugglers coming through and they have to clear it," said Sheriff Paul Babeu.
Babeu isn't the only one expressing frustration. Border expert Sylvia Longmore wrote scathingly about the range as a pathway for illegal immigrants and smugglers.
"It makes sense that people are going to go through it if it's easy for smugglers to go through it, it offers them some level of protection from law enforcement," said Sylvia Longmore.
Longmire says she is frustrated and wants a solution.
"That these kinds of activities are happening not even in the Arizona desert, but on DoD property, that tends to get Americans to take notice and wake up and say hey this is not acceptable," she said.
The Border Patrol for the Yuma Sector says it does not keep specific stats for the range itself, but for the sector as a whole.
Apprehension numbers are on the decline, in 2012 there were 6,500 apprehensions. In 2013, agents apprehended 6,106. And in 2014 the Border Patrol caught 5,902.
The numbers are down from the hundreds of thousands apprehended in the sector in 2006.
There is no way to tell how many are coming through carrying drugs, or those looking for jobs, or worse those looking to do harm.
In light of the recent attacks in Paris, the question of who is crossing into this country is pressing. The irony is they are coming on land used by the very people training to protect America.
end
Related:
Border Patrol arrests 19, seizes over 1400 pounds of marijuana
KTAR NEWSROOM |
November 17, 2015 @ 7:04 pm
The Douglas seizure. (Customs and Border Protection Photo)
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized 1,483 pounds of marijuana and arrested 19 people during two weekend incidents, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Agents at the Ajo Border Patrol Station patrolling the international boundary near Lukeville, Arizona and Rocky Point, Mexico discovered some footprints left by individuals who apparently entered the United States illegally. They tracked the footprints and caught up with the group.
With assistance from an Air and Marine Operations crew, agents apprehended 19 people carrying large bundles of marijuana, weighing over 920 pounds. The individuals were all taken to the Ajo Station for further processing.
The next day, agents at the Douglas Border Patrol Station saw some people cross the international boundary with large bundles. The individuals secretly left after trying to conceal their packs near an abandoned ranch. The agents retrieved the bundles which held more than 563 pounds of marijuana and weapons.
Overall, the 1,483 pounds of marijuana is valued at almost $741,500.
end
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 17-11-15
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 17 NOV 2015
Note: As expected none of those responsible have yet to face justice, including responsibility for many hundreds of "Hispanic" / "Latino" / Mexican deaths. Not to forget Dennis Burke and Janet Napolitano. Pardons for silence?
Posted: Nov 15, 2015 9:49 PM MST
Updated: Nov 15, 2015 9:52 PM MST
N4T Investigators: ATF officials in charge of scandalous gunwalk program allowed to retire
Written By Michel Marizco
Reported By Steve Ryan
Tucson's NBC affiliate
Several men have now been convicted for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry but we've looked into the murky cases of the men in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives gun-walking scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious and found those in charge of the program received a better deal.
Two men from Mexico were sentenced for the murder of Terry, in September. But we've learned that the men who allowed those defendants to get their hands on some assault rifles faced a much lighter sentence. Retirement complete with a government pension.
"He was honest, he loved his country, he was a Marine, a police officer, a BORTAC agent. He always did what was right. He loved life to the fullest. He never took anything for granted," said Michelle Terry Balogh.
Brian Terry's sister lost her brother nearly five years ago. She was proud of her brother's sacrifices but is still looking for justice in this case. The gun-walking operation was supposed to track weapons from a Glendale gunstore into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. But in one congressional hearing from 2011, Phoenix ATF agent Peter Forcelli described what really happened.
"Surveillances were terminated far from the border. Some of these guns could have been diverted with drug cartel drugs to New York to Baltimore to Oklahoma to anywhere in the United States. This was a catastrophic disaster."
Federal reports obtained by the News 4 Tucson Investigators show the gun buyers spent $1.5 million dollars on 2,000 weapons. The report notes that among those who created the gunwalking program, two men were responsible for creating Fast and Furious: ATF's special agent in charge at the time, William Newell, and his second in command during fast and furious, George Gillett.
Investigators wrote: "Newell also bore ultimate responsibility for the failures in Operation Fast and Furious."
And on his second in command: "We found Gillett's supervision and judgment in Operation Fast and Furious seriously deficient."
"The American people deserve answers. The Terry family deserves answers," said Robert Heyer, Terry's cousin. "It's just incredulous that these folks have continued on with their careers. Have been allowed to retire, have been allowed to transfer."
Tony Coulson was a Drug Enforcement administrator in Tucson during Operation Fast and Furious and worked with Newell and Gillett.
"Nothing happened to them. George Gillett was allowed to retire with no impact on his retirement."
Bill Newell got an even sweeter deal.
"Newell was demoted from a senior executive service to intelligence analyst or grade 13."
Coulson estimates Newell stands to make $100,000 a year in annuities.
"That's a shame for someone who put guns out on the street which became crime guns which may have resulted in the murder of a U.S. agent," Coulson said.
The Terrys keep seeking answers in this case.
"Brian lived by quotes and he always said you never leave a man behind. I just hope justice doesn't leave him behind," said Terry-Balogh.
Ultimately, federal investigators found 15 people were responsible for Operation Fast and Furious. We reached out to ATF for more than three weeks to press them on the retirement packages. Spokespeople answered our calls but would not respond to our questions. We will continue pushing to find out what happened to the remaining 13 ATF employees involved.
END
Saturday, November 14, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 14-11-15
AZMEX UPDATE 14 NOV 2015
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey creates state police border force
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS |
November 12, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered the Arizona Department of Public Safety to create a border strike force comprised of state troopers who will help law enforcement agencies along the Mexican border respond to crimes.
The strike force hasn't been formally announced, but The Associated Press confirmed its existence Thursday after obtaining a letter the governor sent to the Cochise County sheriff.
The force is designed to work with state, local and federal agencies to "stop border-related crime," according to the letter. It is apparently still in the planning stage and a timeline for deployment or a price tag isn't known.
"The goal of the Border Strike Force is to bolster your current efforts, not dictate to you or any other sheriff how to combat the issues we are facing," Ducey wrote to Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels. "Additionally, it is intended to build and design innovative strategies and work groups to effectively deter, disrupt, and dismantle border-related crime."
The Republican governor's move is among the first he's made since making border security a top priority during his 2014 primary campaign. Earlier this year, Ducey gave about $560,000 to sheriffs in Yuma and Cochise counties for border security efforts by shifting money from two inland counties.
Ducey spokesman Daniel Scarpinato confirmed the effort but declined to provide details. Scarpinato said it was part of a broader border security effort where the governor is working with counties and other stakeholders.
Asked about the initiative earlier this week, DPS Director Frank Milstead said he could not provide details in advance of a planned announcement by the governor.
That announcement is expected as early as next week.
Santa Cruz County sheriff Tony Estrada said he's met with Milstead and a member of the governor's staff in recent weeks and said the initiative involved 200 state troopers. Milstead said that number wasn't accurate, but he mentioned a similar number during a September meeting with border sheriffs, according to the Sierra Vista Herald.
Arizona's border with Mexico has long been known for drug and immigrant smuggling. Officials complain that break-ins and violent crime are often committed by groups coming from or returning to Mexico.
Federal efforts along the border have been paying off, however. The federal government has greatly expanded its border presence. Immigration from Mexico has also slowed considerably this decade, and the number of immigrants apprehended in the Border Patrol's Tucson sector in 2014 dipped to a 22-year low. Nearby Yuma plummeted to 1960s lows starting in 2011.
A version of the Oct. 28 letter sent to Dannels was apparently also sent to at least one other sheriff. The Yuma County sheriff's Office confirmed it had received a letter from the governor, but the office has not yet provided it under a public records request sent Tuesday.
"There is no limit to the violence and lawlessness committed by criminals who use our southern borders to smuggle people, illicit drugs, and money derived from criminal activities," Ducey wrote to Dannels. "As the governor of the great state of Arizona it is my commitment to you and the people in our state that we will combat this threat together."
Estrada said Wednesday that he has not received a similar letter. He said during a recent meeting with Milstead he told him that state troopers need to boost patrols in the early morning hours, when smugglers and other criminals take advantage of DPS's lack of overnight shifts in his county.
"You've got money, you've got weapons you've got cars and fugitives going south. You've got drugs, illegals and money and everything else going north.," Estrada said. "And you don't have anything after 2 o'clock in the morning. That's an open invitation."
Ducey made border security a major issue in the 2014 GOP primary, promising to "fight back with every resource at my command" to secure the state's border with Mexico.
"Fencing, satellites, guardsmen, more police and prosecutors," Ducey said in a campaign ad. "We'll get this done. If Barack Obama won't do the job, Arizonans will."
END
Saturday, November 7, 2015
AZMEX SPECIAL 7-11-15
AZMEX SPECIAL 7 NOV 2015
Note: It's not just AZ boys and girls. Bringing with it increased property crime, violent crime, and attacks on your Freedom and Rights.
BTW, tons of the necessary chemicals come to Mexico from China.
Unlike many other countries, China seems to learn from history.
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Opium-Wars
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/empire/opiumwars/opiumwars1.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Opium_Wars.aspx
Link to report: http://www.dea.gov/docs/2015%20NDTA%20Report.pdf
Also: AZMEX SPECIAL 5 NOV 2015
DEA report: Heroin, methamphetamine seizures up nearly 300 percent in Arizona
BY KTAR NEWSROOM |
November 6, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
http://ktar.com/story/745105/dea-report-heroin-methamphetamine-seizures-up-nearly-300-percent-in-arizona/
PHOENIX — Both heroin and methamphetamine seizures are up nearly 300 percent in Arizona over the past five years, a Drug Enforcement Administration report said.
The report, released Thursday, said methamphetamine seizures have increased 294 percent. After the United States cracked down on chemicals used to make the drugs over the past decade, the DEA said drug cartels in Mexico have become the leading manufacturer and supplier of meth that winds up the United States.
The DEA said the cartels have "super laboratories" capable of producing hundred-pound quantities of the drug. The cartels have an easier time getting their hands on the necessary chemicals because of less-restrictive Mexican laws.
The agency called heroin a "serious and increasing threat" in Arizona. Seizures of the narcotic are up 246 percent in the past five years, the report said.
The report said the rise of heroin usage is directly attributable to the increase of opiate-based prescription drugs. As people use the prescriptions, they become addicted and later turn to heroin to meet their needs.
The DEA called Mexican cartels and the drugs they sell "the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States." It specifically cited the Sinaloa Cartel, which operates along the Mexico-Arizona border, as one of the worst.
END
Note: It's not just AZ boys and girls. Bringing with it increased property crime, violent crime, and attacks on your Freedom and Rights.
BTW, tons of the necessary chemicals come to Mexico from China.
Unlike many other countries, China seems to learn from history.
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Opium-Wars
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/empire/opiumwars/opiumwars1.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Opium_Wars.aspx
Link to report: http://www.dea.gov/docs/2015%20NDTA%20Report.pdf
Also: AZMEX SPECIAL 5 NOV 2015
DEA report: Heroin, methamphetamine seizures up nearly 300 percent in Arizona
BY KTAR NEWSROOM |
November 6, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
http://ktar.com/story/745105/dea-report-heroin-methamphetamine-seizures-up-nearly-300-percent-in-arizona/
PHOENIX — Both heroin and methamphetamine seizures are up nearly 300 percent in Arizona over the past five years, a Drug Enforcement Administration report said.
The report, released Thursday, said methamphetamine seizures have increased 294 percent. After the United States cracked down on chemicals used to make the drugs over the past decade, the DEA said drug cartels in Mexico have become the leading manufacturer and supplier of meth that winds up the United States.
The DEA said the cartels have "super laboratories" capable of producing hundred-pound quantities of the drug. The cartels have an easier time getting their hands on the necessary chemicals because of less-restrictive Mexican laws.
The agency called heroin a "serious and increasing threat" in Arizona. Seizures of the narcotic are up 246 percent in the past five years, the report said.
The report said the rise of heroin usage is directly attributable to the increase of opiate-based prescription drugs. As people use the prescriptions, they become addicted and later turn to heroin to meet their needs.
The DEA called Mexican cartels and the drugs they sell "the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States." It specifically cited the Sinaloa Cartel, which operates along the Mexico-Arizona border, as one of the worst.
END
Thursday, November 5, 2015
AZMEX SPECIAL 5-11-15
AZMEX SPECIAL 5 NOV 2015
Note: The drug trade cannot be separated from the accompanying violence it brings. Here in AZ, as places like Chicago, many of the "gun" deaths a direct result of the drugs. Disputes between DTO's, drug deals gone "bad", and users commenting crimes to pay for more drugs.
Ref. also AZMEX SPECIAL 30-10-15.
Link to report: http://www.dea.gov/docs/2015%20NDTA%20Report.pdf
46,471: Drug Overdoses Killed More Americans Than Car Crashes or Guns
By Susan Jones |
November 5, 2015 | 7:52 AM EST
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/dea-drug-overdoses-kill-more-americans-car-crashes-or-firearms
More than half of the 46,471 drug-related deaths in 2013 were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin, the DEA says. (AP File Photo)
(CNSNews.com) - "Drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, ahead of motor vehicle deaths and firearms (deaths)," the Drug Enforcement Agency announced on Wednesday.
In 2013, the most recent year for which data is available, 46,471 people in the United States died from drug overdoses, and more than half of those deaths were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin.
That compares with the 35,369 who died in motor vehicle crashes and 33,636 who died from firearms, as tallied by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Sadly this report confirms what we've known for some time: drug abuse is ending too many lives while destroying families and communities," Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said as he released the 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment.
"We must stop drug abuse before it begins by teaching young people at an even earlier age about its many dangers and horrors."
Rosenberg spoke one day after Ohio voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana use. But 23 other states and Washington, D.C., allow the use of marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational purposes.
The DEA ranks controlled prescription drugs and heroin as the most significant drug threats to the United States.
It also views marijuana concentrates, with potency levels far exceeding those of leaf marijuana, as an "issue of growing concern."
Meanwhile, the issue of drug abuse is making its way into the presidential campaign, as some of the candidates talk about their personal experience with addictions and even deaths.
"My husband, Frank, and I buried a child to drug addiction," Carly Fiorina said at one of the Republican debates.
Jeb Bush's daughter was arrested on drug-related charges in 2002, and she has spent time in rehab. He has discussed this at some of his campaign stops.
And a video of Chris Christie talking about his good friend who became addicted to painkillers -- and died -- has now gone viral.
The National Drug Threat Assessment also discusses the traffickers, concluding that "Mexican gangs remain the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States."
The DEA notes that, according to reports from law enforcement, some of these Mexican gangs are "relocating from major metropolitan areas to establish bases of operation in suburban or rural areas."
END
Note: The drug trade cannot be separated from the accompanying violence it brings. Here in AZ, as places like Chicago, many of the "gun" deaths a direct result of the drugs. Disputes between DTO's, drug deals gone "bad", and users commenting crimes to pay for more drugs.
Ref. also AZMEX SPECIAL 30-10-15.
Link to report: http://www.dea.gov/docs/2015%20NDTA%20Report.pdf
46,471: Drug Overdoses Killed More Americans Than Car Crashes or Guns
By Susan Jones |
November 5, 2015 | 7:52 AM EST
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/dea-drug-overdoses-kill-more-americans-car-crashes-or-firearms
More than half of the 46,471 drug-related deaths in 2013 were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin, the DEA says. (AP File Photo)
(CNSNews.com) - "Drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, ahead of motor vehicle deaths and firearms (deaths)," the Drug Enforcement Agency announced on Wednesday.
In 2013, the most recent year for which data is available, 46,471 people in the United States died from drug overdoses, and more than half of those deaths were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin.
That compares with the 35,369 who died in motor vehicle crashes and 33,636 who died from firearms, as tallied by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Sadly this report confirms what we've known for some time: drug abuse is ending too many lives while destroying families and communities," Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said as he released the 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment.
"We must stop drug abuse before it begins by teaching young people at an even earlier age about its many dangers and horrors."
Rosenberg spoke one day after Ohio voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana use. But 23 other states and Washington, D.C., allow the use of marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational purposes.
The DEA ranks controlled prescription drugs and heroin as the most significant drug threats to the United States.
It also views marijuana concentrates, with potency levels far exceeding those of leaf marijuana, as an "issue of growing concern."
Meanwhile, the issue of drug abuse is making its way into the presidential campaign, as some of the candidates talk about their personal experience with addictions and even deaths.
"My husband, Frank, and I buried a child to drug addiction," Carly Fiorina said at one of the Republican debates.
Jeb Bush's daughter was arrested on drug-related charges in 2002, and she has spent time in rehab. He has discussed this at some of his campaign stops.
And a video of Chris Christie talking about his good friend who became addicted to painkillers -- and died -- has now gone viral.
The National Drug Threat Assessment also discusses the traffickers, concluding that "Mexican gangs remain the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States."
The DEA notes that, according to reports from law enforcement, some of these Mexican gangs are "relocating from major metropolitan areas to establish bases of operation in suburban or rural areas."
END
Sunday, November 1, 2015
AZMEX UPDATE 31-10-15
AZMEX UPDATE 31 OCT 2015
Operation targets drug trafficking on reservation
Posted: Friday, October 30, 2015 9:08 am
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/operation-targets-drug-trafficking-on-reservation/article_7fa317a8-7f20-11e5-a076-231e6152fc62.html
PHOENIX — Federal officials have announced a joint law enforcement operation targeting drug trafficking on an American Indian reservation in western Arizona.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted 17 people in the investigation focused on the Colorado River Indian Tribes' reservation.
The investigation was led by a task force that includes the La Paz County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Border Patrol, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Parker Police Department assisted the investigation.
END
Oct 30, 5:41 PM EDT
Report: Border agents used stun guns on fleeing suspects
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BORDER_USE_OF_FORCE?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- U.S. border authorities fired stun guns at least 70 times over four years at people who were running away, even though there was no struggle or clear indication that agents were in danger, a newspaper reported Friday.
At least six times, agents used the weapons against people who were trying to climb a border fence and get back into Mexico.
The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1M5U2GF ) also said three people had died after being hit by Tasers wielded by border agents or customs officers.
Two people were shocked while they were handcuffed, and two were hit with five cycles of the weapon, even though the agency's policy says no one should receive more than three.
The Times examined 450 uses of Tasers from 2010 to 2013 that were documented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
It found that most of the people subjected to Tasers had been caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border or were suspected of being in the country illegally, not fleeing arrest on more serious charges.
The nation's largest law enforcement agency, which oversees the Border Patrol and inspectors at ports of entry, decided in 2008 to supply agents with the hand-held devices that deliver a paralyzing electric charge as a way to end confrontations quickly and safely.
The program started with a pilot project in Texas and devices were widely distributed to agents beginning in 2010.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske issued a new use-of-force policy last year. Now, agents are instructed to use Tasers only when a suspect poses an imminent threat and to be particularly cautious when subjects are running.
The Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies have become more restrained in using Tasers, Kerlikowske said, even though he still believes "the good far outweighs the bad" with the weapons.
"You're seeing much less of the Taser being used when someone is in a precarious position, or fleeing," said Kerlikowske, a former police chief in Seattle. "I think we've learned a lot, and so has law enforcement."
END
Note: "no way to turnaround and return to Nogales, Arizona."
Former Customs agent rearrested trying to flee country
Bruce Whetten/Douglas Dispatch
Updated Oct 29, 2015
http://www.douglasdispatch.com/news/former-customs-agent-rearrested-trying-to-flee-country/article_578da94e-7e95-11e5-bf57-8b13819afdf4.html
A former U.S. Customs agent who was arrested in April and was out on bail was rearrested on Wednesday, Oct. 21 as he attempted to leave the United States through the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales.
Johnny G. Acosta was indicted in a multi-count felony indictment charging him with conspiracy to smuggle marijuana into the United States through the Douglas, Arizona Port of Entry, and related drug distribution charges on April 22.
At the time of the indictment, Acosta was a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection assigned to inspect incoming pedestrians and vehicles at the Douglas Port of Entry. Acosta was arrested on a warrant issued on the indictment, and was released pending trial in the case by U.S. Magistrate D. Thomas Ferraro, on April 28 after he posted bond. One of the conditions of his release was that he shall not travel outside of Arizona unless court permission was granted.
On Oct. 20 the FBI's Cochise Border Corruption Task Force (BCTF) received information that Acosta had plans to flee the United States into Mexico on Oct. 21 in order to avoid prosecution on the indictment.
Court records show that a change of plea had been scheduled by Acosta's counsel for Nov. 3 at which time Acosta was going to enter a guilty plea to some of the charges.
On Oct. 21 the BCTF conducted surveillance on Acosta at his residence in Douglas consistent with the tip that he was scheduled to flee the country.
The surveillance team observed Acosta, who was passenger in a Ford Expedition, traveling from Douglas to the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales.
The driver of the Expedition entered the Port of Entry at approximately 10 p.m., in a lane committed to entering Mexico and was marked with signs indicating that fact. There was no other destination in that lane but Nogales, Sonora and there was no way to turnaround and return to Nogales, Arizona.
Law enforcement agents stopped the Expedition several feet from the actual International Border Line with Mexico and Acosta was placed under arrest for fleeing the United States to avoid prosecution, having traveled in foreign commerce in that he came to the International Border with the intention to cross into Mexico.
Court documents show that Acosta had not been granted permission to enter Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wally Kleindienst said Acosta remains in federal custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. at which time he is scheduled to plead guilty to several of the 34 counts he's been charged with.
Just how many of the counts Acosta will plead guilty to has not yet been determined, Kleindienst added.
Acosta was one of five people indicted on numerous drug charges. Andres Rodriguez and Jorge Tovar are scheduled to go to trial in December.
Tovar, who resides in Agua Prieta, has been given special permission by the courts to travel to Agua Prieta beginning Oct. 9 through Jan. 31, 2016 to complete a religious seminar for healing and reconciliation at the Parroquia Sagrada Famila, Holy Family Parish.
There are also two other unnamed defendants that have yet to be identified and are still listed as unnamed.
end
Operation targets drug trafficking on reservation
Posted: Friday, October 30, 2015 9:08 am
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/arizona_news/operation-targets-drug-trafficking-on-reservation/article_7fa317a8-7f20-11e5-a076-231e6152fc62.html
PHOENIX — Federal officials have announced a joint law enforcement operation targeting drug trafficking on an American Indian reservation in western Arizona.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted 17 people in the investigation focused on the Colorado River Indian Tribes' reservation.
The investigation was led by a task force that includes the La Paz County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Border Patrol, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Parker Police Department assisted the investigation.
END
Oct 30, 5:41 PM EDT
Report: Border agents used stun guns on fleeing suspects
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BORDER_USE_OF_FORCE?SITE=AZCAS&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- U.S. border authorities fired stun guns at least 70 times over four years at people who were running away, even though there was no struggle or clear indication that agents were in danger, a newspaper reported Friday.
At least six times, agents used the weapons against people who were trying to climb a border fence and get back into Mexico.
The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1M5U2GF ) also said three people had died after being hit by Tasers wielded by border agents or customs officers.
Two people were shocked while they were handcuffed, and two were hit with five cycles of the weapon, even though the agency's policy says no one should receive more than three.
The Times examined 450 uses of Tasers from 2010 to 2013 that were documented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
It found that most of the people subjected to Tasers had been caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border or were suspected of being in the country illegally, not fleeing arrest on more serious charges.
The nation's largest law enforcement agency, which oversees the Border Patrol and inspectors at ports of entry, decided in 2008 to supply agents with the hand-held devices that deliver a paralyzing electric charge as a way to end confrontations quickly and safely.
The program started with a pilot project in Texas and devices were widely distributed to agents beginning in 2010.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske issued a new use-of-force policy last year. Now, agents are instructed to use Tasers only when a suspect poses an imminent threat and to be particularly cautious when subjects are running.
The Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies have become more restrained in using Tasers, Kerlikowske said, even though he still believes "the good far outweighs the bad" with the weapons.
"You're seeing much less of the Taser being used when someone is in a precarious position, or fleeing," said Kerlikowske, a former police chief in Seattle. "I think we've learned a lot, and so has law enforcement."
END
Note: "no way to turnaround and return to Nogales, Arizona."
Former Customs agent rearrested trying to flee country
Bruce Whetten/Douglas Dispatch
Updated Oct 29, 2015
http://www.douglasdispatch.com/news/former-customs-agent-rearrested-trying-to-flee-country/article_578da94e-7e95-11e5-bf57-8b13819afdf4.html
A former U.S. Customs agent who was arrested in April and was out on bail was rearrested on Wednesday, Oct. 21 as he attempted to leave the United States through the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales.
Johnny G. Acosta was indicted in a multi-count felony indictment charging him with conspiracy to smuggle marijuana into the United States through the Douglas, Arizona Port of Entry, and related drug distribution charges on April 22.
At the time of the indictment, Acosta was a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection assigned to inspect incoming pedestrians and vehicles at the Douglas Port of Entry. Acosta was arrested on a warrant issued on the indictment, and was released pending trial in the case by U.S. Magistrate D. Thomas Ferraro, on April 28 after he posted bond. One of the conditions of his release was that he shall not travel outside of Arizona unless court permission was granted.
On Oct. 20 the FBI's Cochise Border Corruption Task Force (BCTF) received information that Acosta had plans to flee the United States into Mexico on Oct. 21 in order to avoid prosecution on the indictment.
Court records show that a change of plea had been scheduled by Acosta's counsel for Nov. 3 at which time Acosta was going to enter a guilty plea to some of the charges.
On Oct. 21 the BCTF conducted surveillance on Acosta at his residence in Douglas consistent with the tip that he was scheduled to flee the country.
The surveillance team observed Acosta, who was passenger in a Ford Expedition, traveling from Douglas to the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales.
The driver of the Expedition entered the Port of Entry at approximately 10 p.m., in a lane committed to entering Mexico and was marked with signs indicating that fact. There was no other destination in that lane but Nogales, Sonora and there was no way to turnaround and return to Nogales, Arizona.
Law enforcement agents stopped the Expedition several feet from the actual International Border Line with Mexico and Acosta was placed under arrest for fleeing the United States to avoid prosecution, having traveled in foreign commerce in that he came to the International Border with the intention to cross into Mexico.
Court documents show that Acosta had not been granted permission to enter Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wally Kleindienst said Acosta remains in federal custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. at which time he is scheduled to plead guilty to several of the 34 counts he's been charged with.
Just how many of the counts Acosta will plead guilty to has not yet been determined, Kleindienst added.
Acosta was one of five people indicted on numerous drug charges. Andres Rodriguez and Jorge Tovar are scheduled to go to trial in December.
Tovar, who resides in Agua Prieta, has been given special permission by the courts to travel to Agua Prieta beginning Oct. 9 through Jan. 31, 2016 to complete a religious seminar for healing and reconciliation at the Parroquia Sagrada Famila, Holy Family Parish.
There are also two other unnamed defendants that have yet to be identified and are still listed as unnamed.
end
AZMEX I3 1-11-15
AZMEX I3 1 NOV 2015
Interviews: Those caught at border believe they can stay
Homeland Security Department files: Many think they can collect public benefits as well
Immigration Overload
Eric Gay
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/national_news/interviews-those-caught-at-border-believe-they-can-stay/article_196764c2-7ffb-11e5-9483-9f4146975e43.html
FILE - In this June 20, 2014, file photo, immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally stand in line for tickets at the bus station after they were released from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility in McAllen, Texas. Hundreds of families and children from Central America caught traveling alone in recent weeks across the Mexican border told U.S. immigration agents they made the dangerous journey in part because they believe they will be permitted to stay in the United States and collect public benefits, according to internal intelligence files from the Homeland Security Department. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Posted: Saturday, October 31, 2015 11:13 am
Associated Press |
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of immigrant families caught illegally crossing the Mexican border told U.S. immigration agents they made the dangerous journey in part because they believed they would be permitted to stay in the United States and collect public benefits, according to internal intelligence files from the Homeland Security Department.
The interviews with immigrants by federal agents were intended to help the Obama administration understand what might be driving a puzzling surge in the numbers of border crossings that started over the summer. The explanations suggest the U.S. government's efforts to discourage illegal crossings may have been unsuccessful. Its efforts have included public service campaigns in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to highlight the dangers and consequences of making the trek across Mexico to cross illegally into the United States.
The Associated Press obtained copies of the interview summaries, which were compiled in reports by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Intelligence. They said hundreds of people traveling as part of families consistently cited opportunities to obtain permission to stay in the U.S., claim asylum and receive unspecified benefits. Immigrants spoke of "permisos," or a pass to come into the United States.
The report "is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis of the situation," said department spokeswoman Marsha Catron, adding that troubles in the immigrants' home countries likely contributed to their flight as well.
Although the Obama administration has explained that immigrants who cross the U.S. border illegally can be deported, lengthy backlogs of more than 456,000 cases mean that immigrants can effectively remain in the U.S. for years before a judge decides whether they should leave the country. Also, recent court rulings have complicated the government's plans to hold families in immigration jails pending deportation proceedings. Immigrants living in the U.S. illegally generally are not eligible for public benefits, except that children may receive free or reduced meals in public schools.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the rising number of border crossings by families and children was due to "push factors" in Central America, such as crime and violence. He said the Obama administration wants to invest $1 billion in Central America to address the underlying problems that push families and children out of Central America.
"We need to expand on this and ... we need to make the hard investment," Johnson said Thursday at an academic conference at the Georgetown University Law Center.
Federal agents interviewed 345 people traveling with family members between July 7 and Sept. 30, according to the five-page report obtained by the House Judiciary Committee and shared with the AP. The interviews did not focus on what prompted the immigrants to leave their home countries, though many did mention gang and family violence as factors.
"This internal Border Patrol document shows that the Obama administration's lax immigration policies are the culprit for the ongoing surge at our borders," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Last year, the administration coped with an unprecedented spike in children and families. By the end of the 2014 budget year, more than 136,000 people traveling as families and unaccompanied children had been caught crossing the border illegally. The numbers had dipped this year, with 79,808 people caught at the border. But the figures surged again during the last three months of this budget year.
Although the administration opened two new detention centers in Texas to hold thousands of immigrants, a federal judge in California ruled in August that the facilities violated a long-standing legal agreement that stipulates that immigrant children cannot be held in unlicensed secured facilities. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ordered the department to release the children, with their mothers when possible, "without unnecessary delay" and gave the department until this month to comply.
The administration has appealed that ruling, though before Gee's order was issued, Johnson had already announced plans to make it easier for families to be released on bond after being caught at the border.
Most of the immigrants interviewed, or 181 of them, said reports about the release of immigrant families influenced their decision to come to the United States.
END
Interviews: Those caught at border believe they can stay
Homeland Security Department files: Many think they can collect public benefits as well
Immigration Overload
Eric Gay
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/national_news/interviews-those-caught-at-border-believe-they-can-stay/article_196764c2-7ffb-11e5-9483-9f4146975e43.html
FILE - In this June 20, 2014, file photo, immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally stand in line for tickets at the bus station after they were released from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility in McAllen, Texas. Hundreds of families and children from Central America caught traveling alone in recent weeks across the Mexican border told U.S. immigration agents they made the dangerous journey in part because they believe they will be permitted to stay in the United States and collect public benefits, according to internal intelligence files from the Homeland Security Department. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Posted: Saturday, October 31, 2015 11:13 am
Associated Press |
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of immigrant families caught illegally crossing the Mexican border told U.S. immigration agents they made the dangerous journey in part because they believed they would be permitted to stay in the United States and collect public benefits, according to internal intelligence files from the Homeland Security Department.
The interviews with immigrants by federal agents were intended to help the Obama administration understand what might be driving a puzzling surge in the numbers of border crossings that started over the summer. The explanations suggest the U.S. government's efforts to discourage illegal crossings may have been unsuccessful. Its efforts have included public service campaigns in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to highlight the dangers and consequences of making the trek across Mexico to cross illegally into the United States.
The Associated Press obtained copies of the interview summaries, which were compiled in reports by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Intelligence. They said hundreds of people traveling as part of families consistently cited opportunities to obtain permission to stay in the U.S., claim asylum and receive unspecified benefits. Immigrants spoke of "permisos," or a pass to come into the United States.
The report "is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis of the situation," said department spokeswoman Marsha Catron, adding that troubles in the immigrants' home countries likely contributed to their flight as well.
Although the Obama administration has explained that immigrants who cross the U.S. border illegally can be deported, lengthy backlogs of more than 456,000 cases mean that immigrants can effectively remain in the U.S. for years before a judge decides whether they should leave the country. Also, recent court rulings have complicated the government's plans to hold families in immigration jails pending deportation proceedings. Immigrants living in the U.S. illegally generally are not eligible for public benefits, except that children may receive free or reduced meals in public schools.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the rising number of border crossings by families and children was due to "push factors" in Central America, such as crime and violence. He said the Obama administration wants to invest $1 billion in Central America to address the underlying problems that push families and children out of Central America.
"We need to expand on this and ... we need to make the hard investment," Johnson said Thursday at an academic conference at the Georgetown University Law Center.
Federal agents interviewed 345 people traveling with family members between July 7 and Sept. 30, according to the five-page report obtained by the House Judiciary Committee and shared with the AP. The interviews did not focus on what prompted the immigrants to leave their home countries, though many did mention gang and family violence as factors.
"This internal Border Patrol document shows that the Obama administration's lax immigration policies are the culprit for the ongoing surge at our borders," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Last year, the administration coped with an unprecedented spike in children and families. By the end of the 2014 budget year, more than 136,000 people traveling as families and unaccompanied children had been caught crossing the border illegally. The numbers had dipped this year, with 79,808 people caught at the border. But the figures surged again during the last three months of this budget year.
Although the administration opened two new detention centers in Texas to hold thousands of immigrants, a federal judge in California ruled in August that the facilities violated a long-standing legal agreement that stipulates that immigrant children cannot be held in unlicensed secured facilities. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ordered the department to release the children, with their mothers when possible, "without unnecessary delay" and gave the department until this month to comply.
The administration has appealed that ruling, though before Gee's order was issued, Johnson had already announced plans to make it easier for families to be released on bond after being caught at the border.
Most of the immigrants interviewed, or 181 of them, said reports about the release of immigrant families influenced their decision to come to the United States.
END
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