Mexico

'At the limit,' Mexico buckles under migrant surge to U.S.

A resident walks by a section of the border fence between Mexico and the United States on the outskirts of Tijuana

A resident walks by a section of the border fence between Mexico and the United States on the outskirts of Tijuana, Mexico April 5, 2016.
REUTERS/Jorge Duenes

TAPACHULA, Mexico/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexico is struggling to stem the flow of Central American migrants traveling to the United States ahead of the U.S. presidential election, causing major concern in Washington, which is weighing sending more agents to help.

In 2014, Mexico moved to strengthen its southern border when a surge in child migrants from Central America sparked a political crisis in the United States.

Last year, Mexico detained over 190,000 migrants, more than double the number in 2012.

But official data examined by Reuters shows that fewer migrants have been captured in Mexico this year even as the number caught on the U.S. border has soared.

The slowdown in detentions on Mexican soil is frustrating U.S. officials who feel that Mexico could be doing more, according to a source familiar with internal briefings on the topic at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Illegal immigration is stoking a fierce debate ahead of the U.S. election on Nov. 8 with Republican candidate Donald Trump vowing to deport millions of people and build a wall along the Mexican border if elected president.

Mexico says its National Migration Institute (INM), which regulates migration in the country, is already working flat out...

The number of families stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border jumped 122 percent between October 2015 and April 2016...

The number of detained "unaccompanied minors" - children traveling without relatives - was 74 percent higher. Most of the Central Americans come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Despite those increases, fewer migrants are being caught as they move through Mexico....

The DHS is considering sending more agents south to train Mexican officials on how to track human traffickers and stop migrants crossing the Mexico-Guatemala border, according to an internal briefing document obtained by Reuters.

U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, who sits on the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, said DHS officials told him they hope to help Mexico strengthen its southern border.

"When you're constantly working at full speed and don't have all the resources because your primary mission is to fight the drug cartels, yeah, you're going to be stretched," Cuellar said....

Roque Villanueva attributed the migrant surge to people finding new routes past checkpoints...

LEAKY BORDER

In 2014, Mexico launched the "Plan Frontera Sur" to tighten border controls, register migrants and stop them using the perilous network of trains known as "La Bestia", or "The Beast".

But migrants quickly adapted.

Elisabel Enriquez, Guatemala's vice-consul in Tapachula, said migrant smugglers now rent trucks and shuttling migrants from southern Mexico all the way to the U.S. border over 2,000 km away for up to $8,000 per person.

Two such trucks were stopped in recent weeks, she said, one stuffed with about 115 migrants and the other about 60.

Some migrants immediately apply for asylum on arrival in Mexico. Once granted a refugee visa, they can travel through Mexico without fear of being deported, said Irmgard Pund, who runs the local Belen migrant shelter.

So far this year, asylum applications with Mexican refugee agency COMAR are up over 150 percent compared with 2015...

The rise in families heading north is partly due to a 2015 U.S federal court decision limiting the time mothers and children can be held in detention, which has created the mistaken impression they can stay in the United States, U.S. officials say.

A regional drought in Central America has also increased pressure to leave, while some migrants are trying to cross ahead of the election in case Trump wins and follows through on his campaign promises, making it more difficult for them in the future.

Compared to their U.S. counterparts, Mexico's migration authorities get by on a shoestring. The INM spent 4.14 billion pesos ($228.37 million) in 2015, less than 2 percent of the CBP's budget request for 2016.

The United States has tripled its border force under President Barack Obama to 60,000 staff, while the INM has 5,383 employees.

Roque Villanueva said the fall in the price of oil, which funds about a fifth of Mexico's federal budget, makes it even harder to put new resources into the INM.

Nonetheless, he said Mexico and the United States would continue to work closely together as Washington has plenty of reasons for wanting a robust southern Mexican border.

"The Americans are not so worried by how many Central Americans get through, but rather about making sure nobody with even the slightest chance of being a terrorist does," he said.

($1 = 18.1287 pesos) Read more about 'At the limit,' Mexico buckles under migrant surge to U.S.

Man who took 11-year-old to Mexico sentenced to 23 years

Almost a decade after he took an 11-year-old Keizer girl, who he claimed was his "girlfriend," to Mexico, a 28-year-old man was sentenced to 22 years and 11 months in prison.

In 2007, Raul Xalamihua-Espindola, then 19, fled to Zongolica, Veracruz, Mexico, with the girl. The crime took Xalamihua-Espindola and his victim across the United States, down to Mexico and eventually back to Oregon.

Xalamihua-Espindola pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree rape and appeared for sentencing before Marion County Circuit Court Judge David Leith on Monday.

At his sentencing, Xalamihua-Espindola spoke through two translators — one translating English to Spanish and the other translating Spanish to Nahuatl, a Central Mexican language also known as Aztec.

The victim and her family declined to attend the sentencing, but Deputy District AttorneyTobias Tingleaf said they were satisfied with the resolution reached. Tingleaf recommended three consecutive sentences, totaling to 25 years, for Xalamihua-Espindola's charges.

Members of the Keizer Police Department sat in the courtroom, finally witnessing a resolution to the years-long investigation.

"The detectives involved were relentless and did not give up," said Tingleaf, who was a law clerk in Marion County at the time of the girl's disappearance. "We are here today because of their work."

Keizer police began their investigation after the girl left a note for her parents saying she ran away with her boyfriend. The note said not to worry about the girl's well-being, but it didn't match her handwriting, according to an affidavit filed in August 2007.

The girl's friends told police she had a boyfriend named "Raul." Police determined a man of that name lived in the same apartment complex as the victim and identified him as Xalamihua-Espindola.

The girl was rescued and returned home a few months later, but Xalamihua-Espindola eluded capture until two years ago. He was eventually captured and held in a Mexican jail. In December 2015, he was extradited back to the United States.

It is often difficult to bring criminals back to the United States to face prosecution, Tingleaf said.

Keizer Police Deputy Chief Jeffrey Kuhns attended the trial along with several investigators involved in the case.

"The defendant’s capture in Mexico, extradition back to the United States and being sentenced to prison for the crimes he committed over nine years ago in 2007 is a great example of the investigators' resolve to hold this criminal accountable for his actions and bad choices," Kuhns said. "Not once did the Keizer Police Department or the many law enforcement partners who assisted stop the investigation or our pursuit of justice."

Xalamihua-Espindola, who initially pleaded not guilty, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree rape in May. One count of rape and one count of first-degree custodial interference were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Through his translators, he said he did not know what he was doing was a crime. In Mexico, young girls marrying older men is a common custom, he said.

"Are you saying that in your culture, taking an 11-year-old from her home without her parents permission to have sex with her is acceptable?" Leith asked him.

"Yes, all of that is acceptable," Xalamihua-Espindola replied.

He dropped to his knees and pleaded for forgiveness from Leith.

"It's not my role to dispense forgiveness," Leith said after hearing the defendant's appeal for mercy. "That would be for the victims of the crimes to decide."

Xalamihua-Espindola's attorney, John Storkel, argued for a shorter, concurrent sentence of eight years and four months, citing his client's lack of criminal history, his poor, humble background, reference letters, cultural differences and the two years he spent held in a Mexican jail.

Leith said he wanted the sentence to match the enormity of the crime.

"In our culture, these are among the most serious crimes that can be committed," he said, adding he did not believe abducting, kidnapping and raping children would be acceptable in any culture.

Leith sentenced Xalamihua-Espindola to eight years and four months for each of the first-degree rape counts. All but two years of the sentence will run consecutively. Upon his release, he is required to register as a sex offender.

First-degree rape is a Measure 11 offense and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of eight years and four months. Read more about Man who took 11-year-old to Mexico sentenced to 23 years

Deputy Kelly Fredinburg's alleged killer still on the loose

Oregonians are approaching the 9th anniversary of the tragic death of Deputy Kelly Fredinburg in a fiery head-on crash north of Gervais June 16, 2007.  The driver of the car crossed the center line, killed Fredninburg and a passenger in his own car, who died a day after the crash.

Before he was indicted for his crimes, the driver fled to Mexico and to this day remains a fugitive.  Below is a story from The Oregonian from 2014.

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Suspect in 2007 crash that killed Marion County deputy remains at large, police say

The driver who police believe killed a Marion County deputy and another man in a late-night crash in 2007 remains a fugitive, authorities said.

Tips leading to the arrest of Alfredo De Jesus Ascensio are eligible for a reward of up to $21,000, according to a press release from Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Kelly Fredinburg, 33, was killed when Ascensio's vehicle crossed the center line on Oregon 99E north of Gervais, according to police at the time. Fredinburg's car caught fire and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

De Jesus Ascensio is wanted on two counts of criminally negligent homicide in connection with Fredinburg's death and Ascensio's 19-year old passenger Oscar Ascensio Amaya, who died the day after the crash.

De Jesus Ascensio was also hospitalized. Authorities believe he fled to Mexico around the time he was indicted.

The Fredinburg family helped create an Oregon Officer Reward Fund for arrests in criminal investigations of injury or death to police in the line of duty, the sheriff's office said. A reward of $20,000, along with another $1,000 offered by Crime Stoppers, is available for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

"I think about Kelly and his family quite often and reflect upon the sacrifice they have made," Sheriff Jason Myers said in a press release. "While nothing will replace the loss of Kelly, finding Alfredo DeJesus Ascencio and holding him accountable for his actions will bring some closure to this tragedy."

De Jesus Ascensio was 20 years of age at the time of the crash, was last believed to be in the area of Puacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico.

Anyone with information related to this investigation to find the suspect can report tips by calling 800-452-7888 in Oregon; or 1-503-823-HELP (4357) from anywhere in the United States. Callers from Mexico can call the Crime Stoppers Tip line, +011-503-823-4357. Tipsters should refer to case number is 07-28 and provide as much detail as possible, authorities said. Read more about Deputy Kelly Fredinburg's alleged killer still on the loose

Man sentenced to 6 years for trafficking drugs

An undocumented immigrant was sentenced to federal prison for distributing more than 22 pounds of heroin and methamphetamine found last year during a Central Point traffic stop.

Miguel Angel Reyna-Ramos, 38, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison Thursday in U.S. District Court in Eugene. He pleaded guilty Jan. 21 to charges of possessing a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

On May 18, 2015, Oregon State Police troopers caught Reyna-Ramos with close to 8 kilograms of methamphetamine and 2 kilograms of heroin in the luggage compartment of the gray Mercury Mountaineer SUV he was driving, which they stopped near Exit 35 on northbound Interstate 5 for a traffic violation. According to a release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Reyna-Ramos originally declined a request to search the vehicle, but troopers later obtained a search warrant after a narcotics detection dog alerted them to drugs found in the back of the vehicle.

Court documents filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, where the case was originally filed, showed that police believed Reyna-Ramos was acting suspiciously at the time of the traffic stop. He possessed no driver's license, the vehicle was not registered to him and he had multiple cellphones in the vehicle.

Reyna-Ramos later told Medford DEA agents that he was working for a cartel based in Mexico. He told agents he'd been paid between $200 and $300 before to drive cars from his home in Tulare, Calif., to drop-off points near Tacoma, Wash. He told investigators he was instructed by a third party to pick up the SUV from a motel parking lot in Ontario, Calif., and drive to Spanaway, Wash., where he expected to be paid $1,000.

U.S. District Judge Michael McShane said he considered Reyna-Ramos' lack of criminal history in determining the sentence. Because Reyna-Ramos is undocumented, he will likely be deported upon completion of his sentence, the release says.

Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or nmorgan@mailtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. Read more about Man sentenced to 6 years for trafficking drugs

Gang-related assault in federal prison sends four men back to serve more time

The last of four men who attacked an inmate in federal prison with punches to the back of his head, kicks to his back and strikes with a chair was sentenced Wednesday to more than three years in custody.

The victim, identified in court papers only as E.I., suffered a broken jaw, a broken nose and a brain hemorrhage and was hospitalized at Salem Hospital for 2 ½ weeks.

Ten days after the attack, the victim told FBI agents he didn't remember anything about the assault and had no idea who hurt him. But he did recall that he had upset some of the "Southsiders'' when he complained they were trying to act like they wanted to be black, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Horsley wrote in a sentencing memo.

According to court records, the assault occurred a year ago, the morning of May 31 in a common area of the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan.

The victim was sitting at a table watching TV when one of the defendants, Jose Carlos Acosta Jr., gave a hand signal. With that, Acosta, Omar Mendoza, Javier Rodriguez Tijerina Jr. and Victor Alas-Felix converged on the victim. Mendoza struck E.I. in the back of the head with a closed fist, knocking him off his chair. The three others then stomped and kicked him and punched him while he was on the floor. E.I. appeared to be unconscious after the attack and stayed on the floor for a few minutes before he came to.

When he stood and tried to return to his cell, he was attacked a second time. Alas-Felix kicked him hard in the back and Acosta struck E.I. with a plastic chair.

Alas-Felix, 40, ditched his bloody shoes in a trash can near his cell, and they were later recovered.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Chief Justice Michael W. Mosman sentenced Alas-Felix to three years and four months in prison.

Assistant federal public defender Thomas Hester told the court that Alas-Felix had tried to drop out of the Surenos gang, but once the assault was ordered, he feared that if he didn't participate, his life would be threatened as well.

"He isn't saying he should not be punished,''  Hester added.

....Alas-Felix was serving a sentence for illegally entering the United States from Mexico and has other weapons, drugs and burglary convictions.

Alas-Felix, his arms and neck covered in tattoos, is "rather conspicuous,'' ...

Hester argued for a 30-month sentence, while the federal prosecutor urged a 46-month sentence to send a clear message that gang assaults in prison will be seriously punished...

The judge said he was convinced that Alas-Felix had tried to remove himself from gang life behind bars, but Mosman didn't cut him any slack.

"I'm unwilling to judge you by the rules of prison life. It just turns everything upside down,'' Mosman said. "I'm not judging you by the rules of your criminal organization. I'm judging you by the standards of this country where we live.''

The judge asked that Alas-Felix be placed in a federal prison outside of the Western or Southwestern regions of the country and be placed in some type of special housing to isolate him from gang influences.

Alas-Felix's co-defendant Tijerina previously was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison; Acosta to three years and four months; and Mendoza to two years and two months for the assault. The four also have been ordered to pay a total of $58,811 in restitution to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which paid for the victim's medical expenses.

After serving his sentence, Alas-Felix will be deported to Mexico. Read more about Gang-related assault in federal prison sends four men back to serve more time

Rioters Prove Mexicans “Not Criminals” By Committing Criminal Acts; Prove Their Loyalty To The U.S. By Brandishing The Mexican Flag–Brilliant Strategy!

The violent mayhem being loosed against Trump at various rallies resembles that of a Third World country. It should also remind us that the framers of the U.S. Constitution were against “mobocracy”.

A significant proportion of these rioters are Mexicans or Mexican-Americans, though it is clear they self-identify as the former not the latter.

They are angry at Trump for calling Mexicans criminals. So to prove Trump is wrong they commit criminal acts.

Yeah, that’s brilliant.

Do they claim to be Americans? If so, why brandish the Mexican flag and yell “¡Viva México!”?

Once again, it’s brilliant.

It’s brilliant for the Trump Campaign because it shows in bold relief what is at stake here.

Why is there such a frenzied opposition to a candidate who wants to enforce the law?

It’s not just about one candidate. It really doesn’t matter what anybody thinks about Trump the man. Trump is a target because of what he stands for and for his courage.

I suggest readers browse the photographs of the violent protests outside a Trump rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Just look at these photographs. (Click here). These are not “demonstrators” they are violent people. Do we want our country turned over to people who act like this?

Just read the title of the article:

‘Thugs’ chant ‘Viva Mexico’ while burning Stars and Stripes flag as Trump’s may 24th rally in Albuquerque rally erupts in violence: Billionaire hits out at ‘criminals’ who clashed with riot police in the streets  by David Martosko, Daily Mail, May 25, 2016.

That’s just the title.

Once again, thanks to Britain’s Daily Mail for showing us Yanks what’s going on in our own country.

facismAmong other photographs, note the big unfurled Mexican flag in photograph number one , the “Facist [sic] not welcome on native land” in photograph 14 and the poor horse and its rider getting knocked down in photograph 15.

Where is the outrage? Where is the condemnation from Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, or for that matter from Ted Cruz or Jeb Bush?

Trump responded on his twitter that:

The protesters in New Mexico were thugs who were flying the Mexican flag. The rally inside was big and beautiful, but outside, criminals!

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Trump needs to continue to emphasize that. Demonstrators who brandish the Mexican flag and shout “¡Viva México!” to condemn an American candidate are behaving as de facto agents of a foreign nation.

It’s not we who are impugning their loyalty to a foreign power. It’s they themselves who do so, by their own behavior. Read more about Rioters Prove Mexicans “Not Criminals” By Committing Criminal Acts; Prove Their Loyalty To The U.S. By Brandishing The Mexican Flag–Brilliant Strategy!

Oregon Department of Corrections: Criminal alien report April 2016

By the numbers, David Olen Cross wades through the numbers to bring us an accurate look at the real impact of illegal immigration. 

The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) April 2016 Inmate Population Profile indicated there were 14,676 inmates incarcerated in the DOC's 14 prisons.

Data obtained from the DOC indicated that on April 1st there were 948 foreign nationals (criminal aliens) incarcerated in the state's prison system; more than one in every sixteen prisoners incarcerated by the state was a criminal alien, 6.46 percent of the total prison population.

Some background information, all 948 criminal aliens currently incarcerated in the DOC prison system were identified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),... After the inmate completes his/her state sanction, prison officials will transfer custody of the inmate to ICE.

Using DOC Inmate Population Profiles and ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the total number inmates, the number of domestic and criminal alien inmates along with the percentage of them with ICE detainers incarcerated on April 1st in the state's prisons.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Month/Day/Year DOC Total Inmates DOC Domestic Inmates DOC Inmates W/ICE detainers DOC % Inmates W/ICE detainers
April 1, 2016 14,676 13,728 948 6.46%
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 April 16 and Inmate Population Profile 01 April 16.

Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the number and percentage of criminal alien prisoners incarcerated on April 1st that were sent to prison from the state's 36 counties.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
County DOC Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers
Marion 236 24.89%
Multnomah 202 21.31%
Washington 183 19.30%
Clackamas 70 7.38%
Lane 50 5.27%
Jackson 35 3.69%
Yamhill 23 2.43%
Linn 18 1.90%
Umatilla 18 1.90%
Polk 15 1.58%
Klamath 14 1.48%
Benton 12 1.26%
Malheur 12 1.26%
Lincoln 10 1.05%
Deschutes 7 0.74%
Coos 6 0.63%
Jefferson 6 0.63%
Josephine 6 0.63%
Douglas 4 0.42%
Clatsop 3 0.32%
Tillamook 3 0.32%
Wasco 3 0.32%
Crook 2 0.32%
Hood River 2 0.21%
Morrow 2 0.21%
Union 2 0.21%
Columbia 1 0.10%
Gilliam 1 0.10%
Lake 1 0.10%
OOS 1 0.10%
Baker 0 0.00%
Curry 0 0.00%
Grant 0 0.00%
Harney 0 0.00%
Sherman 0 0.00%
Wallowa 0 0.00%
Wheeler 0 0.00%
Total 948 100.00%

Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 April 16.

Here are the ways Oregon residents were victimized by the 948 criminal aliens.

Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the number and percentage of criminal alien prisoners incarcerated on April 1st by type of crime.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Crime DOC Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers
Sex Abuse 184 19.41%
Rape 167 17.62%
Homicide 137 14.45%
Drugs 104 10.97%
Sodomy 93 9.81%
Assault 77 8.12%
Robbery 54 5.70%
Kidnapping 33 3.48%
Theft 23 2.43%
Burglary 18 1.90%
Driving Offense 9 0.95%
Vehicle Theft 3 0.32%
Arson 0 0.00%
Forgery 0 0.00%
Escape 0 0.00%
Other / Combination 46 4.85%
Total 948 100.00%
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 April 16.

Using the DOC Inmate Population Profile and ICE detainer numbers from April 1st, the following table reveals the total number inmates by crime type, the number of domestic and criminal alien prisoners incarcerated by type of crime and the percentage of those crimes committed by criminal aliens.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Crime DOC Total Inmates DOC Domestic Inmates DOC Inmates W/ICE Detainers DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers
Sex Abuse 1,707 1,523 184 10.78%
Rape 966 799 167 17.29%
Homicide 1,650 1,513 137 8.30%
Drugs 923 819 104 11.27%
Sodomy 1,056 963 93 8.81%
Assault 1,893 1,816 77 4.07%
Robbery 1,581 1,527 54 3.41%
Kidnapping 293 260 33 11.26%
Burglary 1,419 1,396 23 1.62%
Theft 1,163 1,145 18 1.55%
Driving Offense 241 232 9 3.73%
Vehicle Theft 413 410 3 0.73%
Arson 78 78 0 0.00%
Forgery 33 33 0 0.00%
Escape 52 52 0 0.00%
Other / Combination 1,208 1,162 46 3.81%
Total 14,676 13,728 948 100.00%
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 April 16 and Inmate Population Profile 01 April 16.

Using DOC ICE detainer numbers, the following table reveals the self-declared counties of origin of the 948 criminal alien prisoners by number and percentage incarcerated on April 1st in the state's prisons.

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Country DOC Total Inmates W/ ICE Detainers DOC % Inmates W/ICE Detainers
Mexico 761 80.27%
Guatemala 24 2.53%
El Salvador 14 1.48%
Cuba 13 1.37%
Ukraine 11 1.16%
Vietnam 11 1.16%
Russia 10 1.05%
Honduras 9 0.95%
Federated States of Micronesia 6 0.63%
Philippines 6 0.63%
Other Countries 83 8.75%
Total 948 100.00%
Source: Research and Evaluation DOC Report ICE inmates list 01 April 16.

Beyond the DOC criminal alien incarceration numbers and incarceration percentages, per county and per crime type, or even country of origin, criminal aliens pose high economic cost on Oregonians.

An individual prisoner incarcerated in the DOC prison system costs the state approximately ($94.55) per day.

The DOC's incarceration cost for its 948 criminal alien prison population is approximately ($89,633.40) per day, ($627,433.80) per week, and ($32,716,191.00) per year...

None of preceding cost estimates for the DOC to incarcerate the 948 criminal aliens includes the dollar amount for legal services (indigent defense), language interpreters, court costs, or victim assistance.

Bibliography

Oregon Department of Corrections Population Profile April 1, 2016:
http://www.oregon.gov/doc/RESRCH/docs/inmate_profile_201604.pdf

Oregon Department of Corrections Population Profile (unpublished MS Excel workbook) titled Incarcerated Criminal Aliens Report dated April 1, 2016.

Oregon Department of Corrections Issue Brief Quick Facts 53-DOC/GECO: 3/23/16:
http://www.oregon.gov/doc/OC/docs/pdf/IB-53-Quick%20Facts.pdf

U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), 2015 SCAAP award: https://www.bja.gov/funding/FY-2015-SCAAP-Awards.pdf

David Olen Cross, Salem writes on immigration issues and foreign national crime. He is a weekly guest on the Lars Larson Northwest Show. He can be reached at docfnc@yahoo.com or at http://docfnc.wordpress.com/ Read more about Oregon Department of Corrections: Criminal alien report April 2016

On this day in history

Many interesting things have happened on this day in history:

In America:
 
1987 - The U.S. congressional Iran-Contra hearings opened. 
 
1961 - The first American in space. Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. 
 
1955 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada test site.
 
1942 - US begins rationing sugar during WW II.

1925 - John T. Scopes, a biology teacher in Dayton, TN, was arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. 
 
1892 - The U.S. Congress extended the Geary Chinese Exclusion Act for 10 more years.
 
1877 - American Indian Wars: Sitting Bull leads his band of Lakota into Canada to avoid harassment by the United States Army under Colonel Nelson Miles.
 
1866 - Memorial Day first celebrated in United States at Waterloo, New York.

1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S. 
 
1864 - Atlanta Campaign: 5 days fighting begins at Rocky Face Ridge.

1864 - Battle of Wilderness, VA (Germanna Ford, Wilderness Tavern).

1864 - Campaign in Northern Georgia - Chattanooga TN to Atlanta GA.
 
In the United States, May 5 is sometimes mistaken to be Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually celebrated September 16.

In the Western Hemisphere:

1834 - Charles Darwin's expedition begins at Rio Santa Cruz.

1494 - On his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus sights Jamaica.

In the Solar System:
 
1979 - Voyager 1 passes Jupiter

In other foreign countries:
 
1862. - The Mexican army achieved an unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla.
 
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A great resource for in-depth immigration information is the CAIRCO website. Drop in and visit today:  www.CAIRCO.org

Extradited man pleads guilty to rape

A man extradited from Mexico on charges he raped a child pleaded guilty Tuesday in Marion County Circuit Court.

Raul Xalamihua-Espindola, 29, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree rape before Judge David Leith. One count of first-degree rape and first-degree custodial interference will be dismissed as part of the plea bargain.

Xalamihua-Espindola's case goes back to 2007 when the then-19-year-old was accused of taking an 11-year-old girl, whom he called his "girlfriend," to Mexico.

The investigation began on April 6, 2007, when the Keizer Police Department received a report that an 11-year-old girl left a note for her parents saying she ran away with her boyfriend, identified by police as Xalamihua-Espindola...

Xalamihua-Espindola eluded capture until about two years ago.

On Dec. 15, 2015, Xalamihua-Espindola was extradited and taken to the Marion County jail.

During Xalamihua-Espindola's plea hearing, language and cultural barriers were evident. Every word was translated through two translators from English to Spanish to Nahuatl, a language spoken in Central Mexico.

When asked how old he was when the crimes occurred, Xalamihua-Espindola said he didn't remember because he doesn't know if his parents put down his date of birth correctly on his documents...

When Leith asked Xalamihua-Espindola how he pleaded, Xalamihua-Espindola kept answering "yes."

Leith told him that wasn't an answer and he needed to say guilty or not guilty.

"Yes, I am guilty, "Xalamihua-Espindola said.

Xalamihua-Espindola is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing at 9 a.m. June 6.

Raul Xalamihua-Espindola changes his plea to guilty on three counts of first-degree rape of an 11-year-old Keizer girl in 2007. Photographed at the Marion County Courthouse in Salem on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal) Read more about Extradited man pleads guilty to rape

18,000 Illegal Aliens Caught in 5 Months — In Single Texas Sector

Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo Sector had an impressive first five months of the current fiscal year which began in October 2015. 17,945 apprehensions were made of illegal aliens who had crossed the border from Mexico...  In addition, large quantities of drugs were seized and 33 bodies of illegal immigrants were found.

The Laredo Sector covers 101 counties in Texas. This area represents 86,793 square miles of the Lone Star State. It covers a distance of 171 miles of the Rio Grande River border with Mexico and runs northward from Laredo through Dallas to the Oklahoma border on the Red River.

Highlighting the accomplishments of the sector during that period, Border Patrol officials reported the seizure of 41,188 pounds of marijuana, 341.17 pounds of cocaine, and 863.17 pounds of heroin. Unfortunately, 33 bodies of illegal immigrants who died while entering the U.S. were found by these agents. Additionally, 184 rescues were carried out.

“These statistics represent the hard work, commitment, honor and dedication that the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol provide everyday while securing our Nation’s borders,” Laredo Sector Chief Mario Martinez said in the statement obtained by Breitbart Texas...

“We are very proud of our Border Patrol agents and grateful for the hard work these numbers represent,” Garza continued. “Unfortunately, what we do not know is how many people successfully crossed the border undetected...

The report was sent out by officials late Friday afternoon...  The report does not disclose how many of the 17,945 people apprehended were returned to their country of origin or how many of those people were released into the United States, with or without a notice to appear for an immigration hearing...

The sector is also in the process of adding an additional all-weather road to allow agents to more quickly access sections of the river area and respond to situations where either people or drugs are crossing the border.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX. Read more about 18,000 Illegal Aliens Caught in 5 Months — In Single Texas Sector

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