“In 2011, CBP has contributed to our nation’s homeland ...]]> WASHINGTON, DC, MARFA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week released the agency’s fiscal year 2011 summary of CBP enforcement and border management efforts. The Big Bend Border Patrol Sector and the El Paso Field Office, which includes the Presidio port of entry, also released summaries.

“In 2011, CBP has contributed to our nation’s homeland security and economic vitality in ways that are immeasurable,” said Commissioner Alan D. Bersin. “However, these numbers illustrate the fact that this agency has invested significant energy in improving border enforcement, increasing efficiencies and building partnerships, all of which have significantly improved the way of life for all Americans.”

U.S. Border Patrol agents made 340,252 apprehensions in FY2011, down 47 percent over the past three years. Of those apprehended, the Border Patrol apprehended 87,334 people who had a record in the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

The Big Bend Sector apprehended 4,036 people, a decrease of 31 percent from FY2010.

Border Patrol agents also rescued 1,070 people in distress in FY2011.

CBP officers and agents (including Air and Marine and Border Patrol agents) seized nearly five million pounds of narcotics, a 20 percent increase from FY2010, and more than $126 million in undeclared currency.

Big Bend Sector also showed an increase in marijuana seized. In FY2011, they seized 55,743 pounds, an increased of almost six percent over the previous year.

Big Bend Sector

“The men and women of the Big Bend Sector continue to successfully protect our border communities, Texas and the United States,” said Chief Patrol Agent John J. Smietana, Jr. “The statistics only show a small part of our success. The better measurement is the high quality of life in our area.”

At the nation’s ports, CBP agriculture specialists seized more than 1.6 million prohibited plant materials, meat, and animal byproducts; intercepted nearly 183,000 pests at ports of entry and conducted more than 700,000 examinations on cargo containers. Additionally, CBP officers arrested 8,195 people wanted for crimes, including murder, rape, assault, robbery and other crimes. CBP officers and agriculture specialists conducted these enforcement actions while processing approximately 340 million incoming travelers and more than 24.3 million containers, of which 11.5 million containers were processed at seaports, another 10.1 million at land border crossings and 2.6 million at rail crossings.

As a result of CBP pre-departure targeting efforts, more than 3,100 individuals were denied boarding U.S. bound aircraft at foreign airports who would be found inadmissible for national security, insufficient or fraudulent documents and other admissibility concerns.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees from the El Paso Office of Field Operations, which includes the port at Presidio, recorded a number of highlights during the recently completed fiscal year 2011 which began October 1, 2010 and ended September 30, 2011. For example, CBP personnel working at area ports of entry seized in excess of 46 tons of illegal drugs while processing more than 26 million people applying for legal entry to the U.S.

“Our number one priority at El Paso area ports of entry remains homeland security,” said Ana Hinojosa, Director of Field Operation in El Paso. “CBP officers, agricultural specialists, canine teams and support staff are working hard everyday. Their vigilance and commitment to duty are helping maintain the safety and security of our nation. I commend them on their success.”

Along the southern border, Arizona had the greatest number of arrests compared to Texas, California and New Mexico. Texas had the greatest amount of drug seizures of the four border states.

CBP’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems flew more than 4,400 hours in FY2011, the most in the program’s history and 75 percent more than in FY 2010.  The UAS program contributed to the seizure of more than 7,600 pounds of narcotics and the apprehension of 467 individuals involved in illicit activities.

CBP’s P-3 aircraft contributed to the national counter-narcotics effort, maintaining a strong presence within the smuggling transit zones.  P-3 operations accounted for 62 percent of the Joint Inter Agency Task Force – South detections and resulted in the detection and interception of 169 drug smuggling events throughout the Caribbean Sea, eastern Pacific Ocean and over Central America.

In FY2011, CBP increased the number of Border Patrol agents to 21,444, an increase of 886 agents. By the end of FY2011, the agency employed 20,582 CBP officers, a decrease of 105 officers compared to fiscal year 2010.

Seagal was sworn in last week by Sheriff Arvin West after Seagal contacted West’s office in August about working on the Mexican border in Hudspeth County, sheriff officials said.

Deputy ...]]> SIERRA BLANCA – Movie star Steven Seagal, who made a career with bone-breaking, barroom-clearing, butt-kicking action movies, is now a deputy with the Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Office.

Seagal was sworn in last week by Sheriff Arvin West after Seagal contacted West’s office in August about working on the Mexican border in Hudspeth County, sheriff officials said.

Deputy Chief Seagal is scheduled to start work at the end of the year or early in the new year, said Gary “Rusty” Fleming, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

Action movie star Steven Seagal with Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West.

Seagal, 59, is an expert in the martial art of aikido and has starred in numerous movies including “Above the Law,” “Under Siege” and last year’s “Machete,” in which he played a Mexican drug lord.

Seagal has also been a reserve deputy for more than 20 years with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. His work as a deputy was filmed in the reality series “Steven Seagal: Lawman” on the A&E cable network.

“We have no intention about this turning into anything (having) to do with a television show,” Fleming said. “He will be treated just like any other deputy.”

After an initial training phase, Seagal will be given a sector to patrol in the sparsely populated county east of El Paso, Fleming said. Seagal is also expected to give classes on martial arts and police techniques to law enforce ment officers.

“It became very clear to me that Mr. Seagal is not in this for his celebrity or publicity,” West said in a statement. “He’s like the rest of us that live down here – he has a sincere passion for his country and he wants to do more to help. Mr. Seagal brings a wealth of tactical experience and dedication as a peace officer. I believe he’ll make a significant contribution to this office and to our community.”

Seagal’s future as a deputy may not be as exciting as his movie characters.

Hudspeth County last year had a population of 3,476 and contains 4,571 square miles.

One of the most notable was the arrest of Texas music legend Willie Nelson last year on possession of marijuana. Nelson was arrested in November at a Border Patrol checkpoint. His case is still pending.

In 2006, Hudspeth deputies and armed men dressed as Mexican soldiers confronted each other on the Rio Grande. The confrontation was over a drug-loaded sport utility vehicle that got stuck in the Rio Grande while trying to return to Mexico during a chase by deputies. The contraband was unloaded by smugglers, who then set the vehicle on fire. No shots were fired.

The standoff, part of which was videotaped, was the topic of a House Homeland Security subcommittee in Washington, D.C.

The El Paso Times

These cartels and their operatives are extremely violent, ...]]> AUSTIN – Six of the seven Mexican drug cartels have established command and control networks in Texas and they are recruiting Texas students to support their drug, human, currency and weapon smuggling operations on both sides of the Texas/Mexico border, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

These cartels and their operatives are extremely violent, torturing and killing thousands of people in Mexico, and they use transnational and Texas prison gangs to further their criminal operations in Mexico and the U.S.

The Texas border region represents 9.7% of the state’s population, yet this region has 19.2% of the state’s Juvenile Felony drug referrals and 21.8% of the state’s Juvenile Felony Gang Referrals. In one Texas border county, more than 25 juveniles have been arrested for drug trafficking within the past year.

Last month, two Texas teenagers were lured to Mexico where they were kidnapped, beaten, ransomed and released in a remote area along the Rio Grande. Last week, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) apprehended a 12- year-old boy in a border county driving a stolen pickup truck containing more than 800 pounds of marijuana.

“Mexican Cartels have corrupted nearly an entire generation of youth living in Northern Mexico and they seek to corrupt our youth as well to further their smuggling operations,” said Steven C. McCraw, DPS Director. “The Mexican Cartels value Texas teenagers for their ability to serve as expendable labor in many different roles and they have unlimited resources to recruit our children.”

Parents should talk to their children and explain how the Cartels seek to exploit Texas teenagers and the risks in dealing with these ruthless organizations, especially those parents who live along the Texas/Mexico border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection developed Operation Detour, an educational campaign warning high school students of the consequences of becoming involved with smuggling. Additional information regarding Operation Detour can be found at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2009_news_releases/september_2009/0923200 9_2.xml.

Luis “Bola” Trujano Anaya, 35, and his son ...]]> OJINAGA, CHIHUAHUA, Chih., Mexico – An Ojinaga father and his 14-year-old son were killed Sunday in Aldama, a small city near Chihuahua City, while two other children – an 8-year-old and a year and a half-old baby, as well as another companion – were wounded during the attack.

Luis “Bola” Trujano Anaya, 35, and his son Diego Antonio Trujano, 14, died when the vehicle they were in was attacked by gunmen in a white Oldsmobile, which they later abandoned a few miles further on the roadway. AK-47 bullet casings were found in its interior.

Diego Antonio was a Lucy Rede Franco Middle School ninth-grader. “There is nothing but tragedy in the senseless violence that takes the lives of young people no matter the motivation,” said Presidio ISD Superintendent Dennis McEntire. Superintendent of Presidio Schools.

Mexican law enforcement officers at the crime scene. The victims' vehicle came to a rest in the brush, at left.

“The thoughts and prayers of Presidio ISD are with the family and friends mourning the death of Diego Antonio Trujano, our ninth grade student.  The District has counselors on hand to assist students and staff in dealing with this loss.”

The attack took place at 5:45pm on the Aldama-Ojinaga highway loop where the victims´ red 2011 Jeep Wrangler was found, in back of Las Palapas restaurant. The body of Diego Antonio was found inside the vehicle. Eyewitnesses reported that the shooting lasted several minutes.

The four victims who didn´t perish at the crime scene were transported from Aldama to Chihuahua under a tight police escort. However, Luis “Bola” Trujano, father of the deceased teenager and the other two minor-age children injured in the attack, later died at Central Hospital.

Preliminary investigations show that Bola Trujano was the target of the attack.

Luis Trujano, the year and a half old baby, was slightly wounded as bullets only grazed him. His 8-year-old brother, Ricardo Andrés Trujano, was seriously wounded and, at press time was battling between life and death in a private Chihuahua City hospital.

The other person wounded is Nery Carrasco, 36, an Ojinaga native, who was admitted to the General Hospital due to the bullet wounds he suffered to his leg.

The events were handled with “maximum discretion” on behalf of the justice institution authorities, according to reports. Although little is known about the assailants, a military inspection post is located almost across from the scene of the shooting. The site was cordoned off by various police and law enforcement personnel who gathered evidence and began working on initial investigations while the bodies were taken to the Medical Forensic Service.

“Bola” is the nephew of Juan Anaya Coronel, owner of Los Comales restaurant in Ojinaga.

Funeral for “Bola” and his son Diego Antonio were held Wednesday in Ojinaga.

Translation by MIRIAM HALPERN CARDONA

WEEKLY BLOTTER

Total Calls: 129

Total Investigations: 68

Offense:                           Date:           Location:                           Disposition:

Distrito Federal.─ El líder de la organización delictiva “La Línea”, José Antonio Acosta Hernández, El Diego o El Blablazo, detenido el pasado 29 de julio, admitió que fue él quien dio la orden de ejecutar a 15 jóvenes en la colonia Villas de Salvárcar, en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, el 30 de enero de 2010.

En una ...]]>

Distrito Federal.─ El líder de la organización delictiva “La Línea”, José Antonio Acosta Hernández, El Diego o El Blablazo, detenido el pasado 29 de julio, admitió que fue él quien dio la orden de ejecutar a 15 jóvenes en la colonia Villas de Salvárcar, en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, el 30 de enero de 2010.

En una entrevista realizada por la Policía Federal, Acosta Hernández afirmó que en la fiesta había integrantes de la pandilla “Artistas Asesinos” o “Doble A” que trabajaban para el cártel de Sinaloa, y por eso pidió que los mataran.

El Diego declaró:

“De Villas de Salvárcar, ahí me informaron que habían ahí unos ‘doblados’ pertenecientes al cártel de Sinaloa. Entonces yo mando a los muchachos, y pues ya cuando están ahí me dicen que ya los tienen ubicados, y pues se da la orden para que trabajen”.

No obstante, ninguno de los 15 jóvenes que perdieron la vida en la masacre fue identificado oficialmente por las autoridades como perteneciente a alguna organización delictiva.

En la entrevista se le preguntó a El Diego si estaba seguro que en la fiesta había miembros de la organización rival, y el presunto criminal respondió que sí, pero también reconoció que había inocentes, de cuyas muertes se dijo arrepentido.

“Algunos sí eran gente del grupo rival, porque muchas veces los reclutaban así: que fueran estudiantes y muy jóvenes para evitar las detenciones en la calle”, señaló.

Según El Blablazo, los asesinatos en los centros de rehabilitación también fueron ordenados por él, debido a que tenía información de que esos lugares estaban siendo utilizados como casas de seguridad por integrantes del cártel de Sinaloa.

Respecto del coche-bomba que estalló el 15 de julio de 2010 y que mató a tres personas, Acosta Hernández confirmó que fue una represalia en contra de la Policía Federal por la captura de Jesús Armando Acosta Guerrero, El 35, quien fue identificado en su momento como tercero en el organigrama del cártel de Juárez.

“Para empezar se levantó a un sujeto que pertenecía al cártel de Sinaloa, se le privó de la vida, lo uniformamos con ropa de policía municipal, se puso en un cruce, y a un costado de él se puso el vehículo con los explosivos, y ya una persona vía (control) remoto, mediante una llamada telefónica, fue como activó el explosivo”, detalló.

El Diego indicó que consiguieron más explosivos para realizar otros atentados, sin embargo en una ocasión, cuando ya llevaban los químicos, se toparon con sus rivales, se desencadenó una balacera y perdieron parte de la carga.

“Posteriormente se hizo el plan de otro vehículo con explosivos, nomás que en esa ocasión dejamos el vehículo y también retirado del vehículo los explosivos, se puso otra persona que también se le había privado de la vida que también era del cártel de Sinaloa, se dejó a unos metros y se trataba de hacer la misma operación de activarlo vía telefónica, nada más que en ese momento no funcionó”, relató el líder del brazo armado del cártel de Juárez.
(El Diario de Juarez)

United States Attorney John E. Murphy and DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit announced that six individuals believed to have ties to the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel are in custody based on federal charges filed in west ...]]> Arrests part of nationwide takedown of members and associates of the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel

United States Attorney John E. Murphy and DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit announced that six individuals believed to have ties to the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel are in custody based on federal charges filed in west Texas.

In Alpine, 46-year-old Marco Medina-Espinoza of Denver, Colorado, and 34-year-old Ruth Sanchez of Presidio, Texas, are charged in separate indictments with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Marco is charged in a total of four counts; Ruth, two counts. Upon conviction, Medina and Sanchez face between five and 40 years in federal prison per count. Both remain in federal custody pending detention hearings. Yesterday, authorities arrested Sanchez without incident. Medina was arrested on Tuesday without incident. To date, this investigation has involved the seizure of more than 500 pounds of marijuana.

In El Paso, 43-year-old Amado Erives-Montes, a resident of Mexico, and 42-year-old Jesus Lorenzo Sanchez of El Paso, are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on November 1, 2009. Sanchez, along with 39-year-old Javier Ivan Muro-Palacios, a resident of Mexico, and 30-year-old Victor Manuel Atilano of El Paso, also faces charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 50 kilograms of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute over 50 kilograms of marijuana. Upon conviction of all charges, Erives and Sanchez each face a minimum of ten years and up to life in federal prison; Muro and Atilano, up to 20 years in federal prison. To date, this case has resulted in the seizure of 208 pounds of marijuana, 248 kilograms of cocaine, three vehicles and $17,300 in U.S. currency.

“These indictments and arrests are another example of our ongoing, coordinated efforts against drug trafficking organizations whose reach spans both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. In west Texas and throughout New Mexico, DEA and our partners are determined to find drug traffickers, shut down their operations, and bring them to justice,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Project Delirium is the result of information gathered during the course of a previous effort targeting La Familia, known as Project Coronado. To date, Project Delirium has led to the arrest of 1,985 individuals and the seizure of approximately $62 million in U.S. currency, and approximately 2,773 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,722 kilograms of cocaine, 1,005 pounds of heroin, 14,818 pounds of marijuana and $3.8 million in other assets.

The investigative efforts in Project Delirium were coordinated by the multi-agency Special Operations Division, comprised of agents and analysts from the DEA, FBI, ICE, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, as well as attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Office of International Affairs. More than 300 federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies contributed investigative and prosecutorial resources to Project Delirium through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.

Durante el fin de semana, las autoridades mexicanas encontraron otros dos ...]]> MÉXICO D.F.  — ¿Camiones rinocerontes, narco tanques, vehículos tipo Mad Max? Nadie se pone de acuerdo en cómo llamar a los vehículos monstruo blindados que los grupos de criminales mexicanos han estado soldando en los últimos meses, pero una cosa está clara: están construyendo más.

Durante el fin de semana, las autoridades mexicanas encontraron otros dos guerreros improvisados de la carretera en Tamaulipas, el mismo estado norteño fronterizo donde apareció el primer vehículo blindado en abril, tras una batalla entre el Cártel del Golfo y la banda de los Zetas.

En el último caso, y según dijo el Departamento de Defensa de México, los camiones blindados se encontraron en un taller metalúrgico en Camargo, que albergaba también al menos otros dos monstruos parcialmente modificados y 23 camiones adicionales.

Las versiones finalizadas eran más grandes de las que se habían encontrado antes. Un oficial dijo que estaban construidas sobre bases de camiones con tres ejes y que 20 hombres armados podrían caber dentro. Estaban cubiertas de acerco con un grosor de una pulgada, para poder soportar impactos de metralla de 50 calibres, y cada camión había sido equipado con material aislante.

Sanho Tree, experto en políticas relacionadas con la droga en el Instituto de Estudios Políticos, un grupo de investigación con base en Washington, dijo que los vehículos le recordaban al Monitor y al Merrimack, dos buques de guerra norteamericanos que lucharon durante la primera batalla naval entre barcos acorazados durante la guerra de Secesión.

“Se trata de una tecnología de primera generación, como en el caso del Monitor y del Merrimack,” dijo. Y debido a que el negocio de la droga es tan darwiniano, añadió, con submarinos que sustituyen a barcos para el contrabandeo, y aviones ligeros y silenciosos que sustituyen a aviones pesados y ruidosos, es probable que los camiones se muten para incluir “escudos para los neumáticos –su talón de Aquiles–, almohadillas de explosión en el revestimiento para suelos, blindaje superior, etcétera.”

Los oficiales del ejército mexicano no parecen estar particularmente cohibidos. Han criticado a las máquinas por ser difíciles de maniobrar, señalando que están diseñadas para asustar a los rivales.

Pero para la mayoría de los mexicanos, la mera visión a través de fotografías militares de los narco-rinocerontes monstruos incautados ofrece un crudo recordatorio de que en la lucha contra el crimen no existe lugar más peligroso aquí que las carreteras mexicanas.

(The New York Times)

Traducción de MIRIAM HALPERN CARDONA

Para traducciones, escriba a miriam_halpern@hotmail.com