Phoenix New Times, By Monica Alonzo, Thursday, Aug 12 2010
Maria was drifting off to sleep on the bedroom floor. She could hear women getting raped in the next room. Only she didn’t hear screams — she heard the laughter of male guards.

The women had been drugged by their rapists, who had done the same to Maria as soon as she walked into the house. They forced her to swallow a red liquid and handed her some chalky, white pills. She drank the liquid and tucked the pills on the side of her mouth, but they were slowly dissolving.

The drugs were beginning to deaden her senses.

Maria had arrived at the modest three-bedroom house in west Phoenix several days earlier in the back of a white van. She was one of about a dozen other immigrants who had hired coyotes to smuggle them into the United States in May. They each paid the human smugglers about $1,800 to guide them safely through the treacherous Arizona desert.

Their guides betrayed them. They delivered them to other coyotes, who were more vicious than their counterparts. The kidnappers demanded another $1,700 apiece for Maria and the 12 others, including two young boys, they were holding.

To read the complete article, click here:
Phoenix New Times

El Universal (Mexico City) Sunday 8/15/10
So far this year, Mexican Customs has intercepted merely 150 firearms, compared to the thousands the Mexican military has seized in combat against organized crime groups. Jose Bravo Moises, a leading official in the Customs service, explains that it is because the operations of his agency discourage trafficking through ports of entry. He recognizes that arms can cross by other means such as through the ample unguarded areas along the border and by air and sea.

Nonetheless, a special legislative commission overseeing Customs revealed in a meeting with the agency’s head that they paid 100 pesos [$7.86] to bring a firearm from Guatemala into Mexico. “One came in and they didn’t check anything in that Customs office, a serious problem for the traffic of arms the country suffers, for the thousands of deaths and the violence that no one stops,” said Representative Hector Pedroza Jimenez.

The Customs official rejected that the traffic of arms takes place through the Customs inspection points or that there exists corruption in the agency because as soon as any irregularity is detected, it is investigated. “We haven’t detected direct collusion, but we are constantly looking,” he said.

To read the complete article, click here:
El Universal,com

German factory investigated for supposed sale of arms to Mexico
La Jornada (Mexico City) 8/15/10

Berlin – German authorities opened a proceeding against the Heckler & Kochel arms factory for the presumed offense of illegal exportation of arms in 2006 to Mexican states with violent internal conflicts, according to the weekly edition of Der Spiegel. The investigation, led by the government attorney’s office and German Customs, is to determine if the factory violated the prohibition, in force in the country, to sell arms in zones of conflict. According to information, in 2006 the factory received official permission to sell “different Mexican national police” thousands of G36 assault rifles, the customary German Army weapon. The authorization supposedly excluded the areas of conflict such as the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Chihuahua and Jalisco. A year later, Heckler & Koch solicited another permit, this time to supply parts for those rifles “to clients with an established address” in those states. The investigation is in its initial stage.

To read the complete article, click here:
La Jornada (Mexico City)

Nogales International, Published Friday, August 13, 2010

RR (Rio Rico) man gets 5 years for drug conviction; one co-defendant brother killed, one missing

A Rio Rico man who was indicted along with two of his brothers on federal drug charges, then fled to Mexico with his brothers before turning himself in, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.

Vicente Cheang, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine during an April 20 hearing at U.S. District Court in Tucson, court records show. He was sentenced on Aug. 10.

He was named, along with his brothers Sergio Cheang and Ricardo Cheang, in a six-count indictment filed Feb. 18, 2009, that accused the men of trafficking cocaine from Nogales to Phoenix between October 2005 and December 2007.

Only one of the counts named Vicente Cheang, however, and defense attorney Francisco Leon wrote in a sentencing memorandum that his client’s role in the conspiracy was “peripheral and limited.” “There is no evidence at all … that Vicente Cheang himself ever possessed or transported any cocaine of any quantity at any time,” Leon wrote. “Vicente has freely admitted knowing his brothers were trafficking in drugs and advising them how to avoid detection and
arrest for their drug trafficking activities.”

Flight to Mexico

According to Leon’s memo, Vicente Cheang immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen on Sept. 17, 2003. That same year, he started his own business, Quick Freight, which contracted with Fed Ex to deliver packages and letters in Santa Cruz County. By
the following year, he had purchased three Fed Ex routes in the local area.

As federal investigators honed in on Sergio and Ricardo’s smuggling activities, Leon wrote, they also targeted Vicente’s delivery business. “On numerous occasions, law enforcement officers stopped Vicente’s

Fed Ex vehicles and searched them expecting to find narcotics in them,” he wrote. “Nothing was ever found, however, because Vicente never used his vehicles or his routes to smuggle any drugs.”

The Cheang brothers each posted a $25,000 bond after their arrest in March 2009 and fled to Mexico. “Almost immediately after he left, Vicente regretted his decision and
contacted his counsel to discuss returning to the United States and surrendering to authorities,” Leon wrote.

On July 29, 2010, Vicente Cheang surrendered to authorities at an unspecified port of entry in Nogales.

Brother murdered

According to Leon, on April 24, 2010, while Vicente was in custody, Ricardo Cheang was murdered in Nogales, Sonora. “Ricardo is believed to have been held hostage by narcotics
traffickers in Nogales, Sonora, who extracted a substantial sum of money from his family,” Leon states in his memo. “When his family was unable to pay the amount of money demanded, Ricardo was released and, as he left the area where he had been held, was murdered in his
vehicle in the presence of his long-time girlfriend.”

Sergio Cheang remains a fugitive from justice.

Note: A weapons bust south 50 miles south of Sasabe, AZ. In which 11 AK or clone; other
long gun maybe a Barrett? , 4 frags (Hand Grenades), 52 mags and “lots of rounds”
and 458 packets of drugs were found.

To read the complete article, click here:
Nogales International

I have sat on this presentation for sometime awaiting the nod to go ahead and post while the file leaked into the private domain. Early this morning I received to go-ahead from the provider to post, so here it is, in part.

I’ve included only those sections of this power-point presentation that gives useful information to LE and concerned citizen. I’ve excised those portions showing gratuitous blood and violence.

I do not pretend to be an expert on any of the following—rather an informed and concerned citizen.

In addition to the remarks made in the presentation I note the following:

1. This attack appears well planned and executed.

2. Note that the attackers appeared not to hesitate to take out (Kill) the driver of the large white bus—a non-involved civilian. (Several passengers were also killed and several more were wounded.)

3. Rifle stocks—these homemade stocks are most likely added after the weapons user discovered just how difficult it was to fire and control an AK while holding it only by the pistol grip. This is a recurring phenomenon around the world among those who have seen too many movies—removed the butt-stock to look cool and then been engaged in a fire fight and discovered just how difficult it is to fire with any accuracy without a rifle stock.

4. Almost none of the weapons shown are available on the legitimate US market, as all were fully automatic—giving the lie to the Obama Administrations mantra that these weapons are being smuggled into Mexico via the US. Mexican Border. Mexican authorities rarely release the serial numbers or manufacture data from these weapons, as to do so would prove that the weapons never came into the US. Rather they arrived in Mexico via Belize, having first stopped in Havana and/or Caracas.

5. Of course the key to any firefight is superior firepower, the ability to concentrate that firepower, cover/concealment and the ability to maneuver. All of which should be timed, concentrated and disciplined. The battle damage to the various magazines is an indication of all of the above—as is the indication that all of the targets were engaged at distance from places of cover and concealment.

6. Last but certainly not least is the ability to change-out, and charge (Load to the novice) magazines under fire is critical and probably lead to at least one of the deaths pictured below. (A training program that I have both participated in and observed over the years goes something like this: run the student in full kit a mile then through a patch of water at least calf high, then low-crawl them for 20 to 40 meters. Then have them address the firing course during which they will be presented with a magazine that will present the student with a stoppage issue. Finally have the student hand load one round at a time at the end of all of the above and fire through it.)

7. The above drill should be practiced (With variation) at least once every two months.

To view the power-point presentation, click here:
Nuevo_Laredo_Cartel_Gun_Battle_7-16-2010

Again, some of the photos are bloody and well just disgusting, not for viewing if you are under the age of 18.

At approximately 2:15 AM Tuesday 29 June, 2010, two Tampa Police Officers (Jeff Kocab & Dave Curtis) were murdered while in the lawful performance of their duties.

Kocab’s wife is due to give birth to their first child the next week, while Curtis leaves behind his wife and four sons, ages 9, 6, 5 and 8 months.

At approx 2:07 that morning Officer Dave Curtis stopped a red Toyota Camry which was had no license plates. The vehicle was being driven in the immediate vicinity of 50th Street and 23th Avenue, a large sprawling industrial area including the commercial docks, an area devoid of homes or open business.

The driver of the vehicle Cortnee Nicole Brantley, claims it as hers but is unable to produce any legal documentation.

It is learned that the passenger one Dontae Rashawn Morris is wanted on a misdemeanor bad check warrant out of another Florida jurisdiction.

Officer Kocab arrives as a back-up, accompanied by Officer Curtis side by side they proceed to the vehicle to take Morris into custody.

Ordered out of the vehicle Morris exits the vehicle with his back to the officers then turns suddenly with a gun in hand with which he quickly shoots Curtis and then Kocab in the head once each killing each instantly.

Morris instantly flees the scene to the North West on foot and Brantly follows in the red Camry running over Curtis whose body lies partially under the car.

(It is unknown if Brantey subsequently picks up Morris or not.)

An unidentified passing citizen calls in a 911 call on his cell phone some minutes later. (This citizens name is being withheld over concerns for this citizens safety.)

Approx 12 hours later the following day Brantly is taken into custody and the red Camry is impounded.

Hours later she is released but not the car.

Tampa Police Chief Castor said it was a difficult decision to release Brantley, but it was done “for good of the investigation.”

The police scour the former haunts of Morris turning up dead bodies as they go. (As it turns out all of these deaths were from before the shooting of the officers.)

First a $75,000.00 reward is posted, which is then raised to 100,000.00. A large portion of the reward money is put up by the FBI.

Subsequent investigation reveals that Morris has killed at least two of these people and possibly others—perhaps all of the others.

As police pursuit leads and check address they find that it seems that they arrive at a location only a short time after Morris has left. After a certain number of these close calls the police began to back check cell phone calls into and out of the areas of concern. This of course takes time but at some point they discover that a certain number keeps turning up. That number is traced to the daughter of a certain Tampa Police Department employee.

Then a link between the police raids and calls from the mother to the daughter—and well I don’t know to a certainty any more than that, other than the daughter was questioned closely and her mother subsequently fired.

A short time later Morris turns himself in.

At this time a detailed investigation is underway—several agencies are involved. Of special interest is the following:
1. Morris was released from Prison only a couple of days prior.
2. His release came early and abruptly.
3. The authorization for his release is hazy at this time.
4. At the time of his release there were three arrest warrants from three different jurisdictions outstanding on him.
5. Two of the jurisdictions were contacted and neither expressed an interest in extraditing.
6. Presumably the third warrant was the one that Officer Curtis was alerted to.
7. Prison records show that the pertinent jurisdiction was contacted but there is no record of that jurisdictions response.
8. It appeared that Morris may have had an agenda to kill certain people for unknown reasons upon his release from prison.
9. All of the murdered non-police types had some (mostly tenuous drug) connections one with the other.
10. Morris had an extensive criminal record including many drug arrests as well as arrest for violent crimes—crimes committed with a firearm.
11. Neither Officer Curtis, or Officer Kocab were advised of his history of violence.

To me there are several very glaring questions that have not yet been answered:
1. What were these two (Morris & Brantley) doing in that location at that hour of the morning? (This area is an area of warehouses and machine shops that support the large port of Tampa. One day several hundred square yards are filled with double and triple stacked conex’s, the next day it is empty. There have been over the years, investigations and arrests involving cocaine and chop-shops shipping stuff mostly to the middle east but that isn’t all that unusual for a port of this size and activity—still the question cannot be ignored for there is no business open in that area or anyway close by, at that early morning hour.)
2. Why was Brantly not arrested?
3. Were there any indication(s) of a large amount of drugs having been in the vehicle?
4. Why was the daughter of the employee who admitted to communicating with Morris not arrested?
5. Why was the mother, the Tampa Police Department employee not arrested?
6. Why wasn’t the warrant expunged from the database if the pertinent jurisdiction wasn’t interested in serving it?
7. What was Morris agenda with the other killings?
8. Did Morris have (Official) outside influence assistance in his release?

And finally as these things are wont to do: Officer Kocab’s wife gave birth a week after losing her husband—the child was still-born.

Authors note: There are a number of jurisdictions stumbling all over one another in this sad, sad tale. There are tons of rumors swirling around all of this and skeletons are falling out of closits left and right. I’m afraid that some of the truth will never come out—the question I suppose is how much will?

I will to that extent possible stay on top of this story and keep you all informed.