Federal agents and San Juan police busted a suspected illegal immigrant stash house on Thursday morning.
Authorities said a tip led U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and San Juan police to a home on the 300 block of West Sioux Road.
Investigators took 32 people into custody, including a man who might have been in charge of an alleged human trafficking operation operation there.
Neighbors told Action 4 News that they were surprised to see police activity there. They said that the home was once owned by a Christian couple.
Authorities said the Thursday incident is the second bust in two days.
Border Patrol officials told Action 4 News that they arrested two suspected smugglers and 16 illegal immigrants yesterday.
Action 4 News will have more information on our Noon and 5 p.m. newscasts.
Showing posts with label San Juan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Juan. Show all posts
August 21, 2008
August 15, 2008
Man arrested for San Juan 'beer' driveby
By Ray Pedraza
Friday, August 15, 2008 at 9:53 a.m.
Edgar Lozano
A Mexican national is behind bars almost a year after he allegedly shot a friend after an argument over beer.
San Juan police said Edgar Lozano has been on the run from attempted murder charges since last September.
Lozano allegedly shot a friend five times during a driveby shooting.
Investigators said the two men argued about beer shortly before the incident.
Lozano had managed to elude authorities by using fake documents and an alias.
But officers caught to him and charged him on Thursday.
San Juan Police Department spokesman Rolando Garcia said Lozano has confessed to shooting Juan Sergio Cerda.
"Apparently, everybody was intoxicated at that time," Garcia said. "Mr. Lozano is cooperating with us stating that the shooting was in self defense, that the victim pulled a gun on him and he in turn had to defend himself."
Garcia said Lozano is an illegal immigrant.
A municipal judge set his bond was set at $1 million dollars.
Friday, August 15, 2008 at 9:53 a.m.
Edgar Lozano
A Mexican national is behind bars almost a year after he allegedly shot a friend after an argument over beer.
San Juan police said Edgar Lozano has been on the run from attempted murder charges since last September.
Lozano allegedly shot a friend five times during a driveby shooting.
Investigators said the two men argued about beer shortly before the incident.
Lozano had managed to elude authorities by using fake documents and an alias.
But officers caught to him and charged him on Thursday.
San Juan Police Department spokesman Rolando Garcia said Lozano has confessed to shooting Juan Sergio Cerda.
"Apparently, everybody was intoxicated at that time," Garcia said. "Mr. Lozano is cooperating with us stating that the shooting was in self defense, that the victim pulled a gun on him and he in turn had to defend himself."
Garcia said Lozano is an illegal immigrant.
A municipal judge set his bond was set at $1 million dollars.
August 14, 2008
Reynosa man faces attempted murder charges in San Juan
August 14, 2008 - 6:51PM
Jared Taylor
Edgar Lucero Lozano is arraigned Thursday afternoon on a charge of attempted murder. San Juan Municipal Judge Ricardo Perez set a bond of $1 million.
SAN JUAN - Officers arrested a Reynosa man Wednesday on suspicion of shooting his friend last year during a drunken argument.
Edgar Lucero Lozano, 30, had been on the run since Sept. 7, when police say he shot Juan Cerda in the chest and leg five times.
Lucero and Cerda, 42, had been drinking and fighting at the Sheboygan Bar, near the intersection of Minnesota and "I" roads in Lopezville, according to authorities.
Lucero then followed Cerda to his house near the intersection of "I" Road and Border Breeze Street, where the drunken brawl escalated and ended in Cerda's shooting, said San Juan police Investigator Rolando Garcia.
Lucero had been on the run until Wednesday, when Garcia and fellow police officers caught a lead that the Mexican national's car was in Pharr, where they later caught up with him and arrested him at gunpoint.
He told police he had indeed shot Cerda but did so in self defense, Garcia said. Lucero claimed to have been on the run for fear he would not receive a fair trial, given that he was illegally in the United States, Garcia said.
But officers question the man's claims, noting police found a fake Mexican driver's license and fake vehicle registration card that Lucero apparently used to conceal his identity.
"He knew what he was doing and was out and about, trying not to get caught," Garcia said.
During a Thursday afternoon arraignment, Lucero stood without handcuffs before San Juan Municipal Judge Ricardo Perez, who charged him with attempted murder, a second-degree felony, and set his bond at $1 million. If convicted, Lucero faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Cerda, also a Mexican national who was illegally living in the United States at the time of the shooting, took months to recover from his gunshot wounds, Garcia said. He is now back in Mexico, Garcia said.
The shooting isn't the only violent incident to have taken place at the Sheboygan Bar in the past year. A fatal stabbing in July outside the bar led to murder charges against three men. Those cases are still pending.
____
Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.
Jared Taylor
Edgar Lucero Lozano is arraigned Thursday afternoon on a charge of attempted murder. San Juan Municipal Judge Ricardo Perez set a bond of $1 million.
SAN JUAN - Officers arrested a Reynosa man Wednesday on suspicion of shooting his friend last year during a drunken argument.
Edgar Lucero Lozano, 30, had been on the run since Sept. 7, when police say he shot Juan Cerda in the chest and leg five times.
Lucero and Cerda, 42, had been drinking and fighting at the Sheboygan Bar, near the intersection of Minnesota and "I" roads in Lopezville, according to authorities.
Lucero then followed Cerda to his house near the intersection of "I" Road and Border Breeze Street, where the drunken brawl escalated and ended in Cerda's shooting, said San Juan police Investigator Rolando Garcia.
Lucero had been on the run until Wednesday, when Garcia and fellow police officers caught a lead that the Mexican national's car was in Pharr, where they later caught up with him and arrested him at gunpoint.
He told police he had indeed shot Cerda but did so in self defense, Garcia said. Lucero claimed to have been on the run for fear he would not receive a fair trial, given that he was illegally in the United States, Garcia said.
But officers question the man's claims, noting police found a fake Mexican driver's license and fake vehicle registration card that Lucero apparently used to conceal his identity.
"He knew what he was doing and was out and about, trying not to get caught," Garcia said.
During a Thursday afternoon arraignment, Lucero stood without handcuffs before San Juan Municipal Judge Ricardo Perez, who charged him with attempted murder, a second-degree felony, and set his bond at $1 million. If convicted, Lucero faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Cerda, also a Mexican national who was illegally living in the United States at the time of the shooting, took months to recover from his gunshot wounds, Garcia said. He is now back in Mexico, Garcia said.
The shooting isn't the only violent incident to have taken place at the Sheboygan Bar in the past year. A fatal stabbing in July outside the bar led to murder charges against three men. Those cases are still pending.
____
Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.
August 5, 2008
Parents can enroll in CHIP at H.E.B. this month
August 5, 2008 - 2:43PM
Sara Perkins
SAN JUAN — Parents can pick up their child's health insurance when they go on a milk run this month.
Local social service organizations are set to answer questions about the Texas Children's Health Insurance Program and Children's Medicaid each Saturday through Aug. 30 at several H.E.B. stores in the area. Tables will be set up inside select stores from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Visitors can get help filling out applications and 12-month renewals, and pick up information on whether their children qualify for the aid.
CHIP and Children's Medicaid serve overlapping populations of low-income Texans. For a family with three children, CHIP's income cap is $35,200 per year, while Medicaid will provide additional insurance to a family of the same size making less than $17,600.
Proponents are careful to note that parents' immigration status is not relevant to their children's coverage, as long as the children are legal residents. Julie Lara, social services program manager at H.E.B., said there are an estimated 800,000 Texan children who qualify for one or both of the programs but are not enrolled.
"Kids who don't have health and medical care are more likely to get sick and spend time outside of the classroom," particularly those with manageable disorders like asthma and diabetes, said Geoffrey Wool, a Health and Human Services Commission spokesman.
"We want to put children on the path to a more healthy and productive lifestyle."
____
Sara Perkins covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472
Sara Perkins
SAN JUAN — Parents can pick up their child's health insurance when they go on a milk run this month.
Local social service organizations are set to answer questions about the Texas Children's Health Insurance Program and Children's Medicaid each Saturday through Aug. 30 at several H.E.B. stores in the area. Tables will be set up inside select stores from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Visitors can get help filling out applications and 12-month renewals, and pick up information on whether their children qualify for the aid.
CHIP and Children's Medicaid serve overlapping populations of low-income Texans. For a family with three children, CHIP's income cap is $35,200 per year, while Medicaid will provide additional insurance to a family of the same size making less than $17,600.
Proponents are careful to note that parents' immigration status is not relevant to their children's coverage, as long as the children are legal residents. Julie Lara, social services program manager at H.E.B., said there are an estimated 800,000 Texan children who qualify for one or both of the programs but are not enrolled.
"Kids who don't have health and medical care are more likely to get sick and spend time outside of the classroom," particularly those with manageable disorders like asthma and diabetes, said Geoffrey Wool, a Health and Human Services Commission spokesman.
"We want to put children on the path to a more healthy and productive lifestyle."
____
Sara Perkins covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472
July 9, 2008
Groups seek clarification on evacuation policies
July 9, 2008 - 11:09AM
Jeremy Roebuck
SAN JUAN -- Four community groups sought clarification in federal court Wednesday on whether authorities will conduct immigration checks in the event of a hurricane evacuation.
The activists filed a petition Wednesday asking a judge to order the U.S. Border Patrol to clearly outline its policy on what documents, if any, will be needed to pass through checkpoints should a storm hit the Rio Grande Valley.
"To prevent a Hurricane Katrina-type catastrophe, residents must know what is going to happen when an evacuation is called," said Juanita Valdez-Cox, Texas director of La Union del Pueblo Entero, one of the groups that filed the petition in U.S. District Court in McAllen.
"We must have answers to make sure residents of the Valley find safety."
The issue came under renewed scrutiny during a mock evacuation drill earlier this year in which agents were observed asking the fake evacuees for proof of citizenship or legal residency.
City leaders and migrant rights activists protested, fearing such tactics would deter people from fleeing in advance of a storm and would slow down the overall evacuation process.
"Border Patrol has set in motion the conditions for a perfect storm," said Eric Rodriguez, an attorney for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, which represents the petitioners. "By pursuing this reckless law enforcement policy, they've created a danger for everyone."
Since then, however, Gov. Rick Perry's office reported it had received assurances that no checks would occur during an evacuation, but federal officials would not confirm that policy.
Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has only dialed down his department's original rhetoric.
"We're not going to be bogging people down with checks or doing things to delay the rapid movement of people out of the zone of danger," he said during a May news conference.
But lawyers for the community groups pointed out Wednesday that confusion lingers and could affect individual decisions on whether to stay or leave.
"It's already hurricane season," said the South Texas Civil Rights Project's Corinna Spencer-Scheurich. "This could become an issue next week - any day now."
Valdez-Cox's organization, LUPE, joined with three Cameron County community groups - Proyecto Juan Diego, Proyecto Digna and San Felipe Community Church - in filing the petition Wednesday.
Government officials have at least 20 days to respond under federal court guidelines.
Spencer-Scheurich said she hopes a judge will make a ruling within the next month.
____
Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.
Jeremy Roebuck
SAN JUAN -- Four community groups sought clarification in federal court Wednesday on whether authorities will conduct immigration checks in the event of a hurricane evacuation.
The activists filed a petition Wednesday asking a judge to order the U.S. Border Patrol to clearly outline its policy on what documents, if any, will be needed to pass through checkpoints should a storm hit the Rio Grande Valley.
"To prevent a Hurricane Katrina-type catastrophe, residents must know what is going to happen when an evacuation is called," said Juanita Valdez-Cox, Texas director of La Union del Pueblo Entero, one of the groups that filed the petition in U.S. District Court in McAllen.
"We must have answers to make sure residents of the Valley find safety."
The issue came under renewed scrutiny during a mock evacuation drill earlier this year in which agents were observed asking the fake evacuees for proof of citizenship or legal residency.
City leaders and migrant rights activists protested, fearing such tactics would deter people from fleeing in advance of a storm and would slow down the overall evacuation process.
"Border Patrol has set in motion the conditions for a perfect storm," said Eric Rodriguez, an attorney for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, which represents the petitioners. "By pursuing this reckless law enforcement policy, they've created a danger for everyone."
Since then, however, Gov. Rick Perry's office reported it had received assurances that no checks would occur during an evacuation, but federal officials would not confirm that policy.
Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has only dialed down his department's original rhetoric.
"We're not going to be bogging people down with checks or doing things to delay the rapid movement of people out of the zone of danger," he said during a May news conference.
But lawyers for the community groups pointed out Wednesday that confusion lingers and could affect individual decisions on whether to stay or leave.
"It's already hurricane season," said the South Texas Civil Rights Project's Corinna Spencer-Scheurich. "This could become an issue next week - any day now."
Valdez-Cox's organization, LUPE, joined with three Cameron County community groups - Proyecto Juan Diego, Proyecto Digna and San Felipe Community Church - in filing the petition Wednesday.
Government officials have at least 20 days to respond under federal court guidelines.
Spencer-Scheurich said she hopes a judge will make a ruling within the next month.
____
Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.
June 29, 2008
Robberies expected to double in San Juan
June 28, 2008 - 7:46PM
Sean Gaffney
SAN JUAN -- Youngsters suspected of pillaging local businesses for beer, money and cigarettes have this city on pace to log more than double the number of last year's robberies.
But while police this year expect to respond to nearly 10,000 more calls overall than they did in 2007, crimes other than robbery are expected to rise only slightly, according to preliminary statistics from the San Juan Police Department.
Although troubling for city officials, some said the increased demand for service was indicative of a wider theme: the pains of growth.
"We're changing. We're becoming a big, popular area," said Tony Garza, San Juan's police chief and acting city manager. "We're going to see a lot more of these crimes."
Since 2000, the city's population has grown from about 26,000 to about 35,000, and dozens of new businesses have opened, according to the 2000 U.S. census and data from the San Juan Economic Development Corp.
Assaults and vehicle burglaries will probably rise the most, with the exception of robbery, according to the statistics.
"We can't think like a small department anymore," said Rolando Garcia, a San Juan police investigator and department spokesman.
In 2007 the department made a concerted effort to curb burglaries, which were plaguing the city, Garza said. While the operations were successful, the latest statistics suggest the number of burglaries of homes and other buildings will probably be about the same this year.
Officials said the relatively stable level of crime is a testament to the work of an overburdened police department that has managed to keep it in check even though their ranks have not kept pace with the growth.
Across the Rio Grande Valley, police departments average about 1.7 sworn officers per 1,000 residents, Garza said. In San Juan, the ratio is 1.08 per thousand.
Garza wants to hire at least an additional 36 officers.
"We do what we can with our budget," he said. "I like to think that (our officers are) very dynamic. I can plug them in anywhere, because they have all the training."
The challenge of growing the ranks is compounded by the loss of officers to federal and state agencies, such as the U.S. Border Patrol, which recruit aggressively and offer better wages and benefits.
The Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety offer starting salaries as high as $45,000 per year. San Juan offers a starting salary close to $32,000 a year.
"We train these guys, and you hire them, and then when they're getting ready to get out on their own, they leave somewhere else," Garza said "We're looking to improve on that. We want to improve on the benefits to be able to give them a better incentive pay package."
But staffing is only part of the problem of keeping up with the city's growth.
If Garza is to grow the ranks, the department will need a new building to accommodate the additional officers.
At the current San Juan police station at 2301 N. Raul Longoria Road, investigators share tiny, cramped offices, and filing cabinets divide already small quarters. Within a year of its construction in 1995, officials said, the department had already outgrown the building.
But as the department responds to more calls, officials put their hope in a new city government led by 29-year-old Mayor Pedro Contreras.
Contreras is optimistic his administration will be able to hire additional officers and come up with funding for a new station. After years of financial problems, San Juan has been steadily improving its fiscal situation.
"I don't think we really have a choice," Contreras said about increasing police finances. "With more growth comes more responsibility, and public safety is one of our top priorities and will always be a top priority."
Sean Gaffney
SAN JUAN -- Youngsters suspected of pillaging local businesses for beer, money and cigarettes have this city on pace to log more than double the number of last year's robberies.
But while police this year expect to respond to nearly 10,000 more calls overall than they did in 2007, crimes other than robbery are expected to rise only slightly, according to preliminary statistics from the San Juan Police Department.
Although troubling for city officials, some said the increased demand for service was indicative of a wider theme: the pains of growth.
"We're changing. We're becoming a big, popular area," said Tony Garza, San Juan's police chief and acting city manager. "We're going to see a lot more of these crimes."
Since 2000, the city's population has grown from about 26,000 to about 35,000, and dozens of new businesses have opened, according to the 2000 U.S. census and data from the San Juan Economic Development Corp.
Assaults and vehicle burglaries will probably rise the most, with the exception of robbery, according to the statistics.
"We can't think like a small department anymore," said Rolando Garcia, a San Juan police investigator and department spokesman.
In 2007 the department made a concerted effort to curb burglaries, which were plaguing the city, Garza said. While the operations were successful, the latest statistics suggest the number of burglaries of homes and other buildings will probably be about the same this year.
Officials said the relatively stable level of crime is a testament to the work of an overburdened police department that has managed to keep it in check even though their ranks have not kept pace with the growth.
Across the Rio Grande Valley, police departments average about 1.7 sworn officers per 1,000 residents, Garza said. In San Juan, the ratio is 1.08 per thousand.
Garza wants to hire at least an additional 36 officers.
"We do what we can with our budget," he said. "I like to think that (our officers are) very dynamic. I can plug them in anywhere, because they have all the training."
The challenge of growing the ranks is compounded by the loss of officers to federal and state agencies, such as the U.S. Border Patrol, which recruit aggressively and offer better wages and benefits.
The Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety offer starting salaries as high as $45,000 per year. San Juan offers a starting salary close to $32,000 a year.
"We train these guys, and you hire them, and then when they're getting ready to get out on their own, they leave somewhere else," Garza said "We're looking to improve on that. We want to improve on the benefits to be able to give them a better incentive pay package."
But staffing is only part of the problem of keeping up with the city's growth.
If Garza is to grow the ranks, the department will need a new building to accommodate the additional officers.
At the current San Juan police station at 2301 N. Raul Longoria Road, investigators share tiny, cramped offices, and filing cabinets divide already small quarters. Within a year of its construction in 1995, officials said, the department had already outgrown the building.
But as the department responds to more calls, officials put their hope in a new city government led by 29-year-old Mayor Pedro Contreras.
Contreras is optimistic his administration will be able to hire additional officers and come up with funding for a new station. After years of financial problems, San Juan has been steadily improving its fiscal situation.
"I don't think we really have a choice," Contreras said about increasing police finances. "With more growth comes more responsibility, and public safety is one of our top priorities and will always be a top priority."
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