Editor, the Advocate: The Nov. 8 Advocate story about civil asset forfeiture is disturbing. Stephen Tyler is involved with the legalized theft of money, cars and other valuables owned by people who are only suspected of a crime but have not been convicted at trial. I was taught in my high school civics classes that, in America, a basic tenent of justice is that a person is presumed innocent until proved guilty in a trial or he pleads guilty. This isn't happening with civil asset forfeiture. People are being punished by having their property confiscated by government without being convicted of a crime. Why? The answer is in the sixth paragraph: "District Attorney Stephen Tyler uses civil asset forfeiture to pad his budget." Tyler should wait until after he gets a conviction to confiscate property. [continues 256 words]
The mayor of Refugio was arrested on multiple drug charges, Refugio County Sheriff Robert Bolcik said Saturday. Bolcik said Mayor Joey Heard was arrested by the Refugio Police Department at 4:30 p.m. Friday on three charges: misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of a dangerous drug and third-degree felony possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional facility. Heard was out on a $29,000 bond Saturday, according to Bolcik. Refugio Police Chief Andy Lopez Jr. declined to comment on Heard's case beyond saying Heard had been arrested. Lopez said the case was part of a pending investigation. [continues 65 words]
Editor, the Advocate: In a recent medical marijuana story published in the Victoria Advocate, reporter J.R. Ortega discussed both the pros and cons of the issue, but ended up doing far greater harm than good by printing false claims made by grossly misinformed doctors. For instance, Victoria oncologist Dr. Ahmad Qadri is quoted as saying that he "doubt[s] there are any pros" to using marijuana. Dr. Qadri, it's not theory that marijuana is medicine; it's fact, backed by 5,000 years of recorded history. Research has shown that marijuana relieves symptoms like nausea, appetite loss, muscle spasms and certain types of pain. This evidence has been acknowledged by the American College of Physicians, the American Nurses Association, and many other reputable health organizations. [continues 280 words]
Editor, the Advocate: I believe marijuana should be legalized here in Texas, not only for medical purposes but also for recreational use. Alcohol is legal, and it has killed thousands if not more people. It causes violence, drunk driving, spouse and child abuse, and the list goes on. So if this substance is legal, then why isn't marijuana? When was the last time marijuana has killed someone? I have heard of not one incident where this has happened and even if it has happened, the percentages are far less than that of alcohol. [continues 79 words]
The Breakdown Pro / Con Is a Feature in Which We Explore Both Sides of Timely Topics. This Week, We Ask, "Should Marijuana Be Legalized?" Pro: U.S. Can Make, Save Money by Legalizing, Taxing Marijuana Marijuana should be legalized in the United States, some say. The harmless plant is not addictive, its illegal distribution sparks a bloody, failed drug war, and taxing it would stimulate the economy, a former law enforcement officer said. Terry Nelson is a 60-year-old former law enforcement officer. He worked for the U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security. [continues 734 words]
Dr. Buddy Lee didn't know what to expect from Tuesday night's premiere of "Drug Wars: Silver or Lead." The movie documents the Mexican drug war and its violent spillover into Texas. The Victoria dentist walked away from the film disturbed, he said, and disgusted by wealthy Mexican drug cartels and the violence they employ. "I think it's a terrible example of what money and evil can do," Lee said. "The disturbing thing to me is the callousness and vacancy in the eyes of those guys who are doing all this stuff. It's like they don't have a conscience. That's a dangerous animal to have around." [continues 481 words]
If Mexican drug violence reaches Victoria, Rusty Fleming can say, "I told you so." Fleming, a Dallas-area filmmaker, spent three years in Mexico and on the border to document a new era of narco-terrorism. He, like many law enforcement experts, say this unsettling war creeps north on U.S. highways. His film, "Drug Wars: Silver or Lead," offers an inside look at the brutal Gulf Cartel, Mexican drug war and violent spillover into Texas. Fleming, 45, agreed to premiere his film in Victoria. [continues 370 words]
NUEVO LAREDO - One of the most ruthless drug cartels in history owns Nuevo Laredo, and its sights are set on controlling a highway that leads straight to Victoria. After years of fighting in the streets, just three hours southwest of Victoria, the public violence is suddenly calm. At first glance, the Laredo corridor appears peaceful again. Hidden beneath this 18-month lull, however, a sinister story surfaces. The brutal Gulf Cartel seized control of a border city, strangling public confidence with murder, terror, extortion, corruption and kidnapping. [continues 157 words]
Arresting street-level drug dealers doesn't have an effect on local drug supplies, but finding their bosses can. The 65.4 grams of crack cocaine seized in a Friday night bust is enough to dent the drug trade here, Police Chief Bruce Ure said. "These guys were way up there on the food chain," Ure said. "It could have a significant impact on the drug trade." Federal authorities have taken over the investigation, Ure said. They are charging [redacted], 43, and [redacted], 40, with possession of a controlled substance and felons in possession of firearms, said Francesca Perot, information officer for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Houston. [continues 156 words]
Students in sports or who drive to school will have to take the tests A $178,290 drug prevention grant means 5,900 drug tests for the Victoria school district. Four hundred of these will be test for anabolic steroids. The grant from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the U.S. Department of Education and money set aside in the district's budget allow for 10 times more drug screens. "There is a chance that a student could be tested twice," Diane Boyett, communication's specialist for the district said. [continues 284 words]
As violence associated with narcotrafficking and Mexico's warring drug cartels escalates in Mexico, we must cooperatively work with our southern neighbor to prevent it from spilling over the border and into the United States. Many Americans are unaware of the violent street war that brazen drug lords are waging against Mexican authorities -- mere yards away from El Paso in Ciudad Juarez, and across Mexico. These cartels battle one another for turf and drug smuggling routes. President Felipe Calderon is taking unprecedented steps to rout his country of these criminal organizations. Yet now, in a concerted effort to destabilize the government, the drug cartels are actively targeting and assassinating law enforcement officials, terrorizing community residents, and bringing a new level of barbarism to their tactics. [continues 595 words]
I'm no stranger to the drug war. I know that police officers want to do the right thing, want to put drug dealers out of business, and they look forward to the day when the dealers are gone and the cartels eliminated. And that is why the Interagency raid in Refugio (Victoria Advocate, Nov 5) with 28 arrests was celebrated by local law enforcement. Law Enforcement is a brotherhood and cooperation, and getting the job done always feels good. My experience tells me that we will never see the end of the dealers and cartels by fighting the drug war the way we have been. Drugs are in every town in the nation: lots of drugs, lots of different kinds of drugs. [continues 617 words]
The silence of a South Texas sunrise is broken by the sounds of shouting, fists banging on doors, and the metallic clank of handcuffs as they clamp around yet another pair of wrists. Interagency drug raids with neighboring law enforcement departments and other agencies have become a standard practice for rounding up known drug offenders in small towns. Interagency cooperation is not a new concept, said Cuero Police Chief Glenn Mutchler, who recalled cooperative efforts 25 years ago among the Edna -- where he was an officer -- Yoakum and Cuero police departments. [continues 451 words]
Special Team Performs Cleanup After Drug Raid Cleaning up after a methamphetamine lab is raided can take a while, but it depends on the lab's size and the chemicals involved, officials said. While it only took 30 to 45 minutes to clean up the meth lab found at 806 W. Goodwin Ave. on Wednesday, it took a special team trained in removing hazardous materials to do the work, said Sgt. Erica Padilla with the Victoria Police Department. Because the Victoria Police Department is not allowed to touch the materials, a team from Responsive Environmental Solutions from New Braunfels was called in to remove the highly explosive materials used for cooking the drug. [continues 493 words]
WHARTON - A blood trail leading to a knife, testimony from an expert in the use of force and a Texas Ranger led a Wharton County grand jury Wednesday to decline to indict a Wharton police detective in the killing of a 17-year-old during the service of a narcotics search warrant. Police Detective Sgt. Don Falks shot to death 17-year-old Daniel Castillo Jr. on Feb. 13 in Castillo's bedroom. On Wednesday, District Attorney Josh McCown said the grand jury found there was insufficient evidence to charge Falks with a crime. Further, he said, the grand jury felt the evidence proved the shooting was justified. [continues 690 words]
WHARTON - The continuing investigation into the shooting death of Daniel Castillo Jr. indicates the 17-year-old was armed with a lock-blade knife and posed a threat to police officer Don Falks, according to a news release from the district attorney's office. District Attorney Josh McCown also said Falks has never previously been investigated for use of force. "After the shooting occurred (Feb. 13), the evidence collected at the autopsy and at the shooting scene indicates that Daniel Castillo Jr. and officer Don Falks were facing each other," McCown wrote in a news release issued Tuesday afternoon. "The knife was found in close proximity to Castillo and indications from the evidence are that he was in possession of a lock-blade knife and intended to use it against the officer." [continues 836 words]
More Than 100 People March in Protest of the Killing WHARTON - The family of the 17-year-old boy shot and killed while law enforcement officers were serving a search warrant at his home on Tuesday said Thursday he was unarmed when the incident happened. "We want to get answers and we want justice," said Lydia Garza, who is Daniel Castillo Jr.'s aunt "He was asleep when they entered his room and he was shot in the face when he was just a few feet apart from the police officer. It is horrible what happened." [continues 675 words]
Cost the Biggest Factor in Testing Victoria school district has a drug-testing policy, but it does not include testing for steroids. Cost is the biggest obstacle. The cost of a single steroids test can range from $80 to over $200, said Ramiro Rubio, the emergency operations director. "We don't do the steroids test," Rubio said, explaining the district's new policy, which was implemented in August. "We implemented a random drug test for students in grades six through 12. If they are participating in a UIL sport or the band or mariachis or the National Honor Society or drive a car on the campus, then the parent has to sign a consent form for them to participate and they are on the wheel (list) included in the random drug tests." [continues 586 words]
PHARR - International bridge inspectors found 306 pounds of cocaine valued at more than $10 million hidden in the support beams of a flatbed trailer hauling cinder blocks from Mexico, Customs and Border Protection said Monday. A drug sniffing dog caught the scent of cocaine, and customs officers using an X-ray scanner noticed odd shapes near the beams of the trailer Friday at the Pharr international bridge. The officers discovered 121 bricklike packages of cocaine hidden in a space between the support beams and the floor of the trailer. [end]
Correction: The Victoria school board is expected to select a company to do drug screening tests for students in extra-curricular activities and those who have parking permits for the campus at its Thursday meeting. The board adopted the testing policy in March. The policy will be included in the student handbook and code of conduct for parent reference. The Victoria school board will take action on a new student drug testing policy at its Thursday board meeting. According to the proposed policy, students involved in extracurricular activities and students who receive school parking privileges will have to sign a consent form that requires randomly selected students to provide a urine sample to be tested for illegal drugs. [continues 86 words]
