A van stuffed front to back with nearly 6,000 pounds of marijuana ran out of gas as it headed toward the Paso Del Norte border crossing and an inspection lane manned by Margarita Crispin, who was sentenced in April 2008 to 20 years in federal prison for helping drug traffickers. PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, EL PASO
On July 1st, MTO reported on the arrest of Customs and Border Protection officer Margarita Crispin of El Paso and followed up on the story on April 21, 2008 when she entered a guilty plea to the charges against her.
Andrew Becker placed this follow up in Mother Jones titled “Will Corruption Cross the Line?”
The rumors about Margarita Crispin started soon after her first day as a customs officer in El Paso, Texas. In March 2003, Crispin started working the line at the Paso Del Norte bridge, across from Ciudad Juárez. Nearly one-fifth of all drugs seized coming across the border enter through the El Paso-Juárez area, and the region is viciously contested by Mexican cartels. So when Crispin waved off the dogs that sniff out drugs in the long line of cars waiting to enter the United States, saying she didn’t like them around her, it raised a few eyebrows.
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FBI agents have arrested a U.S. Border Patrol agent accused of accepting $39,000 in bribes and using his personal vehicle while in uniform to drive narcotics across the U.S.-Mexico border in his patrol area.
Border Patrol Agent Eric Raymond Macias, who was stationed in Deming, turned himself in to FBI agents Friday at their Las Cruces offices, the FBI said.
Macias allegedly accepted $39,000 in bribes from a witness who was cooperating with investigators in exchange for helping the person smuggle what the agent believed was marijuana and cocaine through the border, according to records filed in U.S. District Court.
Macias is accused of telling a person he believed to be a drug smuggler what route to take to avoid Border Patrol agents in southern New Mexico, an affidavit said.
He also is accused of transporting cocaine in his personal vehicle while in uniform through a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 west of Las Cruces, the affidavit said.
The incidents allegedly took place from September 2007 to February 2008, court records showed.
Macias’ arrest follows a two-year investigation by the FBI, the Homeland Security Department’s Office of Inspector General and the internal affairs office at the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. He was released on a $5,000 bond.
Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier says his agency is “cooperating fully” with the investigation.
Mosier says all Border Patrol agents go through rigorous training that ncludes integrity on the job. Background investigations are done on all agents.
“These are isolated cases. We don’t feel like it speaks for the reputation, track record and professionalism that the Border Patrol has maintained since 1924,” Mosier said. (In a rat’s ass they’re isolated!)
An FBI spokesman and Macias’ attorney did not return telephone messages left Wednesday seeking comment.
The questions that needs to be asked is why this “BP Hero” is not being charged with drug smuggling, and other Federal charges in relation to using his position to facilitate breaking the law?
SOURCE: El Paso Times & AP
Vice President Dick Cheney indicted in prisoner abuse case
McALLEN, Texas-(AP) A South Texas grand jury has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County’s federal detention centers.
The indictment criticizes Cheney’s investment in the Vanguard Group, which holds interests in the private prison companies running the federal detention centers. It accuses Cheney of a conflict of interest and “at least misdemeanor assaults” on detainees by working through the prison companies.
Gonzales is accused of using his position while in office to stop an investigation into abuses at the federal detention centers.
Another indictment charges state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. with profiting from his public office by accepting honoraria from prison management companies.
The indictments were first reported by KRGV-TV.
Hearing on Cheney indictment turns chaotic
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McALLEN, Texas – A U.S. Border Patrol agent was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine for allegedly helping two Mexican men smuggle 11 bricks of cocaine into the United States.
Reynaldo Zuniga, a 34-year-old Border Patrol agent from Harlingen, was paid to pick up one of the men along the Rio Grande and then drive him to a fast food restaurant in Hidalgo, where the other man would pick him up, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday.
Zuniga, Luis Alfredo Cruz, 29, and Jose Luis Arteaga, 24, were arrested early Saturday morning, said Border Patrol spokesman Ricardo Rosas.
All three men remained in federal custody. At their first court appearance Monday, Cruz and Arteaga – both of whom are both from Reynosa, Mexico – requested that lawyers be appointed to represent them. Zuniga was making arrangements to obtain counsel.
A message seeking comment left at Zuniga’s home was not returned.
Officials could not immediately say how long Zuniga had worked for the agency.
LAREDO — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent arrested on charges alleging that he sold a fake travel permit to a Mexican national made his first court appearance on Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Ramiro Villareal Jr., 27, was arrested Thursday on a charge of accepting bribes for making and delivering fake travel documents, prosecutors said.
During a hearing Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Saldana ordered that Villareal be held on $100,000 bail. It is unclear if the agent has a lawyer.
Prosecutors said Villareal’s alleged crime was discovered on April 30 when a Mexican national leaving the country was found to be traveling with a fake I-94 arrival-departure document. The fake document, prosecutors said, had Villareal’s stamp on it.
A real I-94 shows a legal stay in the U.S. by a foreign national who has shown a passport or border crossing card.
Prosecutors said Villareal had two other fake I-94s with him when he was arrested.
His next court appearance is scheduled for May 15.
MONTERREY, Mexico — The chief of police of Reynosa, the city across the Rio Grande from McAllen and Hidalgo, was detained by federal police Thursday, according to Mexican media reports and officials.Statements issued by Reynosa’s city hall said Juan José Muñiz Salinas was detained at 1:20 p.m. by federal police officers.
City officials said the arresting officers presumably had a warrant requiring Muñiz to appear before federal authorities, but said they did not know about any charges against him.
Mexican news media reported Muñiz was arrested on suspicion of collaborating with the Gulf Cartel, the regionally dominant narcotics smuggling organization.
A federal police official said Muñiz was in custody but was unable to provide specifics.
The Reynosa police force was one of numerous Mexican border city departments raided by the military in January. Soldiers seized weapons for ballistic tests.
The January raids came after four officers in Nuevo Laredo, across from Laredo, were arrested on suspicion of relaying information on police operations to drug traffickers.
Analysts said the raids were probably to send a message to local police forces, which are often threatened or bribed into cooperating with drug gangs.
Muñiz recently criticized the raids in an interview with the Washington Post, suggesting that anti-narcotics investigators should direct their attention at state and federal police and the military.
Has anyone ever wondered why a Senator from a nowhere state like Norht Dakota, would have such a passionate opposition to a Cross Border Truck Program that will not impact his state or constituents in the least? I have. As they say, “follow the money”!
These politicians rarely do anything for the benefit of the people out of the goodness of their heart, and this arrogant little peckerwood is no exception.
So what is his price to jump on the Teamster’s bandwagon? About $35,000.00, at least!
In 2006, The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was the ninth largest contributor to Byron Dorgan PAC, known as the Great Plains Leadership Fund, contributing $20,000.00. Before 2006, there were few donations from the Teamsters listed.
In 2008, The Teamster’s have thus far contributed $15,000.00to his Political Action Committee. All in all, not a lot of money within the scheme of things, but the question arises why would the Teamster’s even bother to contribute to a little known Senator from a very unpopulous state? The total contributions to Dorgan by the Teamsters over the course of his career has been only $46,000.00, $35,000.00 of it occurring coincidentally with the ramping of the debate over the Mexican Cross Border Program.
But it goes further than that. This little pissant isn’t lily pure and he certainly is not one to have the right to call a Cabinet Secretary “arrogant”!
Anyone remember the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal of a couple of years back? Well, apparently Senator Byron Dorgan was butthole buddies with Mr. Abramoff until he had an “epiphany”and decided he’d better rid himself of the “contributions” muy pronto.
There are related stories to Byron Dorgans activities regarding his association with Abramoff and what he did with the more than $65,000.00 he received to help Abramoff screw American Indian tribes,including the Coushattas of Louisiana and others.
Interesting reading indeed! And we have to put up with this fool for another 2 years?
MEXICO CITY .- The government of Mexico extradited to the United States, an agent of the United States Border Patrol, accused of collaborating with drug traffickers for the entry of Mexican drug shipments into the United States through El Paso, Texas.
With the surrender of former CBP agent Arturo Arzate Jr.. aka “Tury”, this brings to 103, the number suspects extradited abroad, of which 99 have been handed over to the American authorities, to date during the Presidency of Felipe Calderon.
The Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) announced the extradition of this border officer, who will be brought to trial in the US , before the Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas, He has been detained in Mexico for the past five months
According to the writ of extradition, Azarte is accused of using his position as a Border Patrol officer to accept payments for drug smuggling organization to permit passage of drugs and other contraband through his post in El Paso Texas.
Investigations into these criminal operations began in 2005, reported the PGR.
The Attorney Generals Office (PGR) reported with the help of witnesses, surveillance and and wiretaps, evidence was collected establishing Azarte’s guilt and association with organized crime.
Azarte was turned over to Federal Marshals in Mexico City on Wednesday at the PGR hangar.
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