ICE Agents Bust Coke Ring, But No Immigrants

While most people believe ICE is only interested in immigrants, most people would be wrong.  ICE, as a department of Homeland Security, is interested in the safe keeping of all America.  That includes drug rings selling cocaine to citizens.

According to the Daily Herald, Randy Lynch, a businessman from Hollister, North Carolina, was arrested for drug trafficking.  Lynch is the owner of a salvage business as well as a bar-b-q business in Hollister.

During the raid, carried out by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations and the Vance County Sheriff's Office in cooperation with ICE, Lynch's businesses and home were searched.  These included Lynch's Bar-B-Q and Grill and Lynch's Salvage.  The latter business is located in Warren County.

Lynch is accused of trafficking 7 kilograms of cocaine which amount to about 15 pounds of addictive substance.  Lynch is being held on 1 million dollars bond while his case winds through the legal system.  All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.  However, Lynch has reportedly been on law enforcement radar for some time, according to the Herald.

Many people wish ICE would spend more time going after drug dealers and less time chasing poor people.  Drug dealers represent a significant threat to the youth of the nation.  Other countries say, if the U.S. could reduce demand, illicit industries in central and South America would dry up.

Texas Equusearch Says Cars Have Bodies

City of Houston Says They Won't Pay To Find Out

Houston, Texas - If the headline and byline seem ridiculous, the actions of Houston leaders appear outrageous.  After extensive searching, a private, non-profit, search organization says there are at least 130 cars in Houston Bayous and some of those cars may contain the bodies of missing persons.

Texas Equusearch has formed a public-private partnership with many law enforcement agencies. The organization uses high technology to find missing persons the cops are unable to find.  The organization worked on the Natalie Holloway search effort and has solved multiple high profile missing persons cases.

One of the techniques Equusearch uses is sonar which can identify sunken objects in murky water much faster than divers can through a physical search.  Unfortunately, perhaps, Texas Equusearch has been so successful at finding sunken vehicles in Houston Bayous, the City says it could not possibly afford to pull the vehicles from the mire.

Tim Miller, Texas Equusearch founder, wants Houston to use it's resources to recover suspicious sunken vehicles just like other cities use their resources to clear abandoned vehicles.  Miller and high ranking volunteers at Texas Equusearch are not afraid of controversy.

Last year, Miller waged a battle against the FAA after it imposed over-broad sanctions in the use of drones to search for missing people. Despite Texas Equusearch being a non-profit organization, the FAA decided the use of drones to search for people was a commercial venture.  Perhaps the FAA could use a page from the President Obama playbook in using prosecutorial discretion in the cases it asserts against non-profit organizations doing the job of government.

In a surprisingly arrogant response to news inquiries about why Houston is not interested in pulling discovered vehicles out of the murky depths, Houston police officer Victor Senties claims the department already knew about many of the vehicles.  A few years ago, Houston P.D. even searched a few of the wrecks.  But beyond that, Houston shows no interest in yanking vehicles from bayous.  They say it simply costs too much money.

Of course, the families of missing persons don't agree.  What is a police force supposed to do, if they can't be instrumental in the search for missing persons?  Little buffers community morale more than a police department which solves crimes.  To most families, there is no price too high to put an end to the suffering they face in not knowing what happened to a family member, spouse or child.  Tim Miller, supported by city council member Michael Kubosh, says some of those answers lie in the sunken remains of over 130 vehicles.

Meanwhile, in 2006, before red light cameras were installed on selected Houston intersections, the constabulary planned to spend the anticipated $6 million in fines on higher salaries for Houston officers. Texas ranks number 5 in the nation for handing out traffic citations.  While reporting a missing person is easy in Houston, finding the person is another part of police work altogether.  Houston is at risk of being more interested in fining red-light violators than it is in finding missing persons.

Dugger Parents Protected The Guilty, Trivialized The Innocent

Protection of Josh Dugger Allowed Molestation To Continue

On the face of it, the decision to protect one of your children from life changing felony charges for sexual molestation of "little girls" might be difficult.  By protecting one child, Jim Bob and Michelle Dugger assured a second event:  Little girls would continue to be at risk of future "inappropriate touching" by son Josh, the predator who has no conscience.

Years later, after the statute of limitations had passed for the prosecution of the crime of sexual molestation, as well as the crime of child endangerment for which Jim Bob and Michelle Dugger were likely guilty, all three of the Duggers moralized to a nation of Christians about the evils of pre-marital sex. They remained mostly quiet on the topic of child molestation, though.

Photo In Touch

The Duggers insist they are not mandatory reporters, a class of people including teachers, doctors and others of responsibility who MUST report molestation confessions.  While parents do not fall within this class, they do have a fundamental obligation to protect the true victims against sexual perpetrators.  The failure of the Duggers to appropriately inform the authorities meant their own daughters as well as a family friend would suffer at the hands of Josh Dugger.

Interestingly enough, the police officer, Joseph Hutchins, who the Duggers sought out to handle the investigation of Josh, is now serving a lengthy spell in prison for distribution of child pornography.  Hutchins now says Jim Bob told him Josh had only molested one little girl.  One has to wonder how many little girls it takes to be fingered in their most private parts in order for the authorities to take drastic action, but then, considering who was investigating this crime, perhaps the result was to be expected.

While it may be too late to prosecute Josh Dugger and his parents for the crimes they perpetrated against society, they will likely never earn the trust of broadcasters to parade their family in front of TV audiences as the moral example of what all families should be like.  In fact, the Duggers are one more in a line of television personalities who moralize to their audiences while committing private sins.

It is not too late for authorities to step in to protect the remaining minor Dugger children against thier parents who trivialize touching of childhood vaginas "over clothes" except on those occasions when the touching was directly with the innocence of our nation. There are 19 reasons and counting why these parents deserve to lose the right to parent their children.

Southern California Forensics

This crime of robbing the innocence of defenseless children has sullied more than just the Dugger's "19 and counting".  After Fox News promised there would be no passes in the interview by their reporter, Megyn Kelly, by the end of the interview, it was clear the Duggers had chosen Kelly for the same reasons they had chosen officer Hutchins.  Clearly, the Duggers were looking for another pass, and Kelly gave it to them.

For years, Fox News has espoused the conservative line, while their reporters have given conservative personalities far more grace than they ever deserved.  Kelly's gentle nature allowed Jim Bob and Michelle to trivialize the sexual molestation of their own children so the Duggers could perpetuate their fame and fortune on a reality show.  The actions of the Dugger parents are as dirty and disgusting as Josh's nasty fingers...or at least a close second.  Thanks, Fox News!

GEO Group Employee Smuggles Contraband

GEO Group Facility, Big Spring Texas

A GEO Group employee plead guilty to smuggling products to inmates. Two others also plead guilty for bribery of public officials, and aiding and abetting,

GEO, Group employee, Eva Bermea, who worked as a recreational specialist for GEO Group, Inc. was smuggling tobacco and creatine to a GEO Group inmate, Jonas Cruz, at the Big Spring Correctional Center in Big Spring, Texas.  Kami Nicole Bennet assisted Bermea and Cruz by packaging the products and by collecting money from Cruz's brother who is not incarcerated.

GEO manages prisons for profit.  In the traditional GEO model, the government pays GEO to operate the prison on the theory the private sector can do the job for less money than the government can.  In at least some GEO prisons, GEO charges the government a price similar to that a traveler would pay for a luxury hotel for each night a prisoner stays in the "GEO hotel".  At the same time, GEO gives the least it can to inmates, including limiting rations of toilet paper and providing medical treatment at a snail's pace to the detriment of needy prisoners.

Toilet paper is a big issue for people who are incarcerated.  Being able to cleanse one's self after evacuation contributes to the dehumanization of inmates in an environment that is already incredibly harsh.  The practice also leads to unhealthy habits by inmates so GEO can make an extra buck.

From WWW.NUK3.com

Earlier, a GEO contracted teacher plead guilty to smuggling tobacco and alcohol to inmates and received a six month sentence.  Ronald Craig Maxwell was sentenced to making false statements and abetting in the tobacco scheme.  Maxwell said tobacco "fell" out of the ceiling at the Big Spring Correctional Institution, and he sold the products to inmates for a handsome profit.  The truth is, Maxwell was dirty along with other GEO personnel in the product smuggling business.

GEO is traded on the NASDAQ.  Anyone can be in the prison for profit business with GEO Group, Inc. if they buy GEO Stock.  In the past, the investment division of Wells Fargo has purchased significant GEO stock only to find a national boycott of their banks for investing institutional millions in the dirty business of prisons.  In the past year, GEO Group, Inc. stock has fluctuated dramatically.

The sentencing of Bermea, Cruz and Bennet is just one more brick in a bulging wall of evidence why private prisons for profit are a bad idea.  Imagine what the billions spent on incarceration each year could to towards building recreational facilities and schools?  Many of those locked up in GEO hotels could be placed on ankle monitoring devices.  Tax payers don't pay for ankle monitoring, the inmate pays for the cost of his own monitor.

Grenade Found In Carry-On Baggage In Denver-But Smells Good

Traveling by air requires special preparations.  It is always wise to think about what you are carrying on an airplane.  Even if you have the very best of intentions, you could find yourself in hot water with law enforcement if you are not careful.

TSA Week in Review

In Denver, Colorado, TSA agents found what looked like a grenade (3rd item from left) in the carry on luggage of a passenger.  It turned out, the grenade was full of cologne.  However, a flight crew might have a hard time ascertaining that fact in a heated situation.  No one can be sure their carry on baggage won't fall into the wrong hands on a flight.  Therefore, no matter your intentions, it is illegal to carry objects that resemble bombs and grenades.

You would think this is just plain common sense.  However, the TSA encounters these kinds of things all the time.  How about a loaded weapon with a bullet in the chamber?  Should that be allowed as a carry-on item?

TSA Photos

How about a knife concealed in a belt buckle?  In Kennedy Airport, a knife was recovered from a passenger.  An object like this could easily be used to threaten flight crew or passengers.  Although the TSA is tight lipped about who gets arrested and who gets a ticket, when items are concealed indicating the carry on of the item was not a mere accident, you can bet agents are more likely to arrest the person.

After GermanWings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, locked the captain out of the cockpit and steered the aircraft he was flying into a gradual descent until it crashed into the Alps, perhaps passengers have a stronger argument for arming themselves with certain tools while flying.  The better solution is for more safeguards to be put into place to prevent distraught pilots from taking similar actions.  Passengers with weapons are usually the least able to help in an emergency.  More likely, the weapon will be used for nefarious purposes.

The lesson here, don't bring weapons onto planes.  If you have a pistol that must be transported, along with ammunition, you must declare it.  The item, if approved for transport, must not be in your carry on luggage.

Change.org To Feature Brothers Valenzuela In Email Campaign

San Francisco, California - Change.org selected a petition to the President of the United States to stop deporting U.S. Veterans and Bring deported veterans home.  

my san antonio.com

Specifically, the petition is designed to stop the unfair harassment of two Viet Nam veterans, Manuel and Valente Valenzuela.  The Valenzuela Brothers found themselves in removal or deportation proceedings after applying to renew their driver's licenses.  The Brothers have lived in the U.S. nearly all of their lives and have a U.S. citizen mother.

Valente Valenzuela arrived in 'Nam shortly after the Tet offensive.  Valente soon found himself working in a section of the military whose activities remain secret today.  Valente says he still suffers nightmares from his experiences.

Latino Fox News.com

Manuel soon followed Valente to serve the U.S. performing rescue services for at-risk military teams.  Like his brother Valente, Manuel put his life on the line in active duty combat situations.  Many soldiers never returned from theater, others returned severely maimed.  The brothers took that chance supporting the country they call home.

Upon return from Viet Nam, both Valenzuela Brothers suffered the disgrace placed upon them by U.S. citizens angry at the Johnson Administration for it's escalation of the war.  A soldier who places his life on the line has no say in how and where he is deployed, yet one of the brothers remembers clearly having human feces thrown at him upon his return to the U.S.

Please sign the petition to stop deporting veterans and bring deported veterans home!  Stop the injustice to the Valenzeula Brothers and all veterans!

Life continued for the Valenzuela brothers for many years.  Each brother encountered minor skirmishes with the law as they dealt with their memories and trauma of life and death in a war zone. Each brother worked hard to follow the rule of law set down in the U.S., especially in the 911 environment.  What a surprise was in store for the brothers when they renewed their driver's licenses.  They received a notice to report to Homeland Security.  From there, deportation cases were opened on the elderly Viet Nam vets.

That is when the Brothers Valenzuela, as they like be called, found out they are not the only soldiers to face the wrath of aggressive actions by the Department of Homeland Security.  Many soldiers have been deported.  Homeland Security says they don't really know how many, because they don't keep statistics on who is a veteran and who is not, when they institute deportation proceedings.

Fabian Rebolledo, Getty Images

I had the chance to meet Fabian Rebolledo when I traveled with the Valenzuela brothers to the border to conduct a protest over the deportation of veterans.  

I will never forget the interview I did with Fabian's son who had an extremely difficult time talking about what could happen to his father.







   You can help return deported veterans by signing the petition from Change.org

Dannels: Feds Won't Prosecute "Illegals" With Child Pornography

Ghostwriter.com

Washington, D.C.  The Honorable Sheriff Mark Daniels testified the federal government is not prosecuting "illegals" crossing the border with child pornography.

Dannels was one of five witnesses who testified to a mostly Republican led U.S. Senate hearing in front of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Tuesday, March 17th, 2015.

"I was talking with the Sheriff in Yuma, Sheriff Wilmont, last night, uhhh" Dannels said at approximately 2 hrs 14 minutes into the hearing.

"There is an issue right now, uhh, with those illegals that have child, er, pornography, that...pornography, child pornography, they won't prosecute."

Speaking of abusing children, the Sheriff was quick to note his county, Cochise County, in Arizona, was quick to categorize juveniles carrying marijuana across the border as adults.  Once categorized as adults, these wayward youths are ripe to serve stiff prison sentences as if they had the wisdom of adults.  In the old days, categorization of a juvenile as an adult offender was generally reserved for extremely serious criminals who are unlikely to be rehabilitated, for example, murderers.  Hungry children who are convinced to ferry drugs across the border lack the guilty mind necessary for adult-length prison sentences.

Border Patrol agent Chris Cabrerra says when it is a four-day weekend, some Border Patrol agents won't bother doing the paperwork on drug smuggling cases.  Instead, they do an administrative seizure on the vehicle, release the immigrants and let the non-four-day weekend crew come get the vehicle.  The apprehending agents then return to more important tasks than prosecuting drug smugglers.

Chris Cabrerra

Cabrerra, who is the Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) Local 3307, claims his superiors who say the border is secure don't know what they are talking about.  While the Department of Homeland Security says they are 70 percent effective, they only really catch 30 to 40 percent of the "illegals" who cross the border.  The percentage is even lower for drug smugglers, Cabrerra claims.

Of course, if agents are not bothering to do the paperwork on drug smugglers, the statistics won't be very high.

"I heard, we are not even prosecuting, for example, uhhh marijuana smugglers, unless they have at least five hundred pounds of marijuana....was that an accurate assessment," Senator Ron Johnson, (R-Wis) the head of the Committee, queried Sheriff Dannels.

"Again, so the drug traffickers use teenagers because?" Johnson prompted Sheriff Dannels.

"They won't prosecute," Dannels parroted back.

Senator Kelly Ayotte, (R-New Hampshire) spent her time making immigrants out to be heroine traffickers.  In doing so, Ayotte failed to mention an important part of the solution to the undocumented immigrant problem, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, which Senator Johnson had at least managed to mention.

Eva Millona, Executive Director of Massachusetts Immigrant and Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) responded to Senator Ayotte's remarks by saying, "Senator Ayotte's outrageous bogeyman statements today discredit her longstanding, serious work toward bipartisan solutions that benefit the people of New Hampshire and make our nation safer."

The witnesses for the hearing were clearly stacked in favor of the Republican supported border-security-first proposition.  Interestingly enough, none of the witnesses, including Cabrerra, had any clue about what percentage of the cross-border traffic were people seeking relief from starvation and what percentage were drug traffickers.  One common theme was popular with most of the witnesses:  More boots should be on the ground searching for drug traffickers and terrorists.

Senator Carper (D-Del) was one of the few in the hearing who made the point about the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Border Patrol agent Chris Cabrerra could have his extra boots chasing drug dealers if he was not so busy chasing poor people through the desert.  Cabrerra made Carper's point when he used the example of a team of Border Patrol agents being tied up with 90 to 100 immigrants sent by traffickers as decoys so the traffickers could do an end run around the agents with drugs.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform was passed in the U.S. Senate, but a few conservative U.S. House of Representative leaders refused to allow the bill to come to a vote.  One of the provisions of the law was to increase the number of U.S. Border Patrol agents, already the biggest law enforcement agency in the U.S.  The NBPC opposed the senate bill.

Monica Weisberg-Stewart Rio Grande Guardian 

Unfortunately, today's hearing was so political with rhetoric and inflated figures, the seriousness of border security and immigration reform was quickly lost.  Senator Johnson was running a kangaroo court.

If the Securing the Southwest Border: Perspectives from Beyond the Beltway hearing was a serious effort, the Senators from Wisconsin and New Hampshire would have been considering a plan to give every single immigrant in the nation one last opportunity to come out of hiding.  That would include all criminals but with a pot at the end of the rainbow for national security hawks:  In exchange for identifying themselves, a critical element in security, immigrants would get one last chance to remain in the U.S. and help balance the budget.   So long as the immigrants stayed out of trouble, the U.S. would provide a long term path to paying taxes and eventual citizenship.  The only exception would be those on terrorist watch lists.  National security demands the nation identify immigrants with criminal histories, yet neither party is talking about this simple goal.

Even Senator Johnson recognized some of the foolish statements made in the hearing when he called witness Monica Weisberg-Stewart on the carpet for her claim the majority of drugs were coming through the port of entries, to which she replied:

"So we believe that this goods (drugs) are coming through because we have not accurately as a government facilitated the trade and travel and given them (the Border Patrol) the funds necessary in order to be able to cartel the drugs coming through."

We are not sure what facilitating "trade and travel" in relationship to drug trafficking is, or what "cartel the drugs" means.  Mrs. Weisberg-Stewart was unhappy about 4 hour waits to cross the border into the second biggest trading partner with the state of Wisconsin, which Senator Johnson represents.  That trading partner is... Mexico.