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In Del Rio today, a federal jury convicted 44–year-old Eduardo Rocha, Sr. (aka “Lalo”), for his leadership role in an undocumented alien smuggling ring operating in Carrizo Springs, TX, that tortured victims while waiting for ransom payments announced Acting United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge James Spero and Dimmit County Sheriff Marion Boyd.
As a result of today’s verdict, Rocha faces up to 20 years in prison each for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens involving serious bodily injury and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens involving serious bodily injury; up to 20 years in prison on each of three separate counts of harboring an illegal alien involving serious bodily injury; and, up to life in prison on each of two counts of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2015, at 2:00pm. Evidence presented during trial revealed that Rocha, Sr. operated his smuggling cell between Carrizo Springs and Piedras Negras, Mexico since at least 2013. Rocha, Sr. claimed to be affiliated with Los Zetas, a transnational Drug Trafficking Organization operating out of Mexico. Members of Rocha, Sr.’s cell had used buildings located at Rocha’s Carrizo Springs property to hold the illegal aliens before transport further into the United States. Witnesses testified that Rocha held the aliens against their will in an effort to extort more money from family members in the United States.
Evidence also revealed that Rocha ordered his accomplices to torture the illegal aliens being held captive in an effort to extort money. A female was raped multiple times, and family members were made to listen over the telephone as aliens were tortured with a hammer, and threatened with decapitation and mutilation. A family member in Virginia called 911, which prompted a rescue operation by Dimmit County Sherriff’s Deputies, Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Border Patrol on May 4, 2014.
Co-conspirators Atanacio Daniel Castro, Eduardo Rocha, Jr., Christopher Jones, Tara Cournoyer, and Esmeralda Cruz remain in federal custody. All have already pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges relating to their involvement in Rocha, Sr.’s smuggling operation and are awaiting sentencing.
PRESS RELEASE-
Eagle Pass, Texas –
Money Buzz program offers more than 300 students real-world financial management lessons. This spring, employees from IBC Bank-Eagle Pass are using their professional expertise to teach financial literacy in their communities through the company’s “Money Buzz” program. This corporate-wide initiative began in 2007 to provide personal finance education to youth. IBC Bank-Eagle Pass partners with schools and community organizations throughout its footprint to host free Money Buzz classes as part of their effort to promote Financial Literacy Month and the American Bankers Association’s “Teach Children to Save Day.”
Market-wide, the bank will have the opportunity to inspire 386 students during nine presentations at San Luis Elementary, Ray H. Darr Elementary, Robert E Lee Elementary and Batesville Elementary. Corporate-wide, the banks will give 491 presentations at 57 schools and organizations from March through May in Texas and Oklahoma, in which they will reach more than 8,300 students. “The Money Buzz initiative demonstrates IBC’s ‘We Do More’ philosophy, as our employees invest time and resources to teach children within our community basic financial concepts,” said IBC Bank President and CEO Hector J. Cerna. The success of the program is made possible with the collaboration of area schools and organizations that believe in Money Buzz.”
Money Buzz was developed by IBC under the direction of certified teachers and provides students fundamental lessons in financial literacy. IBC teaches the courses to elementary, middle and high school students, as well as local community groups. The lessons cover a range of financial concepts, and vary by age group, but include topics such as maintaining a check register, reconciling a bank statement, and calculating compounded interest earned. Materials for students are available at no cost on ibc.com.
A.D. Ibarra
-Eagle Pass
April 19-25 is National Crime Victims' Rights Week and the Eagle Pass Police Department are calling on the awareness of the general public to support these victims who suffer from a variety of consequences while being fortunate enough to have survived acts of crime.
The Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, has announced that through this program the State of Texas can appropriately provide services to victims of crime.
The program attempts to help victims deal with problems associated with the physical, financial and emotional trauma as a result of violent crime.
Victim services and programs administered by the Attorney General have financed a wide range of services such as domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, hotlines, victim protection, education and assistance.
Un Editorial
Varios politicos locales nos han comentado que aunque saben que una mina carbonífera en el norte del condado dañaría el ambiente y puede causar futuros problemas médicos, pero tambien estan concientes de que se estan gastando miles y miles de dolares para una pelea que esta perdida ya que el estado el la Comision de Ferrocarriles ya les han dado permiso para sacar carbón en el area al fondo de Thompson Road y justo en seguida del Elm Creek.
En México ya estan construyendo un ferrocarril para transportar la primera orden de mas de tres millones de toneladas de carbón, pero tambien se utilizarán para transportar grandes cantidades de cerveza de la fabrica cervecera en Nava. Ahorita se están trayendo vagones y seguirán traendo mas y mas en el futuro.
¿La pregunta es cuanto dinero ha gastado el condado, la ciudad, el hospital y el distrito escolar en esta oposición de las minas de Dos Republicas?
Lo malo es que ese dinero es de los pagadores de impuestos con fondos que pueden ser utilizados en proyectos que tanta falta hacen en la comunidad.
Press Release
-EPISD
According to a press release from the Eagle Pass Independent School District a Glass Elementary student was transported to Maverick County Hospital on Friday, April 24, at approximately 10: 00 AM after appearing to lose consciousness while in line to attend physical education class (P.E.).
Comunicado de Prensa
-FBI
El miercoles en Del Rio, un gran jurado federal acusó a cuatro individuos por su participación en un plan para contrabandear dos armas de fuego y un surtido de municiones a México anunciaron la Secretaria de Estados Unidos El abogado Richard Durbin, Jr., y Seguridad Nacional de Investigaciones (HSI) agente especial a cargo de James Spero.
La acusación formal acusa a 47 años de edad, Eduardo Hinojosa (alias "Lalo"), un ciudadano estadounidense que reside en Piedras Negras, México; y tres ciudadanos mexicanos que residen en Piedras Negras - 42 años de edad, Carlos Mendoza-Hernández
(aka"Pepo"), de 23 años de edad, Elizabeth Cervantes-Mateos y 24 años de edad, niña In-Córdoba - con cinco cargos de complicidad en el contrabando de mercancías de los Estados Unidos.
Según documentos judiciales, los acusados fueron detenidos el 7 de abril de 2015. Ese día, los investigadores observaron a Hinojosa cargar municiones y armas de fuego de en un vehículo en un negocio en Eagle Pass propiedad de una familia Mendoza.
Posteriormente, las autoridades incautaron de un fusil calibre .243, una escopeta calibre .12 y aproximadamente 1000 rondas de municiones en diversos calibres desde el interior de ese vehículo. En el momento de la incautación, las autoridades arrestaron los ocupantes del vehículo - Cervantes y Ajin. Agentes mas tarde observaron a los acusados Hinojosa y Méndez descargando cajas en una instalación de almacenamiento en Eagle Pass.
Posteriormente, las autoridades arrestaron Hinojosa y Méndez y una búsqueda consensuada de que las instalaciones de almacenamiento reveló aproximadamente 750 rondas de cartuchos de escopeta. Registros de Corte alegan que los acusados eran conscientes de que las armas de fuego y municiones estaban destinados en última instancia, para México y que los acusados eran conscientes de que es ilegal exportar esos artículos sin licencia.
Los cuatro acusados han permanecido en custodia federal desde su detención. Cada cargo en caso de condena exige hasta diez años de prisión federal. El caso fue investigado por Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional con la asistencia del Servicio de Aduanas y Fronteras Protección; Oficina de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos; y, la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Maverick.
Adrián Ibarra
-Eagle Pass
Aprovechar el valioso recurso que es el agua es, probablemente, una mirada hacia el futuro no muy lejano, como hemos visto en los informes, más recientemente, cuando nuestros amigos de Texas Tribune venían por la ciudad durante su exposición "La desaparición de Río Grande", que incluyó a varios ciudadanos de Quemado el año pasado.
Director de Obras Públicas, Héctor Chávez informó The News Gram del hecho de que están utilizando el ingenio para aprovechar el agua de lluvia, lo que hemos estado recibiendo una gran cantidad de los últimos tiempos, manteniéndolo en un tanque de 1.000 + galón y usarla para regar los cultivos adyacentes al Público oficinas del Departamento de Obras.
El sistema no sólo contiene el agua para regar los cultivos, pero un sistema de tuberías en y alrededor del perímetro de la zona de plantación permite al sistema regar por si solo!
"Este sistema que estamos utilizando también se pueden implementar en los hogares y en las empresas", declaró Chávez en una entrevista reciente, "Especialmente en las zonas comerciales, tales como las empresas que tienen inmensos edificios y techos altos que capturan y liberan agua a los barrios que pueden causar inundaciones allí. Si fueran a colocar un tanque en la parte superior de sus edificios o varios tanques, podrían prevenir estas inundaciones, mientras que tener agua para regar sus proyectos de jardinería.
Los empleados de Obras Públicas están creciendo los tomates, cebollas, chiles y otros cultivos de temporada que esencialmente están siendo atendidos por el sistema de riego único.
Una muestra de lo que vendrá en cuanto a la conservación del agua? Quién sabe, pero el hecho de la cuestión es, los ciudadanos han estado haciendo esto durante años, capturando el líquido que da vida en baldes con el fin de utilizar en sus plantas en casa. Este es el mismo concepto, pero una mayor escala y es un proyecto que se lleva a la idea detrás de Día de la Tierra y la pone en práctica para el mejoramiento del medio ambiente y preservar este valioso recurso.
A.D. Ibarra
-San Antonio & Laredo
The Eagle Pass Lady Eagles will travel to Laredo tonight to face the McAllen High Lady Bulldogs in a one-game series and the CC Winn Lady Mavericks will square off with the Flour Bluff Hornets tonight at Southside High School at 1460 Losoya Road in San Antonio in a two out of three game series.
Coach Coca Ruiz informed The News Gram that everything went favorable for him when it came to the flips of the coin except for the very first flip, the flip for a two out of three game series, however he likes his team's chances, "I feel the girls are starting to peak, they're not there yet, but I feel we're getting there, especially now that Cat (Crystal De La Cruz) has committed, she's super focused and our girls are ready."
The Lady Eagles play at 7:00 PM at the Zachary Softball Complex at 3200 Chacote St. in the Laredo ISD.
The Lady Mavericks are coming off a big time 'Winn' over the #8 ranked high school softball team in the state, the Somerset Bulldogs, on Monday night 6-4 behind the solid pitching performance of Marychelo Flores and are hoping that success can carry over to tonight's Bi-District series.
Game 1 is tonight at 6:00 PM, Game 2 is tomorrow at 1:00 PM and a third game, if necessary, will be twenty minutes following Game 2.
A.D. Ibarra
-Maverick County
A joint effort between Mexican authorities and the Maverick County Sheriff's Department yielded the apprehension of a California man who was wanted for jumping bail in Sacramento, California.
According to Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber, Roberto Rene Rodriguez informed Sheriff Schmerber that he was seen in Allende, Coahuila and was considered suspicious by authorities there.
The man was apprehended for public intoxication and when a check was done on his identification, the result was that he had failed to appear in court after being released on bail.
Mexican authorities began the extradition process in order to deport Christopher Von Schultheis, 41, then he was handed over to Homeland Security who processed him and transferred him to the Tom Bowles Detention Center.
"We continue working together with Mexican authorities in order to facilitate investigations on missing persons, wanted individuals and stolen vehicles and I feel it has produced some very favorable results," stated the sheriff.
A.D. Ibarra
-Escupe Sangre No Raja Ranch
Former Senator Joe Bernal, the man responsible for brining the University of Texas to San Antonio in 1969, was honored by our local leaders on Saturday at the annual Tardeada organized by the Gonzalez and Williams Families, an annual event that highlights those who have made the biggest impact on the lives of citizens in the greater South Texas area.
