The closest any Biden has appeared near the U.S.-Mexican Border while residing in the White House (as of this writing) was in July 2022. It was 145 miles away from the border in San Antonio, Texas. It wasn’t Joe who appeared. Nor was it Hunter. The dubious honor went to Jill Biden.
In Texas, Republican Mayra Flores won a special election for the 34th Congressional District in June.
Mayra Flores
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That was a seat that Democrats had held for more than a century. The district, which stretches from San Antonio down to the Rio Grande Valley on the Texas-Mexico border, is mostly Hispanic.
So in July, Jill Biden flew into the Alamo City to tell a crowd of progressive Hispanics that the diversity of their community is “as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio, is your strength.”
“Did she just say that we being as unique as a breakfast taco is our strength?” Linda Castillo asked her friend, Catrina Chapa.
“No wonder we are ditching the Democrats,” Chapa responded as the ladies near them high-fived each other. People in the crowd noticed and felt insulted.
“First the Bidens put us in danger with an invasion of illegal aliens coming through the border and now they insult us by calling us Tacos,” Castillo responded.
Others noticed, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists who called out Biden for her remarks in a statement, saying it “demonstrates a lack of cultural knowledge and sensitivity to the diversity of Latinos in the region.”
“NAHJ encourages Dr. Biden and her speech writing team to take the time in the future to better understand the complexities of our people and communities. We are not tacos. Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by a variety of diasporas, cultures and food traditions, and should not be reduced to a stereotype.”
Soon others joined in on Jill’s very own TACO-GATE.
“First there was ‘FJB.’ Then there was ‘Let’s Go Brandon,'” Chapa noted. “She just started her own ‘TACO-GATE” and the Bidens are going to learn you don’t call us Tacos. Never! Let the festivities begin.”
Does the Alamo City Government Encourage Illegal Immigration?
The George Soros Connection
Smugglers Arrested
The death count reached 53 for over 70 illegal immigrants abandoned off Quintana Road in south San Antonio in a tractor-trailer during extreme Texas heat Monday.
Update: A 45-year-old driver of the truck, Homero Zamorano, originally tried to pass himself as one of the victims. Police say he was high on meth.
Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao and Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez, were arrested after police traced the truck’s information to their home.
“It was a hot oven in there,” one San Antonio police officer told CleverJourneys. “They were baking and just left for dead sometime before 6 p.m. and found by a city employee who heard screaming.”
“They didn’t even have water,” the officer continued. “We believe they came up (Interstate Highway) 35 from Laredo. How they circumvented inspections we do not know.”
Quintana Rd. near train tracks
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“With this bought-out chief (William McManus), socialist major (Ron Nirenberg) and (George) Soros owned DA (Joe Gonzales) they will just try to sweep it under the rug again,” noted the officer. “Sheriff deputies are stuck with (County Judge Nelson) Wolff so there you go. It’s as if they work together to encourage illegals here. Between them and the big Biden money that is exchanged between these charities, hotels, and others, it’s no wonder.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, tweeted, “These deaths are on Biden. They are a result of his deadly open border policies.”
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🔹Since Joe Biden took office, after what millions of Americans believe was a corrupt and fraudulent 2020 election, at least 800 such deaths have occurred–the highest since U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) began keeping track in 1998.
🔹Because of Biden’s wreckless border policies, CBP reports the Border Patrol has performed 27,111 “search-and-rescue missions” for illegal aliens. During President Trump’s last year in office, there were 5,071 such missions.
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Among those who died in the tractor-trailer abandoned Monday, 22 were from Mexico, seven from Guatemala and two from Honduras, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, head of the North America department in Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department, tweeted.
City police and county deputies sought the help of nearby law enforcement and emergency responders in adjacent counties to aid in managing the injured and dead.
SAN ANTONIO’S BLEAK RECORD
🔹In June 2018, law enforcement found 54 illegal aliens inside a tractor-trailer near the San Antonio International Airport.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden said they were smuggled in from Mexico, Guatelmala, El Salvador and Brazil.
“These criminal organizations are comprised of extremely callous individuals who disregard human life and make large profits on treating humans as a commodity,” Folden said.
🔹On July 23, 2017, San Antonio and Police Chief William McManus drew negative national attention when ten people were found dead and 30 injured inside a semitrailer overnight in a Walmart parking lot, also on the city’s south side.
While officers and emergency responders were concerned and working to respond to the injured, suddenly SUVs and vans arrived and whisked some of the illegal aliens away in an organized escape. McManus nonchalantly blew it off.
U.S. Homeland Security officers were startled when McManus told the media, “It happens all the time.”
Joe Gonzales
Ron Nirenberg
Nelson Wolff
George Soros
San Antonio Immigration Influencers
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🔹Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in Bexar County on Jan. 15, 2021 calling for the San Antonio police Chief William McManus to be removed from office.
🔹The Office of Attorney General investigators discovered that high-ranking city officials were told “the Mayor does not want ICE called,” and that Ron Nirenberg later described their release without being handed over to federal immigration officials as a “Christmas gift.”
🔹Insiders at City Hall, Bexar County Courthouse, and Commissioner’s Court indicate the city council, police department, district attorney’s office and county employees indicate the “political machine” were rightfully worried, but basically bought their time.
🔹A 2017 press release from the San Antonio Police Officers Association explains what occurred at December 2017 debacle:
“On that night, in possible violation of established procedures and State and Federal law pertaining to suspected human smuggling and trafficking cases, the Chief released twelve undocumented immigrants into the City of San Antonio without properly and thoroughly identifying them.”
“For several years now, San Antonio Police Officers have been well trained on how to handle and process human smuggling and trafficking cases. SAPD also works with Homeland Security through the Federal Joint Task Force to specifically target and arrest individuals involved in these crimes. On December 23rd, when twelve people were stopped and detained under suspicion of smuggling and being in the country illegally, the Officers on scene began following the law and established procedures. Then, Chief McManus arrived.”
SAPOA says City Manager is wrong protecting the chief
“When Chief McManus arrived unexpectedly on scene, in civilian clothing and with a lawyer from a non-profit organization, Officers briefed the Chief on the situation and their actions, which included notifying Homeland Security. The Chief immediately changed their orders: they were not to identify the individuals or check their immigration status (as Texas law allows local law enforcement to do) and they were not to involve Homeland Security (as per Joint Task Force procedures).”
“When an agent from Homeland Security did arrive, the Chief informed him that his assistance was not needed. After transporting the individuals to police headquarters, the Chief allowed the non-profit attorney complete access to them before ever allowing even one of the Special Victims Unit (SVU) detectives to speak to them. The Chief then stated that none of the detainees were to be processed through SAPD databases and ordered them released. At this point, SVU Supervisors were so shocked they requested the order be put in writing.”
“The twelve detainees were then escorted out of the back of police headquarters and released into the city. Afterwards, the Chief told the media that the case was based on a “fluid situation,” and that “it’s not necessarily how every case will be handled going forward.” SAPOA believes that the Chief’s actions were political, not in line with established State and Federal laws and procedures, and may have risked the safety of the community.”
“We have called upon Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Sheryl Sculley, and the City Council to investigate or at least have the Chief answer for his actions that night. Up to now, they have done nothing. Fortunately, the Texas Attorney General launched an investigation in January and has ordered the entire City government to preserve all evidence and present any and all documents, videos, and cellular phone data, regarding the December 23rd incident.”
🔹In October 2016, Nirenberg condemned San Antonio police officers who wore MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN caps while taking photos with presidential candidate Donald J. Trump at the airport. McManus reprimanded them.
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THE BIDEN CONNECTION
Within a week after Joe Biden’s inauguration, federal officials began transporting some of the overflow illegal aliens to Laredo and El Paso to San Antonio, according to Congressman Henry Cuellar.
Initially, Mayor Ron Nirenberg tried to divert the narrative, claiming he was not aware of any plans to bus asylum seekers to his city.
“We have not received any word about asylum seekers being transported to the city via buses, as some reports have indicated,” Nirenberg said. “We know many people make their way here on their own, but we have not heard yet any reports of people being transported by bus.”
He was asked if a downtown shelter is being prepared to assist undocumented immigrants who may be brought here.
“Obviously, we’re going to meet needs as they arise,” said Nirenberg.
SOUTH TEXAS DEADLY HISTORY
🔹July 2021. Marc Anthony Bane, 45, of Porter, and Tara Rene Dillion, 33, of nearby Conroe, just northwest of Houston, were arrested for transporting 89 illegal aliens in a stolen 18-wheeler on July 13, 2021.
According to the charges, Bane and Dillon arrived at the Texas Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35 approximately 29 miles north of Laredo in a tractor-trailer.
A service K-9 dog alerted officers, who searched the vehicle and trailer and found 89 undocumented non-U.S. citizens in there.
🔹2018 in Laredo. The heat was on and against human trafficking as President Trump’s Border Wall and aggressive illegal immigration policies forced smuggling attempts to be thwarted.
In just a two week period, such smuggling attempts were greatly reduced after Laredo, Texas, border agents found 29 illegal aliens in one trailer, followed by 76 people lying on the floor or crouching against the walls of a tractor-trailer rig a week later.
🔹May 14, 2003. One of the deadliest smuggling incidents occurred along Highway 87 in Victoria, Texas where 70 people were trapped inside the trailer of an 18-wheeler.
In the end, 19 of those 70 died from dehydration.
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Fourteen people were indicted by federal prosecutors, including truck driver Tyrone Williams, who was initially sentenced to life in prison.
In total, Williams was convicted on 58 counts of conspiracy, harboring, and transporting illegal immigrants.
In 2011, Williams was given a new sentence of nearly 34 years in prison after a federal appeals court overturned the multiple life sentences he received. Williams was the only defendant who faced a possible death sentence.
Williams
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🔹July 2017. A dozen migrants were discovered in Houston in a box truck. Some as young as 16-years-old, undocumented and had paid for illegal transport into Texas from various Latin American countries.
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Prosecutors indicated they were in the truck for 12 hours with no food and little water. The Penske rental truck was in the parking lot of a strip center on Harwin in southwest Houston and held 10 men, one woman, and a teen.
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Jack Dennis has been to Mexico hundreds of times, often to report on immigration, drugs, gang activities, politics and human trafficking. Please support our efforts to provide truth and news that corporate media will not.
Recent sightings of black bears in the western parts of the Texas Hill Country could indicate the dry hot conditions in the Lone Star State are causing wildlife to venture into wider migration patterns.
From April through June, rare bear sightings have occurred near Carta Valley, Barksdale, Camp Wood, west of Ingram, south of Tarpley, Asherton, Alpine, Fort Davis and Mount Livermore.
On June 20th, a black bear was sighted swimming near the shoreline of Lake Amistad.
In the past year, bears have also been observed not only on the lake, but near Fort Stockton, north of Laredo, and in nearby regions.
While no one is sure how many bears currently live in Texas, experts agree that wildfires in Mexico, as well as drought conditions in other regions, have likely caused bears to migrate to new areas, including many parts of Texas.
Michael Janis, Trans-Pecos district leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), said dry conditions are likely sending bears looking for food. Breeding season also moved bears around.
The conservation efforts in bordering states over the last 20 years have also led to bears crossing back into Texas, especially during the summer mating season, according to TPWD.
Most of these animals wandering further into Texas are young, transient males in search of food and other bears. Males have much larger home ranges than females, and sub-adults can travel many miles to set up a new one.
To those not aware of bears, some people become quite alarmed when they hear about sightings. However, out of approximately 36,000 people in the U.S. who are bitten annually by wildlife, black bears rank 5th behind rodents, venomous snakes, skunks, and foxes respectively.
In West Texas where Big Bend National Park (BBNP) has had more than 6,592 bear/human encounters since 1950, only 2.5 percent of those encounters were classified as aggressive interactions. Most of those occurred when the bear made contact with property containing human food. There has never been a black bear attack recorded in BBNP.
When Border Patrol agents discovered a young black bear in a tree in north Laredo last July, it likely came from Mexico, noted Eric Garza, wildlife biologist with TPWD.
Not long after, residents of SpinTech – Myers Ranch caught a strange image on a game camera. Maybe it was an overgrown wild hog, but most believe it was a bear:
TPWD is recording more road kills of black bears between Laredo and Zapata over the decade. Garza notes they were likely males dispersing from Mexico also.
“Zapata itself probably hasn’t seen any historic sightings simply because of the lake. It’s hard for them to swim across the lake, especially when it’s up,” said Garza. “This particular animal probably came across where the water is a lot lower. Not where it’s a lake but where it’s still a river.”
In a 2011 Starr County encounter, Garza notes the bear became habituated to residents, picking up scraps of food and eating out of trash cans. In those instances the bears need to be trapped and relocated away from humans, pet food and trash.
“The first thing we need to know is any conflicts between black bears and people can be avoided very, very easily,” Garza explained. “And the easiest way to avoid any conflicts is to make sure and not leave trash out for bears to get into, and really any wildlife to get into. Don’t leave pet food out. Bring that in and secure it. Don’t leave small livestock animals like rabbits or poultry.”
Late 2021 and early 2022, TPWD biologists were monitoring multiple black bear sightings near the North Double Diamond community south of Alpine.
It is believed the bear may displaying behavior typical of hyperphagia (excessive or extreme hunger). Reports suggested that the bear were attracted to and searching for easily accessible food sources (i.e. pet food, wildlife feeders, livestock feed, etc.).
In June, 2021, Big Bend National Park camper Valerie King took photos of a black bear in the Basin Campground:
TPWD indicates anyone encountering a black bear in a camping area should immediately deploy aversive conditioning by creating loud noises (shout, handclap, air horns, car alarm, sirens, or bang pots and pans) to startle the bear. Once the bear leaves, report the encounter to your District Biologist or TPWD Game Warden.
It is critical that the Department is able to monitor any on-going situations with full extent of known black bear encounters.
In the 1800s, black bear lived through every ecosystem in Texas but has long been hunted down and migrated away from settlements and eventually, cities. In 2009, a black bear that wandered onto a Mernard County (Central Texas) cattle ranch was the first ever confirmed in this century in that part of the state, according to Capt. Alan Teague, a TPWD game warden.
A Liberty County judge reputedly slaughtered 200 bears in the late 19th century, a pursuit that earned Lewis Hightower the handle “the Bear-Hunting Judge,” according to the Handbook of Texas Online.
“I practice law for recreation,” Hightower would say, “and hunt bear for a livin’.”
By the 1950s, black bears were eradicated from Texas, experts say.
The state made bear hunting illegal in 1983. That decade, they began crossing from northern Mexico into the southern reaches of West Texas.
For the past 20 years, a small population has bred there, mostly in the region’s rugged mountains. Today, some biologists believe there may be as many as 100.
But bears in Texas recently have been on the move, staging an unprecedented return to regions such as the Edwards Plateau, Piney Woods and South Texas Plains, according to Nathan Garner, another TPWD biologist.
Texas lists the black bear as threatened. The penalty for shooting one is a Class C misdemeanor and a fine of $500, plus a civil restitution of $11,907.50.
One of the most bizzare encounters was in 2017, when a black bear was sighted in a neighborhood between New Braunfels and Spring Branch. The alleged black bear, weighing as much as 350 lbs., ran in front of a vehicle in the early morning hours.
According to TPWD, there were 61 Black Bear sightings in 14 counties in 2018-2019. State mammologist Jonah Evans said sightings tend to increase in the fall because the bears are foraging food and trying “fatten up” before hibernating for the winter.
Transient bears from New Mexico are also occasionally reported in the Panhandle counties of Dallam, Hartley and Oldham, according to TPWD district leader Brad Simpson.
The communities south of Alpine, Texas are on a Neighborhood Bear Watch. (courtesy: Texas Parks and Wildlife – Trans-Pecos Wildlife District)
A study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management documents 63 people killed in 59 incidents by non-captive black bears between 1900-2009.
Of special note is this quote:
“We judged that the bear involved acted as a predator in 88 percent of fatal incidents. Adult or subadult male bears were involved in 92 percent of fatal predatory incidents, reflecting biological and behavioral differences between male and female bears. That most fatal black bear attacks were predatory and were carried out by one bear shows that females with young are not the most dangerous black bears.”
🔹Black bears mate during the months of June and July. This might account for some of the sightings in the Texas Hill Country, as bears travel to find a mate during the summer months.
🔹State biologists believe that female black bears in Texas hibernate while males do not.
🔹The young are born in January or February, while the mother is “hibernating.” She normally gives birth to two-to-three cubs every two years.
LOUISIANA MIGRATION
🔹Louisiana Black Bear sightings have been increasing in recent years so it’s possible they are making a comeback in Eastern Texas too.
🔹Louisiana is home to the Louisiana Black Bear, a subspecies of of the American Black Bear. There’s an estimated 750-1000 bears living in the state, but they can also be found in the neighboring states of Texas, Mississippi, and possibly even Southern Arkansas.
🔹Aside from the Louisiana Bear, both the Mexican Black Bear and the New Mexico Black Bear are found in western Texas in low numbers and are also on the state endangered species list.
2018-2021 sightings
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NEW MEXICO MIGRATION
🔹The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish estimates that there are approximately 5,000-6,000 Black Bears living in all 14.6 million forested acres of New Mexico. There have been strict hunting regulations in place since 1927 in the state to help control the population of Black Bears in the state.
🔹In the early 20th century Grizzly Bears were common in the state, but now only the American Black Bear remain. They are also the state animal of New Mexico.
ARKANSAS MIGRATION
🔹Black Bears in Arkansas thrive in three places; the Ozark Highlands area, the Ouachita National Forest, and the lower White River basin. Pre-settlement there was thought to be over 50,000 bears in Arkansas, but dwindled down to just 50 bears in the 1930s. Thanks to conservation efforts and the importation of Black Bears from other areas, Arkansas is believed to have over 5,000 Black Bears now.
CAN INJURE WHEN PROVOKED
“The Black Bear is a stocky, large animal, one of the largest mammals in North America. Adults reach a length of 5 to 6 feet, height at the shoulder of 2 to 3 feet, and weigh 200-300 pounds,” notes information from Texas Park and Wildlife Department. “Although called a ‘black’ bear, colors can range from black to the occasional cinnamon brown. Front claws are generally longer than hind claws. The fur is long and coarse. Although appealing and generally harmless, Black Bears can injure humans when provoked and should be treated with caution.”
At least two subspecies of Black Bear are thought to occur in Texas: the Mexican Black Bear and the New Mexico Black Bear. Both are found in West Texas in desert scrub or woodland habitats within scattered mountain ranges, predominantly the Chisos and Guadalupe Mountains. Both subspecies are state-listed as endangered in Texas.
Colleen Olfenbuttel, the Wildlife Commission’s black bear and furbearer biologist, offers some advice about how to co-exist with black bears.
“Most bears that wander into a residential area will quickly retreat to their natural habitat, particularly if no food source is around,” Olfenbuttel said. “Bears have adapted to living near people; now it’s up to us to adapt to living near bears.”
BearWise has six Basics the public can use to prevent potential conflicts and live responsibly with bears:
• Never feed or approach a bear. Bears will defend themselves if a person gets too close, so don’t risk your safety and theirs.
• Secure food, garbage and recycling. Place trash outside as late as possible on the morning of trash pick-up — not the night before.
• Remove bird feeders when bears are active. Birdseed, other grains and hummingbird feeders have high calorie content making them very attractive to bears.
• Never leave pet food outdoors.
• Clean and store grills.
• Alert neighbors to bear activity.
“While these young bears (usually May-August), typically males, may appear to be wandering aimlessly around, they are not necessarily lost,” Olfenbuttel said. “Most are simply exploring their new surroundings and will move on, particularly if they are left alone and there is no food around.”
Unlike brown bears, black bears are omnivorous creatures that rarely pose a threat to humans, pets, or livestock. Like any large mammal, however, humans must take steps to be aware and coexist with black bears.
Black bears diet is very much like a raccoon’s.
🔹Up to 80 percent of their diet is plant matter, and they often scavenge the rest from carcasses of dead animals.
🔹In many circumstances, they will hunt for insects and worms for the “meat based” part of their diet.
🔹They have been known to kill larger mammals and even livestock. This is occurs mostly during late spring and early summer, when bears become active after hibernating, and juveniles “leave home.” This is when food requirements are high, and bears will find the most nutritious food they can.
🔹If there is a lack of fruits, berries, and other plant matter, they may feed on other animals.
Signs of black bears
If you suspect bears in your area, pay careful attention to signs such as, tracks, scat, and territorial markings on trees. Although you may not see the animal, the evidence of their presence is usually clear. Take pictures of suspected bear sign using a ruler or other standard item for scale and send them to your local biologist for interpretation.
Bear tracks stand out and are unlike any other you might encounter. Bears use their teeth and claws to mark trees or other surfaces to mark territory.
Black Bears of East Texas. Photos provided by the East Texas Black Bear Task Force.Hardin County News
BEAR ENCOUNTERS
If you encounter a bear, TPWD offers this advice:
If a bear regularly visits your deer stand, scare it with rocks, a slingshot or air horn.
If you encounter a bear at close range, talk in a calm manner while backing away slowly. Do not make direct eye contact
Do not run. Running can trigger a bear’s chase instinct.
Stand your ground and raise your arms if a bear approaches you, making yourself appear larger. Yell at the bear to scare it off.
Fight back aggressively with anything available if attacked. Let bears know that you are not an easy prey. Do not play dead.
Helpful information for Americans to understand as illegal immigration grows and cartels infiltrate our cities.
Ajuste de cuentas (m): Settling a score. Getting even. Revenge. alt. ajusticimiento
ATF: Agency of Department of Justice— the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Aztecas (los): Barrio Azteca. Narcomenudistas (small drug dealers) and street enforcers working for Juarez cartel. A street gang with strong ties to El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. They are found operating in penitentiaries and the streets of both border cities. They are controlled by La Linea, the armed wing of the Juarez Cartel.
Beltran Leyvas: Brothers and childhood friends of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Broke up with El Chapo after the arrest of El Mochomo Beltran Leyva and engaged in a bloody dispute for territory. Relocated to Nuevo Leon in aftermath.
C.T.: Caballeros Templarios
Cartel: Organized crime syndicate or organization, US governmental law enforcement agencies use the term Drug Trafficking Organization or DTO.
Cartel del Poniente: A place of the Sinaloa cartel usually found in Durango and Gomez Palacios
C.D.G.: Cartel Del Golfo or Gulf Drug Cartel
CDN: The Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) is a Mexican criminal organization that is a product of a split from Los Zetas, born as a result of the arrest of its last absolute leader: Omar Treviño Morales, “Z-42.” The current leader is Juan Gerardo “El Huevo” Treviño Morales.
CECJUDE: Centro de Ejecución de las Consecuencias Jurídicas del Delito.
Chapos or Chaparrines: The people of Joaquin Guzmán Loera’s Sinaloa Cartel. Derived from Guzmán’s nick name of “El Chapo.”
Charoliar: Pretending to belong to a cartel and having a lot of inside knowledge of cartel activities.
CNDH: Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos.
C.J.N.G: Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion or Jalisco Cartel New Generation. Mexican cartel based in Jalisco and headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho.”
C.N.G.T.: Cartel New Generation Tijuana, is an allied group with members of CAF and CJNG. The alliance was created to establish control of Baja and quell the Sinaloa Cartel, after CAF became weakened.
C.O.: Organized crime group
Coddehum: la Comisión de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (Chihuahua).
Cortar cartuchos: Armatillar. Ready to fire. to cock a weapon.
Cuerno de chivo: AK-47, the preferred weapon of drug cartels. Some (e.g. Roberto Saviano) have claimed that the AK-47 has been used to kill more people than any other weapon.
DTO: Drug Trafficking Organization, a term used by the US government.
El Señor de los Cielos: Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the Lord of the Skies who helped consolidate the Juárez cartel. He died in 1997 undergoing plastic surgery in Mexico City (Polanco).
Encajuelados: Victims found in the trunks of cars.
Encintados: Victims found bound and blindfolded with duct tape.
Encobijado: a common way that sicarios dispose of bodies — wrapped in a blanket, rug, or tarpaulin and taped.
Estacas: 3 or more armed persons in a vehicle patrolling their territory. Lookouts.
Familia (also LFM or LF): ‘de Michoacan’. DTO that specializes in synthetic drugs (crystal) and with a religious code. Extremely violent and unpredictable.
FFL: US legal term for federal firearms licensees. Approximately 6700 operate in American Southwest. Foco: Crystal meth.
GATE, GAFE, GOES: Are acronyms for Special State Police, names vary with states
Gente Nueva (la): Sicarios of the Sinaloa Cartel mostly found in Chihuahua and Sonora. Formed by loyal sicarios to Sinaloa Cartel such as Jose Antonio Torres Marrufo, “El Jaguar and Noel “El Flaco” Salgueiro
Guachicol: oil product stolen from PEMEX and then sold back to business under duress. A practice common in Tamaulipas.
Halcon (los): There are two meanings here. In the border area, “halcones” are lookouts and street level informants (falcons/hawks) who warn the drug cartels about intrusions from other DTO’s, police or army manoeuvers. Halcones are also an elite squad of commandos that have a notorious reputation for violation of civil rights and abuse.
Los halcones monitor drug highways for law enforcement activity
Hormiga (el correo de..): An ant run. Big result of lots of little additions and purchases.
ICESI: Instituto ciudadano de estudios sobre la inseguridad.
IOI: US DOJ-ATF agents investigating gun movement. Industry Operations Investigators.
Jefe de Jefes: Capo de Capos. The name applied to the most prominent drug chief in Mexico. Most frequently is associated with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. Popular corrido of Los Tigres del Norte, although Miguel Felix Gallardo denies that the song is about him.
La Última Letra: Los Zetas (Last Letter, “Z”)
Levantón (m): Abduction. Term used in northwest Mexico to describe forced seizure of a person. Most of the time, the “levantado” is never seen alive again. Secuestro is the term used more often to describe kidnapping.
Linces (los): a unit of sicarios employed by “El Viceroy” Vicente Carrilo-Fuentes and the Juárez cartel. May have evolved from “La Linea”. This group is apparently composed of military deserters (like the Zetas) who are well trained, use military ordnance, uniforms and vehicles. The Mexican military argues that this group is responsible for most human right violations in Chihuahua.
Linea (la): The armed wing of the Juarez Cartel.
Los Viagras: Michoacan cartel founded in 2014 by the Sierra Santana brothers. The first splinter group of Caballeros Templarios. Alliances are with Cartel Jalisco New Generation headed by El Mencho. Viagras were responsible for the creation of the H3 (Buenavista) the “fake” autodefensa group, headed by “El Americano”.
Matapolicia (f): bullets of heavy calibre that can penetrate vests. Police killers — ordinance used when attacking police or members of the military.
Matazetas (los): Los Matazetas (Zeta Killers) were created in 2007 by the Cártel del Pacífico headed by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho” who would emerge to form the powerful Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The Matazetas were rumored to be the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) to fight Los Zetas in places like Veracruz against Zeta leader Heriberto Lazcano, “El Lazca.” In 2011 Los Matazetas dumped 35 bodies, said to be Zetas, during rush hour in the city of Boca del Rio, Veracruz.
Maña: a local name for cartels in Tamaulipas, most often used to refer to Los Zetas or other sicarios working for Gulf cartel.
Mota (f): marijuana.
Narco: General term for drug trafficker
Narcobloqueo: A barricade in the streets with vehicles that are carjacked to delay the arrival of the police or military.
Narcocorrido: a version of a corrido that deals with a drug theme. Some narcocorridos are commissioned by the drug dealers in order to “sing their praises”, but others share much in common with morality plays because they sing about the negative consequences of drug dealing.
Narcofosa: narco cemetery; body disposal place, usually clandestine and used for a period of time. Have been found in at least 9 Mexican states.
Narcomanta (f): a banner or a poster placed in a prominent location with a message. Most frequently, the messages seem to originate with the drug organizations, but the message may also be aimed at the drug trafficking organizations.
Narco tienditas or picaderos: Businesses where they traffic drugs.
Operation Coronado: The code term for the DEA/FBI/ICE coordinated arrest of La Famila de Michoacana members on Oct. 24 2009.
Pelones (los): sicarios that were originally assembled by the Beltran Leyva brothers for the Sinaloa Federation.
Perico (m): cocaine. A parrot. Nickname based on the idea that it “goes up the nose”.
Pez gordo (m.): big fish, big boss.
PGR: La Procuraduria General de la Republica. The institutional agency of the Mexican Attorney General.
Pista (f): the ‘game’. Literally, ‘the track’ as in racing. Refers to the business at hand.
Plata o Plomo: Silver or lead, the cartel way giving an ultimatum, pick silver (money, pay off, bribe) or lead (bullet).
Plaza (f): Territory, turf. Can also refer to the product being moved or in dispute. A town or city where a plaza boss or cartel cell controls narco activities for a cartel
P.M.: Military Police
Polizetas: Policemen at the service of the narcos. It originated from Nuevo leon, Tamaulipas region where the police were deeply embedded with the Zetas.
Pozolero: A person within the cartel who has a knowledge of chemistry and disposes bodies.
PROCAMPO: Federal program to provide financial support for farmers and ejiditarios. In reality, it has been a cash-cow for agribusiness and PRI party members. Little of the original program (to provide irrigation etc.) has benefitted the poorest farmers.
Project Gunrunner: US DOJ and ATF plan to disrupt illegal flow of guns from US into Mexico.
Rematar: literally “to re-kill”. the prefix re is used to indicate “once again” when it precedes a verb. rematar is used when a means of execution is especially brutal, and also used to mean “slaughter”, “finish off.”
S.D.R: Situation at Risk (violence erupted).
P.S.D.R. Possible situation at risk Sicario (m): the word used to describe an “assasin” or hitman for the cartels. The word has roots back to Roman times. Sicarios are sometimes young and “throw-away” bodies recruited by the cartels, but can also be well-trained military deserters or police (e.g. Los Zetas).
Sistema SNSP: Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública.
SSP: Secretaria de Seguridad Publica.
Straw purchasers: surrogate purchasers of guns— someone who is licensed to purchase a gun but does so on behalf of someone who is not. Cartel sicarios have a system of straw purchasers.
T.C.O.: Transnational Criminal Organization
Tiendita: Excact location where drugs are sold.
UIFA: Unidad de Inspección Fiscal y Aduanera.
WATCHIVATO: Mexican “narco artist” who has produced iconic images of Jesus Malverde.
Wathivato (El): Mexican artist famous for narco images.
Zetas, (los): also known as la Compañía. Paramilitary force formed by Gulf Cartel and now independent. Deserters from Mexican army GAFE unit; highly trained anti-terrorist unit.
Jack is a veteran investigative reporter with reliable sources and extensive experience traveling in Mexico (over 120 times) and the Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Before the Trump administration began construction on the Border Wall, almost two-thirds of criminal activity in Texas was gang related and Mexican cartels were escalating their recruitment of U.S. school-age children.
“Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military Assessment,” an independent study by former military generals Barry McCaffrey and Major-General Robert Scales noted, “They want these kids to do the dirty work.”
“They are sacrificial,” Carlos, a 28-year old man who had escaped cartel torture and death and was working at a downtown San Antonio restaurant, explained. “They pay them $500 or $1000 to cross the border into Texas because they know the patrol doesn’t think American kids are going to smuggle that much drugs in, but with that kind of money, and excitement, they can find students willing to do it.”
“When the other kids see someone driving a car and spending money and buying their girlfriends jewelry and clothes, it’s not hard to recruit others,” Carlos said.
Laredo TX Police Blotter
In just 18 months, six of seven cartels established headquarters in Texas cities during Obama’s last year’s in office, according to testimony form the Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McGraw.
At least 22 murders, 24 assaults, 15 shootings and five kidnappings were traced to cartel activities on the Texas side of the border during that period.
Carlos says “these cartels are very sophisticated and are run like a military or a business.”
“They provide ‘insurance’ to the farmers,” Carlos outlined. “If the farmers continue to harvest and provide marijuana for a very cheap price, then their wives and children will continue to live. That is Mexican cartel ‘insurance.’”
“They pay a few dollars for a pound of marijuana,” said Carlos. “They have up to six levels of people on their payroll who make sure it gets into the U.S. cities because they can sell it in San Antonio or Houston for like $250 or $300 a pound, but in New York or Chicago, it might be $1500 or $1600, and that’s a big profit that no one is going to stop as long as the U.S. allows them to keep on going.”
The generals’ report stated the cartels objectives “are relying increasingly on organized gangs to provide expendable and unaccountable manpower to do their dirty work.”
Smuggling people.
“These gangs are recruited on the streets of Texas cities and inside Texas prisons by top-tier gangs who work in conjunction with the cartels,” the report continued.
During the Obama presidency, Department of Public Safety reports showed that in 2010, the Texas prison gangs associated with the Mexican cartels increased from four to 12.
When Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples released the report, it revealed these cartels were building a “sanitary zone” about one county deep within the U.S. along the Texas border. The plan was use this zone to escape Mexican law enforcement and provide an area of safe movement for drug smugglers and human traffickers.
Texas was the “tactical close combat zone and frontline in this conflict. Texans have been assaulted by cross-border gangs and narco-terrorist activities.”
“Washington keeps telling us our border is more secure than ever, but this detailed military assessment, by two of America’s top generals, offers proof to the contrary,” Commissioner Staples said about the Obama administration. “It’s time to shed the cloak of denial and protect our citizens and national security.”
“It’s time for Washington to uphold its constitutional duty to protect Americans on their home soil,” Staples added.
The report offered a military perspective on how to best use “strategic, operational and tactical measures to secure the increasingly hostile border regions” on the border.
Big Improvements With Trump
Before the Trump presidency, Texas landowners and officials had been witnessing and pleading with the Obama Administration for increased federal support to defend the U.S. border. They are doing the same with the Biden White House.
Under Trump, the border was far better protected.
“The southwestern United States had become increasingly threatened by the spread of Latin American and Mexican cartel organized crime,” said Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.)
“The violence and ongoing threat to our security reflected a change in the strategic intent of the cartels to move their operations into the United States,” said Maj. Gen. Robert Scales (Ret.) observed back then. “American cities and rural areas now have Latin American drug, gun and human smuggling cartels operating inside our borders.”
Under Obama-Biden it is a War Zone
Their findings indicate citizens living and working in a Texas border county is equivalent to living in a warzone. Law enforcement agencies, civil authorities, journalists and citizens are in continuous and growing danger of attack.
There is disparity between reported and actual cartel activity because the 17,000 local and state law enforcement agencies that provide data to the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), under the both the Obama and Biden Administrations, are not required to categorize these crimes as “drug related.”
The U.S. government suspended all imports of Mexican avocados “until further notice” after a U.S. plant safety inspector–who works for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services in Mexico– received a threatening message according to Mexico’s Agriculture Department.
“US health authorities…made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone,” the department wrote.
🔹Mexico is the largest avocado producer in the world.
🔹80 percent of their supplies are imported by the United States.
🔹The country produces three varieties of avocado, the most traded tropical fruit in the world, with Hass accounting for 97 percent of total production.
🔹While avocados are grown in many Mexican states, only those grown in Michoacán have phytosanitary approvals to export to the US.
🔹Fresh Mexican Hass avocados from Michoacán cross the border duty-free.
🔹The industry is worth almost $3 billion in annual exports.
The U.S. Embassy wrote that “facilitating the export of Mexican avocados to the U.S. and guaranteeing the safety of our agricultural inspection personnel go hand in hand.”
“We are working with the Mexican government to guarantee security conditions that would allow our personnel in Michoacan to resume operations.”
Because the United States also grows avocados, U.S. inspectors work in Mexico to ensure exported avocados don’t carry diseases that could harm U.S. crops.
It was only in 1997 that the U.S. lifted a ban on Mexican avocados that had been in place since 1914 to prevent a range of weevils, scabs and pests from entering U.S. orchards.
Michoacán
There has been repeated violence in Michoacan — where the Jalisco cartel is fighting turf wars against a collection of local gangs known as the United Cartels — that threatens avocados, the state’s most lucrative crop.
After a prior incident in 2019, the USDA had warned about the possible consequences of attacking or threatening U.S. inspectors.
In August 2019, a U.S. Department of Agriculture team of inspectors was “directly threatened” in Ziracuaretiro, a town just west of Uruapan. While the agency didn’t specify what happened, local authorities say a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were traveling in at gunpoint.
The USDA wrote in a letter at the time that, “For future situations that result in a security breach, or demonstrate an imminent physical threat to the well-being of APHIS personnel, we will immediately suspend program activities.”
On September 30, 2020, a Mexican employee of APHIS was killed near the northern border city of Tijuana.
Mexican prosecutors said Edgar Flores Santos was killed by drug traffickers who may have mistaken him for a policeman and a suspect was arrested. The U.S. State Department said investigations “concluded this unfortunate incident was a case of Mr. Flores being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Why The Price We Pay For Avocados & Other Produce Is Forced By Drug Cartels
A special report by Jack Dennis
During the Obama presidency, I was often reporting about the problems of illegal immigration and drug smuggling on the Texas-Mexico border. One of the most revealing interviews was with a man who had escaped cartel torture and death and was working at a downtown San Antonio restaurant.
“La Cota”
I learned avocados and lime costs imported into the U.S. from Mexico were subject to a drug cartel tax, or “la cota.” Carlos, himself a former cartel member, revealed in 2011, provided I did not reveal his real name.
The then 28-year-old Mexican national moved to the San Antonio area to escape cartel torture, death and “before they killed the only family I have left.”
“I started out picking, ‘quadrillero.’ Later, I was being forced to turn over everything–my home–my family. They gave me a choice of plata o plomo, silver or lead,” he gestured with his finger touching his temple like a gun.”
“They charge those farmers and packers ‘la cota’ for each truck they send out,” Carlos explained. “And before the trucks make it to the distribution, they might get stopped three or four times for la cota.”
“Those rich drug traffickers bought out all or most of the avocado plantations, especially in Michoacán (state) where most of them are grown,” he said. “They make money many ways–selling and taxing, and laundering money too.”
Carlos described what happens to anyone that doesn’t pay the tax.
“They call it Mexican insurance,” he said. “They tell you they know who your wife is, or your mother, or your daughters and you better pay or we will rape and kill them.”
“They pay the cartels what they want, like a toll road,” Carlos observed. “We charged about 600 or 700 pesos for each truck about five years ago, but I don’t know any more what it is. It’s a common thing.”
“Americans think the drug gangs just make their money from the drugs, but they make money off of your food and imports that come from Mexico too,” claimed Carlos.
“Sometimes those terminals in Mexico and even here in Texas wait for the trucks to get there, but if the drug gangs don’t get paid, those trucks will not get there,” Carlos said. “You ask any of them (distributors or terminals) and they will tell you this is more common than people think.”
“Halcones”
Carlos said the distribution companies have attempted to change their routes to prevent stolen equipment and kidnapping, “but halcones (or mules, a Mexican term for lookouts) are always watching.”
“They even use GPS (and other tracking technology) to know where the trucks are all the time,” Carlos elaborated. “Hell, they have hundreds of halcones here in Texas watching (Highways 181, 37, 35, 90, and 16 at the truck stops and gas stations coming into San Antonio all the time so they know where their drug shipments are and can tell them if the police or immigration is nearby.”
“…laughing at the Americans…”
Carlos shook his head about what he sees on television news and from state congressmen and some mayors. sai
“That’s politician talk” and the reality is “those gangs are laughing at the Americans because you don’t think there is a war on you.”
“They recruit your kids.”
“They recruit your kids in the schools, they take over your ranches, they even make your food costs go up,” Carlos was serious. “They are buying up your policemen, your businesses, and laugh that you let it happen.”
Laredo border.
Before the Trump administration began construction on Border Wall, almost two-thirds of criminal activity in Texas was gang related and Mexican cartels were escalating their recruitment of U.S. school-age children.
“Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military Assessment,” an independent study by former military generals Barry McCaffrey and Major-General Robert Scales noted, “They want these kids to do the dirty work.”
“They are sacrificial,” Carlos explained. “They pay them $500 or $1000 to cross the border into Texas because they know the patrol doesn’t think American kids are going to smuggle that much drugs in, but with that kind of money, and excitement, they can find students willing to do it.”
“When the other kids see someone driving a car and spending money and buying their girlfriends jewelry and clothes, it’s not hard to recruit others,” Carlos said.
In just 18 months, six of seven cartels established headquarters in Texas cities, according to testimony form the Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McGraw.
At least 22 murders, 24 assaults, 15 shootings and five kidnappings were traced to cartel activities on the Texas side of the border during that period.
Carlos says “these cartels are very sophisticated and are run like a military or a business.”
“They provide ‘insurance’ to the farmers,” Carlos outlined. “If the farmers continue to harvest and provide marijuana for a very cheap price, then their wives and children will continue to live. That is Mexican cartel ‘insurance.’”
“They pay a few dollars for a pound of marijuana,” said Carlos. “They have up to six levels of people on their payroll who make sure it gets into the U.S. cities because they can sell it in San Antonio or Houston for like $250 or $300 a pound, but in New York or Chicago, it might be $1500 or $1600, and that’s a big profit that no one is going to stop as long as the U.S. allows them to keep on going.”
The generals’ report stated the cartels objectives “are relying increasingly on organized gangs to provide expendable and unaccountable manpower to do their dirty work.”
Smuggling people.
“These gangs are recruited on the streets of Texas cities and inside Texas prisons by top-tier gangs who work in conjunction with the cartels,” the report continued.
During the Obama presidency, Department of Public Safety reports showed that in 2010, the Texas prison gangs associated with the Mexican cartels increased from four to 12.
When Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples released the report, it revealed these cartels were building a “sanitary zone” about one county deep within the U.S. along the Texas border. The plan was use this zone to escape Mexican law enforcement and provide an area of safe movement for drug smugglers and human traffickers.
Texas was the “tactical close combat zone and frontline in this conflict. Texans have been assaulted by cross-border gangs and narco-terrorist activities.”
“Washington keeps telling us our border is more secure than ever, but this detailed military assessment, by two of America’s top generals, offers proof to the contrary,” Commissioner Staples said about the Obama administration. “It’s time to shed the cloak of denial and protect our citizens and national security.”
“It’s time for Washington to uphold its constitutional duty to protect Americans on their home soil,” Staples added.
The report offered a military perspective on how to best use “strategic, operational and tactical measures to secure the increasingly hostile border regions” on the border.
“Under the Biden Administration, with Barack Obama’s instructions, the border crisis has returned with a vengeance,” said Eduardo Portales, a lifelong farmer located between Harlingen and McAllen, Texas. “My relatives and friends have resorted to banding together to keep a 24 hour watch on our property because of the increased break-ins, theft and crime this past year. I blame Obama and Biden. No wonder so many in the (Rio Grande Valley) voted for Trump.”
A Fierce Fighter For Civil Rights and American Justice
Luis Roberto Vera, Jr. (J. Dennis)
The Sunday, November 20, 2021 death of Luis Roberto Vera, Jr., 65, a prominent civil rights leader and Texas attorney, appropriately made national news this week.
I spent a few years interviewing over 200 people and researching (spending many hours side-by-side studying Luis) for a book, “Miracles of Justice.”
The common denominator in how most people described Luis, is the word “fighter.” That he fiercely was…especially in the case of Dominique Ramirez, who at 16, became the youngest Miss San Antonio in history.
During her tenure, Dominique was abruptly decrowned of her title by replaced leadership on the pageant board. Long story short, the beautiful Dominique’s plight made international news as she was unfairly kicked out by the board. After unsuccessful attempts to find an attorney, Dominique experienced her first miracle: enter Luis Vera, Jr.
Attorneys Steven Price, Dominique Ramirez & Luis Vera during 2011 trial. (J. Dennis)
This week, Vera was acknowledged by The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC, the nation’s oldest Hispanic civil rights organization, founded in 1929) as their national general counsel and worked with them for three decades.
LULAC’s National President Domingo Garcia issued a statement on the passing of Vera.
We have lost a friend, and our Nation’s Latino community has lost one of its greatest defenders. Luis was a man whose fight for justice often took him from the streets of our poorest barrios in San Antonio to the marbled hallways of our federal courts. Judges knew when Luis Vera walked into their courtroom…He was widely respected, even by those who presented opposing legal arguments in landmark cases…Luis followed in the footsteps of those before him who have helped build LULAC into one of America’s most respected civil rights organizations. Vaya con Dios Luis Vera.
“Ironically, Luis lives on through the recent lawsuits he helped file in federal court that will forever carry the imprint of his love for justice and the voice that shall never be silenced,” LULAC National CEO Sindy Benavides said in a statement.
My wife, Loralyn, and her southside San Antonio Kingsborough Elementary and Middle School classmates, meet for lunch at least once a year at Don Pedro’s Mexican Restaurant for a mini-reunion–all paid for and hosted by Luis. He cherished his lifelong friends. The biggest smiles I’ve ever seen beam off of Luis’ face were with his classmates.
Luis with elementary school classmates, September 2021. (Walter Tenery)
In loving memory of Luis, here is Chapter 4 of “Miracles of Justice,” his introduction in the book.
(Note: Luis didn’t want to have the book published yet, because he indicated to Dominique and me that he was working on a potential movie deal–slowed by the pandemic–and didn’t want to intrude on that possibility.)
Miracles of Justice
Written by Jack Dennis, with collaboration from Dominique Ramirez-Wilson. Copyrighted by Jack Dennis
Chapter 4 Against the Odds
He’d been playing against the odds of death far too long. Politicians, CEOs, foreign and domestic governments, school district officials, and other organizational threats of courtroom confrontations didn’t faze him. Luis Vera emerged fiercer. If they spread lies to the media, it only strengthened his persistence. He didn’t flinch. When they decided to enter a game of chicken, they would play against a relentless, and very much alive, warrior beast!
Vera grew up having high expectations for himself. He attended San Antonio College, St. Mary’s University and the University of Texas at San Antonio simultaneously to finish his last two years of college in one year. He met his wife Rosie in 1988 when she worked as a file clerk at the State School on South Presa and S.W. Military Drive. Vera was a new unit manager supervisor. It was a “place to park while I waited for law school to begin,” he said.
“What I first remember about Luis is that he was undergoing training and he was already wanting to change everything,” Rosie laughs. “He was a bit crude. He would ask me out to lunch, but I said ‘I just don’t think so, or that I don’t want to go out. It’s not going to work.”
Persistently, Vera continued to ask.
Luis & Rosie at 2019 Presidential Inaguration Gala, Washington DC (L. Vera)
“There’s something wrong with this guy,” Rosie deduced. “I thought he was too blunt and crude. He proceeded to try to talk to me. He asked me one day what was wrong with me so I told him ‘not everybody needs to stand up in the room when you enter.’ It was awkward, but he kept trying. So the first time we went to lunch we took another co-worker so there would be three of us there. I think it was uncomfortable for him.”
Rosie relented. Soon they had lunch together alone. Within a few months she became executive secretary for the Human Resources Director, while her new “boyfriend” continued to be the king of his domain on his unit. One of his personnel techs was a young man named Robert Cuellar, who would one day become president of the annual Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade in San Antonio.
“Church has always been very important to me,” explained Rosie. “Meeting Luis was a ‘God thing.’ I would ask people to go to church and they wouldn’t. He did. When I asked him about it, there was no hesitation. I found that his faith is very strong, but like everything, it’s in his own way. He started going with me every Saturday and Sunday to Living Way Christian Church in northeast San Antonio.”
Luis Vera says a prayer at la Virgen de Guadalupe Church after the trial for Dominique Ramirez in 2011. (J. Dennis)
Luis and Rosie became Mr. and Mrs. Vera within 11 months. Two weeks after their wedding, they moved to Massachusetts where he began law school.
“I enjoyed Massachusetts very much,” she remembered. “It was my first time out of Texas. It was a different life.”
Vera began working for prominent San Antonio attorney Oliver Heard after receiving his license to practice. One of his first cases was a lawsuit against the National Guard. Mexican-Americans were not being promoted even though some of them were career guardsmen.
“It was hard for some of the older ones to compete with rookie guardsmen, especially on the physical training exercises,” Vera recalled. “I went to Austin to meet with a large panel of National Guard leaders. There I was alone, just facing a group of distinguished men, or at least they thought they were distinguished wearing their ribbons and badges. I just thought to myself, ‘you guys don’t intimidate me. To me you are just cub scouts dressing up. Let’s get to the meat of the matter. Let’s talk about real justice.’”
He won.
The Vera’s had four children: Jerry, Michael, Anthony and Melanie. By 2017, with Rosie as a 6th grade teacher at Leal Middle School in south San Antonio, Luis continued to practice law. Their grandchildren included Girbrian, Olive, Vita, Maseo, and Anthony. Yaza, their first great-grandchild, was born in 2016.
“God uses Luis to help people out,” Rosie said. “People just see him at the trial, but his faith is what they don’t see. It is so strong. I’ve seen people come to him with nothing and no hope. One man, an African-American, had his children taken away from him illegally by their mother. He was from another state but knew they were in Texas. He kept coming back to San Antonio but there was no trace of them here.”
Luis with Pastor Jack Comer, Jr. Senator Edward Kennedy, Emilio Navarro & Joe Biden (L. Vera).
“His father, a minister, told his son that he had been praying for him and that he should return because he thinks he will find his children. When the father went before the judge in San Antonio, he told him he understood what he was saying, ‘But you need a lawyer to represent you in something this complex. There is one right there. You can use him.’”
“The judge pointed at Luis as he walked into his courtroom for other business. Luis listened to him and said ‘yeah, I’ll help you, but let me take care of this first.’ Luis was able to find the woman and secured the children to return legally back to their loving father. How did that happen? –that Luis happened to be coming through those doors at exactly the right moment to help this family?”
“Over the years, and during the big fights in court and with my health, I would be so exhausted, be sick with headaches,” Vera said. “People would see or hear about me and they’d say ‘he is not going to last or he won’t make it.’ I would force myself. Being sick made me better as a lawyer. I became more disciplined because now I was limited to so many hours in the day because of operations, doctor appointments, and all. Six to seven days a week, even if I traveled to San Diego, Tampa, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Tulsa, Miami, New York or Washington D.C., I would receive treatment.”
As his body aged toward 55, Vera became less afraid of exceeding his own expectations. He realized that the question of making meaning or purpose to our lives is constantly before all of us in a variety of ways. In the life of an attorney, stress, fear and loss is never very far. On any given day, Vera spoke with people whose lives were reshaped in an instant. In the morning he would speak to a man whose wife had left him after 22 years of marriage. Later, the parents of an ailing child came in to talk about medical malpractice because their daughter would never hear again. Towards the end of the work day, a man strolled in with a wheelchair, broken arm, and in a neck brace. While injured in a work-related accident, he wasn’t ‘officially’ an employee of the business.
(L. Vera)
What all these individuals had in common was the staggering presence of loss in their lives. But, with Vera, each one had a choice. The loss could be seen as a sign of meaninglessness, or an opportunity to create meaning. Not only was it his job as an attorney to help them through legal remedy, he was their protector. He perceived himself shield-like by offering choices that provided quality, dignity, and to some extent, a bit of joy.
The deepest losses of life may not be curable. However, the greater the loss the greater the need for calmness of soul. Sometimes the calmness comes from the realization that distress has to be allowed so we can learn to bear it. We may share in others’ sadness, but we cannot repair the pain. In the book of Job, his friend’s response to his series of tragedies was to sit with him and weep. Although commendable, later they were condemned when they attempted to explain to him why he experienced the sequences of tragedies. What loss cries for is not to be explained or repaired, but to be shared and hopefully, to find some meaning.
Luis in his office. (J. Dennis)September 2021 (Walter Tenery)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion Thursday to force the Biden Administration to reinstate Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP).
Paxton says that the Biden White House has “blatantly ignored the court’s order” to do so.
MPP restricts illegal aliens’ ability to remain in the United States during immigration proceedings, which greatly reduces the burden shouldered by state and federal agencies tasked with defending our border.
Popular meme
“The Biden Administration’s refusal to follow the law has created chaos at our border,” Paxton said. “Our officers are working endlessly to try to manage the crisis that is overwhelming our state.”
“I have already sued this administration and won – yet they still think they are above the law and can continue shirking their responsibilities,” Paxton noted. “It’s time to stop the Biden Administration from acting outside of federal law. They have created this crisis by inviting illegal aliens to come into our country unlawfully.”
“Make sure to take a side trip to Chichen Itza,” friends repeatedly told me when I made preparations for my first trip to Cancun, Mexico.
Dodie & I both love the Cancun area…and each other.
I was so mesmerized by the magical waters of the beach, there was little time for secondary excursions. Whew, did I make a mistake. Besides the enchanting Xcaret theme park, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, an early morning excursion to Chichen Itza is highly recommended.
Xcaret
On a return trip to Cancun, I realized why this ancient Mayan site is highly recommended. Chichen Itza is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the top excursions in Cancun.
Chichen Itza is home to a number of architectural and natural wonders, including El Castillo, the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors, the Sacred Cenote, and more.
Interesting Facts About Chichen Itza
🔹The term Chichen Itza means ‘the mouth at the well of Itza’. It is believed Itza means ‘water magicians’, deriving from the Mayan Itz for ‘magic’ and á for ‘water’.
🔹Believed by archaeologists to have been a powerful economic city around 600 AD, the fall of Chichen Itza is thought to have been approximately 1000 AD.
Ferry to Cozumel
🔹Located on the north side of the Kukulkan Pyramid is a platform dedicated to the planet Venus. The Mayans were devoted astronomers and the movements of Venus held special meaning to them, with it influencing the architecture of the ancient Mayan city Uxmal.
🔹Historians have analyzed the building and found that there are variety of material in this pyramid that are not found in Mexico. One of these materials is mica, which was used by the Mayans during construction to insulate their buildings, but there is one strange thing. Mica is found 2,000 miles away from the pyramids in Brazil, and scientists are baffled as to how it was transported without vehicles.
🔹Pyramid has 365 steps—one for each day of the year. Each of the temple’s four sides has 91 steps, and the top platform makes the 365th.
Devising a 365-day calendar was just one feat of Mayan science. Incredibly, during the Spring (20th of March) and Autumn Equinox (22nd September), sunrays create a shadow across the Kukulkan Pyramid that gives the appearance of a serpent slithering down the staircase.
🔹Many of the sites in Chichen Itza are known for their unusual sounds. If you clap once from one end of the Ball Court, it produces nine echoes in the middle of the court. Additionally, a clap in front of the Kukulkan Pyramid creates an echo resembling the serpent’s chirp.
🔹Chichén Itzá was more than a religious and ceremonial site. It was also a sophisticated urban center and hub of regional trade. But after centuries of prosperity and absorbing influxes of other cultures like the Toltecs, the city met a mysterious end.
Using the Obama Method to Transport Illegal Aliens to Targeted Communities Throughout U.S.
If the Biden-Harris Administration wanted to truly follow the science, they would control the border.
They would cease using commercial buses, commercial planes, and Air Force property to distribute these COVID-19 positive illegal aliens across America.
They would stop the millions of taxpayer dollars going to “religious” and other “charitable” organizations that aid and abet the illegal entry into the United States–and then transport and house them.
The primary reason diseases are being spread is not because of the unvaccinationed, it’s because the White House, Congress and Senate are welcoming illegal entry into our nation.
Take the case of the La Joya, Texas police department encounter this week. They received a call from a local Whataburger indicating a group of people were frightening customers and employees at their restaurant.
“The La Joya Police Department said a patrol officer was waved down Monday by someone concerned about a group that appeared to be sick at a Whataburger fast food restaurant,” Fox News reported. “The officer found a family inside who were coughing and sneezing and not adhering to health guidelines, including the wearing of masks, authorities said during a news conference.”
Police discovered the illegal immigrants possibly tested positive for COVID-19 and were being released from federal custody to a Catholic charity, which booked hotel rooms for them without notifying local officials.
“…When the officer approached the migrants, they said they had tested positive for the coronavirus and had been apprehended by Border Patrol agents several days prior before being released.”
🛑🛑🛑Attention Citizens of La Joya, this is a Public Health Announcement.🛑🛑🛑 On July 26, 2021, a La Joya Police Department Officer was waved down by a concern citizen at the Whataburger located at 450 E. US-83, La Joya, TX 78560. The citizen explained to the Officer that she had observed a family group who were not being observant of proper health guidelines. She stated that the family was coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths and were not wearing face masks.
They didn’t have documentation to prove they were COVID-positive, La Joya police Sgt. Manuel Casas said.
“We did not know this,” he said. “No one told the city of La Joya. No one told the police department that these people were here and no one told us that these people were possibly ill.”
The migrants told the officer they were staying at the nearby Texas Inn & Suites. The hotel manager told authorities that the Catholic Charities of The Rio Grande Valley had booked rooms in the hotel to house undocumented immigrants detained by Border Patrol.
Is Texas Inn & Suites booked totally by Catholic Charities to house illegal aliens?
“We have an understanding based on what was told to us that the hotel in totality has already been rented out,” Casas said. “The information we have is that everyone that is staying in that hotel is COVID-19 positive because it’s being rented out for them.”
Police said they learned that Border Patrol was quarantining other undocumented individuals who were COVID positive, or showed symptoms of illness, then handing them over to the non-profit.
Catholic Charities would in turn place the undocumented individuals in hotels in the McAllen area as well as La Joya.
May 2021
Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, Sister Norma Pimentel said “At no time have the COVID positive immigrant families walked around exposing others in the community. They are kept in isolation until they test negative.”
“Any law or policy that contributes to human suffering is wrong and needs to be corrected,” she said.
Pimentel didn’t comment on the police department’s allegation that the organization didn’t tell them that they were placing COVID stricken people at the Texas Inn Hotel.
Popular Social Media meme
This is the same strategy the Obama Administration used to begin distributing illegal aliens to select communities throughout the U.S.
This tactic introduces anti-American culture and voting trends at a fast and furious pace…as well as the Chinese COVID Virus.
Travelers to the Rio Grande Valley and other southern border locations in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California should be advised about the high numbers of illegal immigration and virus counts in local hotels.
COVID Vaccine manufacturer Johnson & Johnson involved.
Settlement includes Texas political subdivisions; if subdivisions join Texas could receive over $1.5 billion
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a historic $26 billion agreement that will bring some relief to Texans who are struggling with opioid addiction.
The agreement includes Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – and Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured and marketed opioids.
According to Paxton’s office, the agreement also requires “significant industry changes that will help prevent this type of crisis from ever happening again.”
“In 2020, 93,000 people died from opioid overdoses – nearly 30 percent more than the prior year,” Paxton said. “This number is significantly less than the number of families that have watched their loved ones’ lives be torn apart from addiction.”
“Many Texans suffer from addiction and need significant support and treatment to avoid becoming another statistic,” he continued. “My office will continue to hold the companies that contributed to this crisis accountable and ensure that sufficient funds flow to Texas to provide much needed relief to our citizens.”
Under the agreement, Texas will have 30 days to decide whether to join the settlement. Texas could receive as much as $1.5 billion, the vast majority of which would be spent on opioid abatement pursuant to a new state law.
The actual amount Texas receives will depend upon the participation of cities, counties, and other political subdivisions in the state.
General Paxton previously announced an agreement with the subdivisions that have also been litigating against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers that was based upon an agreed formula for distributing the settlement funds throughout the state and that also created a list of expert-approved abatement strategies to be deployed around the state.
Paxton added, “I have appreciated the partnership we established many months ago in our effort to maximize recoveries for Texans. After years of our combined efforts, well over $1 billion is on the table that we can collectively use to provide meaningful relief to our citizens. It’s time for us to come together again as only Texans can, maximize our recovery, and take care of our citizens so that we can serve as an example for the rest of the country.”
Paxton is involved in other ongoing negotiations to continue to add funding for these abatement efforts, including through the bankruptcy cases of manufacturers Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt. Both of those companies are expected to emerge from bankruptcy in the upcoming months and provide millions of additional dollars for opioid abatement.
Clever Journeys 