Drug War

Illegal alien gets 27 years for trafficking Mexican dope to Burlington, NC

Felipe Medina-Mar, an illegal alien from Mexico living in Haw River, North Carolina was sentenced to 27 years without parole for trafficking marijuana and fined $25,000 in a federal court in Houston last week. Medina-Mar had been convicted May 15 of bringing 10,076 lbs. of marijuana from Texas - both from the Rio Grande Valley and from Houston - to Alamance County, North Carolina via tractor-trailer rigs.

Los Angeles

Removal of SoCal Federal Protective Service Chief Decried

Al Maldonado, National Federation of Federal Employees, called on the oversight committee of the House of Representatives to investigate actions by the Clinton Administration against Southern California Federal Protective Service Chief, Jim McDonald. According to Maldonado, McDonald is being penalized because his officers stepped forward to keep the peace on July 4 at the Westwood Federal Building. Also See: PRESS BLACKOUT FIRING OF FED COP

Cuban Snit Update

Cuban American National Foundation Condemns INS Celebration of Inappropriate Use of Force in The Elian Gonzalez Case

The following was issued by the Cuban American National Foundation: The Cuban American National Foundation believes that pointing a gun at a child's head in a pre-dawn raid is cause for contrition and the institution of firm regulations on the use of excessive force against peaceful citizens, not a cause for celebration [and so on].

Cuban Snit Update

Elian's Miami Relatives Say INS Agents Should Not Be Honored

"I think it's a waste of taxpayers' money," said Armando Gutierrez, a spokesman for Elian's Miami relatives. "Honoring people that went into the house with machine guns to scare the hell out of a little boy -- a house where there was no guns, just simple people. It's incredible and I never knew that they would honor people for doing that," he said. ALSO SEE: TENSIONS RUN HIGH IN MIAMI AS U.S. TO HONOR AGENTS WHO RAIDED ELIAN'S HOME | CUBAN SNIT UPDATES

Overrunning Maryland

Latinos and Prince George's police seek better understanding

Several times a week, a community activist in Prince George's County hears Latinos complain that they are stopped, for no apparent reason, by police who don't speak Spanish. "It's a serious problem," said Gustavo Torres, director of Casa de Maryland, a non-profit organization serving the Hispanic community. ALSO SEE: IMPORTING POVERTY

Overrunning New Mexico

53 Illegals Fired in Farmington Following INS Raid

A routine inspection by INS officials turned up 95 past and present Key Energy Services employees with discrepancies in their documents, including the 53 fired Tuesday. Key Energy Services did not know the employees were illegal immigrants because documents that verify an individual's identity had been falsified, Key Energy division president Ron Fellabaum said.

Miami

INS steps up efforts to deport foreign-born criminals

By announcing the arrests of 20 convicted criminals Wednesday, the Immigration and Naturalization Service said it is stepping up efforts to send foreign-born criminals out of the country -- and boosting efforts to curry public support of its operations. But the arrests that began Tuesday and are expected to climb to a total of 30 arrests today did little to impress immigrant advocates who criticized what they said amounts to a rigid double standard punishing people born outside the United States.

Overrunning Arkansas

2 arrested in scheme to provide fake documents

Springdale detectives arrested two people Wednesday on charges that they sold Social Security cards and birth certificates to illegal immigrants [aliens]. Carlos Hernandez, 36, of Fayetteville and Rosa Gamez, 27, of Springdale were arrested at PFT Services in Springdale. Hernandez was arrested on one felony charge of forgery and one misdemeanor charge of falsifying business records. Gamez was also arrested on one count of falsifying business records.

Los Angeles

Catholic group wants Loretta Sanchez' Playboy gig canceled

A Hispanic political action group is under pressure by Catholics to cancel its fund-raiser at the Playboy Mansion. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is asking Vice President Al Gore to use his influence with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) to have the Hispanic Unity gala canceled. ALSO SEE THIS ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE

'Operation Denial'

INS crackdown changes tactics

The INS yesterday kicked off round-the-clock surveillance by plainclothes agents at Phoenix's airport, to cut off a "major hub" for migrants that feeds states from North Carolina to New York. One analyst says the crackdown will have "almost zero effect" on the larger issue of immigration into the United States from Mexico. Edward J. Williams, a University of Arizona political science professor, says the issue is largely a labor problem. NOTE: IF ABOVE LINK IS EXPIRED, CLICK HERE

Fox Eyeballs Henhouse

Fox wants a greatly expanded NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement, enacted in 1994, is widely credited with encouraging the reforms that led to Vicente Fox's election last month as Mexico's next president. Now Fox wants to expand the trade relationship among his country, Canada and the United States, and possibly extend free trade throughout South America.

Toward A Bilingual America?

County confirms Clifton translators' ballot battles

Poll workers twice clashed with Spanish translators at a Clifton polling place during elections last year, telling them their court-mandated services were not needed and urging them to leave, Passaic County's top elections official said Wednesday.

Rewarding Criminals

Immigration Rights Leaders to Press Case for Amnesty

"Our eyes are on the prize, and that is the November election," said Linda Chavez Thompson, a vice president of the national AFL-CIO, an umbrella organization representing 13 million union members. The federation surprised many last February by reversing its long-standing policy on immigration and calling for amnesty. The political power of Latino voters has also grown, particularly in California, where union members and new citizens were a decisive factor in electing Gov. Gray Davis.

Environmental Nightmare

Mexican Sewage at border still called emergency - Speakers urge S.D. council to continue its declaration

Councilman George Stevens and the four council members on the committee were deluged with speakers, including Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Imperial Beach, and Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, who said the problem of Mexican sewage coming across the border has still not been solved. They all said the emergency declaration is necessary to prove to the federal government that the problem is ongoing and serious.

Marxist Agitator News

Chávez holiday bill moved to fast track by Democrats

Democrats began moving quickly yesterday to grant final approval to legislation to establish a new state holiday in honor of César Chávez, the late champion of farm workers. "I'm going to sign the César Chávez bill and do so proudly," said Gray Davis. "It's conceivable it could be next week. It's slightly more likely it will be the next week." State Sen. Richard Polanco, who is carrying the measure, said he wants to see the bill signed during the convention.

G.O.Pandering in California

Bush kicks off whistle-stop campaign in Oxnard

Speaking from the back of a red-, white- and blue-decorated Amtrak train, Bush spoke in Spanish at times, while laying out his plan to spend more on defense, boost education and rework the tax code to benefit the middle class. "El sueno Americano es para todos," he said, telling the crowd in Spanish that the American dream is for all people.

Overrunning America

Suspected coyote claims innocence

Officials say the driver of a minivan that crashed on I-70 with 14 undocumented [illegal] aliens on board could be charged with alien smuggling. But Fernando Garcia, the 56-year-old driver and owner of the seven-passenger van, said his 14 passengers were not being smuggled. He said he gave them a ride only because he knew they needed work in the United States, and said the van, a 1994 Ford with New York license plates, had been on the road about 24 hours since leaving Arizona. It was bound for New York. Also see: Sachem Quality of Life Organization - Farmingville, NY

Narco State Next Door Gets Aggressive

Mexico Backs Lawsuit by Immigrant [illegal alien] Allegedly Detained by Ranchers

The Mexican government is standing by the story of Javier Bencomo, a Mexican national who filed suit against an Arizona couple whom he alleges illegally detained and assaulted him. Bencomo filed a civil lawsuit last week against Andreas and Louis Muller for detaining him along with other illegal immigrants [aliens] beyond the property lines of Muller's ranch in Arizona's Cochise County.

Overrunning America

INS stakes out airports for entrants [foreign invaders]

Immigration agents from across the country began round-the-clock surveillance at the Phoenix and Las Vegas airports yesterday in an attempt to dismantle migrant-smuggling networks used to dispatch immigrants to the East and Midwest. Operation Denial began yesterday morning and by midday 67 illegal entrants [foreign invaders] had been arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, said Roseanne Sonchik, district director of the INS in Phoenix.

Clinton Administration Incompetence

INS: Border policy failed

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service policy of gradually funneling the flow of illegal border crossers [aliens] from Mexico through the Arizona desert has failed to deter them, resulting instead in immigrant deaths, the head of the agency said. U.S. Immigration Commissioner Doris Meissner came to Phoenix to kick off a new enforcement plan Wednesday aimed at smugglers using the Phoenix and Las Vegas airport hubs to distribute immigrants [foreign invaders] nationwide.