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From LA Times

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Terrorism probe casts scrutiny on Minneapolis' Somali immigrant enclave

Little Mogadishu residents talk of a lack of identity and a life of poverty and racism. And they disagree over their former neighbors who are accused of plotting jihad in Somalia.

by Bob Drogin

November 25, 2009

Reporting from Minneapolis

Barely a block from the Mississippi River sits a neighborhood Mark Twain could not have imagined.

Men with henna-streaked beards and women in full-body hijabs streamed Tuesday past the Maashaa Allah Restaurant, the Alle Aamin Coffee Shop, the Kaah Express Money Wiring stall, the storefront Al-Qaaniteen Mosque and other similar structures.

"When I came here as a refugee in 1995, there were just a few hundred Somalis, and we were very alone," said Adar Kahin, 48, who was a famous singer back home and now volunteers at a local community center.

"Now everyone is here," she said cheerfully. "It's like being back in Mogadishu. That's what we call it, Little Mogadishu."

This corner of Minneapolis -- the de facto capital of the Somali diaspora in America -- presents many faces: hope and renewal, despair and fear.

But more than anything, particularly for the young, it is a place of transition and searching for identity.

"Keeping an identity in this situation is really hard," said Saeed Fahia, who arrived in 1997 and now heads a confederation of Somali organizations. "In Somali culture, all tradition is taught when you are 9 years old, and you learn all about your clan and sub-clan for 25 generations. There's no mechanism to learn that here, and no context."

For the FBI, Little Mogadishu has become the center of an intense investigation into a recruiting network that sent young men to fight in Somalia for a radical Islamist group known as Shabab, or "the Youth."

Investigators say the poverty, grim gang wars and overpacked public housing towers produced one of the largest militant operations in the United States since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Federal officials announced terrorism charges Monday against eight local men, seven of whom remain at large. That brought the total to 14 Minneapolis men who have been indicted or pleaded guilty this year for allegedly indoctrinating, recruiting or training local youths to join a Muslim militia waging war in Somalia against the U.S.-backed government.

Family members say six young men from Minneapolis have died in Somalia in the last 13 months, including one who the FBI believes was a suicide bomber. About 20 local youths are believed to have taken up arms there.

Fahia speculated that those who went to Somalia "are trying to reclaim their identity. They're trying to find a mission in life. They're trying to find out where they come from, and who they are."

Those who left to fight in Somalia prompt no unified response from those who stayed.

Outside the Brian Coyle Community Center, five young men who emigrated from Somalia as toddlers huddled in black hoodies under a cold, clammy fog that turned the day dull gray. They shared smokes and spoke of those who had joined the jihad, or holy war.

"Some of them felt America is the land of the devil," said Said Ali, who is 20, rail-thin and jobless. "They were losing their culture, their language and their religion. They've got family there. They feel at home."

If he had the money, he said, he would go to Somalia too.

"My friend went," he said. "He's running a hotel. He carries an AK-47. He's living life good."

Ali Mohamed, also 20 and unemployed, jumped in. "These guys are blowing up women and kids," he said. "That ain't right."

The difficult search for identity is an old story in this area.

Minnesota long has waved a welcome mat for war refugees -- first Koreans, then Hmong, Vietnamese and Ethiopians. Minneapolis provided subsidized housing and generous benefits. The newcomers found low-wage jobs at chicken-processing factories where English was not required.

The first wave of Somalis arrived here after 1991, when the country descended into a fierce clan-based civil war that still rages. More Somalis came each year, and family members soon followed, as was mandated under U.S. law. Others moved here from other U.S. cities.

Many in the community started families, opened businesses and achieved financial stability. They wired money to relatives back home, followed Somali news in ethnic papers and websites, and in some cases invested in Somali businesses even as their children became American doctors and lawyers.

Others became mired in brutal poverty. Many of the women were illiterate, and old men who had herded goats struggled in the rugged winters. Unemployment and school dropout rates soared. So did incidents of intolerance.

"We're an obvious minority here, and have a different religion and culture," said Abdiaziz Warsame, 37, an interpreter and youth counselor who has worked with local gangs such as the Somali Hard Boys and RPG's. "So people feel a high level of racism."

A 2007 tally counted 35,000 Somalis in Minnesota, the vast majority of whom live in Little Mogadishu, the gritty Minneapolis zone between two highways and the Mississippi River.

The Riverside Plaza, a public housing project, looms over the area. The grim concrete structures house more than 4,500 people, most of them Somali, in Soviet-style apartment blocks.

Pungent spices waft through the halls, and posters advertise travel agencies that sell visits to Muslim holy shrines in Saudi Arabia. The Halal Minimart outside sells meat acceptable to Muslims, one of more than a dozen in the neighborhood.

The Brian Coyle center is the logistical heart of the community. Its food pantry serves more than 1,000 families per month, and various groups help with food stamps, legal services and other needs. The gym does double duty as a wedding hall.

But the neighborhood's cultural focus are the mosques and ubiquitous coffee shops, where people gather to discuss community news, politics in their homeland, religion or myriad other subjects.

The young have other avenues, including the Internet.

Some members of the group that went to Somalia were said to be followers of Anwar al Awlaki, an American-born firebrand imam who preaches on the Internet in flawless English about the need to fight for Islam.

Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the accused killer of 13 people at Ft. Hood in Texas this month, had exchanged e-mails with Awlaki, who is based in Yemen.

Omar Jamal, director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center here, said Awlaki's fierce sermons helped inspire several of the youths who later joined Shabab in Somalia. Awlaki has praised the militia, which U.S. officials say is allied with Al Qaeda.

"They exchanged messages on his blog," Jamal said. "They prayed for him. They watched his videos. They fell under his spell of influence."

But in the flux of Little Mogadishu, not everyone hears the words of jihad as clearly as others.

Outside the community center, the group of young men continued their discussion about the fighters who had gone back to Somalia.

To Noor Bosir, an 18-year-old student, the jihad seems a world away.

Although he was close to Burhan Hasan, one of the youths who was killed last summer in Somalia, Bosir can't understand the alienation many young men here feel.

"All these guys who left, we looked up to," Bosir said. "When we came here to play basketball, they would go to the mosque. And somehow, they got brainwashed. And now they're dead."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-little-mogadishu25-2009nov25,0,7823084,print.story

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Ban lifted for green-card applicants with HIV

A two-decade-old rule kept those with the virus out of the U.S. Now such immigrants will be able to visit the country and apply for legal status.

by Anna Gorman

November 25, 2009

A stamp in Heidemarie Kremer's passport reveals her health status as HIV-positive.

Because of the disease, Kremer -- a native of Germany -- has been barred from becoming a legal resident of the United States. She and her two children are fighting possible deportation, and their plans for the future are on hold.

But that soon may change.

This month, the federal government cleared the way for HIV-positive foreigners to visit the country and apply for green cards, lifting a bar that has been in place for more than two decades.

Kremer, 46, a trained physician and HIV researcher who lives in Miami, said she was relieved that her case might be resolved when she returned to court in February. But she said she also felt a sense of responsibility.

"This is not the end of the story," she said. "What about all the lives that the HIV travel and immigration ban ruined?"

Immigration lawyers in California and around the nation said the ban had caused families to be separated; foreigners to avoid being tested or to go without medication; and highly skilled workers to return to their home countries.

Since the announcement, Los Angeles immigration lawyer J Craig Fong and other lawyers said they had received a flurry of calls and e-mails from HIV-positive foreigners who now had renewed hope. The new rules, including the elimination of HIV testing for green-card applicants, take effect Jan. 4.

"To finally be in a position where I can tell people that they can come to the United States to visit their family or that they can get a green card and stay here with their partner is just incredible," said Victoria Neilson, legal director for Immigration Equality, a national organization that advocated for lifting the ban.

But Mark Krikorian, executive director for the Center for Immigration Studies, said the decision to remove HIV as a bar was based on politics, not science. "It was clearly a politically motivated move," Krikorian said, adding that the decision could have real consequences -- more HIV cases and more costs. "It is extra healthcare spending that we wouldn't have otherwise."

An analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that in the first year, an estimated 4,275 people infected with HIV could come into the U.S. at a cost of about $25,000 each.

The ban on infected foreigners began in 1987, when federal health officials added HIV to the list of communicable diseases that prevented people from entering the country. In 1993, Congress made it law.

"At the time, much less was known about HIV," Neilson said. "People were really scared that HIV status was a death sentence."

People could apply for waivers, but for most applicants that required proof that the foreigner had a family member in the U.S. legally. Because same-sex partners don't qualify as family members under the law, the requirement was difficult for many to meet.

Last year, Congress changed the law, and this month, the CDC removed HIV from the list of diseases restricting foreigners' entry.

Kremer was infected as a medical student in Germany. In 2001, she received a visa to come to the U.S. on an educational exchange program and later qualified for a visa for highly skilled workers. Her original waiver -- granted by a sympathetic consular officer in Berlin -- was automatically renewed.

But when Kremer applied last year for a green card, she was denied based on her HIV status, and she and her family were placed in removal proceedings. "I was fuming," she said. "My whole future was built up to stay in the United States."

Knowing the change in policy was coming, her lawyers pushed to get her case postponed until after the new year. Kremer, whose treatment is paid for by the German government, said she was thankful to have both medical coverage and immigration lawyers.

"I am concerned about other people who have been affected who aren't fortunate enough to have attorneys who know how to navigate the system and keep people from being deported," she said.

Another HIV-positive visa holder, who lives in Southern California, has also had access to an immigration lawyer but hasn't been able to apply for legal residency.

Dave, who did not want his full name or occupation used because his HIV status is unknown to his employer, arrived from Canada a decade ago as a visitor. He soon found a job and was able to get an H1B visa for high-skilled workers. Now, he earns six figures and manages million-dollar projects.

Dave's employer offered to sponsor him for a green card, but Dave couldn't move forward because he knew how it would end -- with a denial. His visa expires next year, and he had started looking for new job opportunities.

"Everything had a finite end to it," he said. "You were working within certain boundaries. Now those boundaries have been removed."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-immig-hiv25-2009nov25,0,7928933,print.story

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New HIV infections in decline

There were about 17% fewer new infections worldwide in 2008, compared with 2001, but fewer than half of those infected began treatment, a World Health Organization and UNAIDS report says.

by Thomas H. Maugh II

November 25, 2009

The estimated number of new HIV infections each year has declined about 17% since 2001, but for every five people infected, only two begin treatment, according to a report from the World Health Organization and UNAIDS released Tuesday.

About 2.7 million people were newly infected with the virus that causes AIDS last year, compared with about 3.3 million in 2001 -- although direct comparisons are difficult because the numbers are counted differently now. The biggest gains were in sub-Saharan Africa, where there were 400,000 fewer infections, even though the region still accounts for 67% of all new infections.

An estimated 33.4 million people were HIV-positive worldwide in 2008, a slight increase from 33 million in 2007. That increase occurred in large part because more people are living longer after infection because of the increased availability of antiretroviral drugs that keep the virus in check.

About 4 million people were receiving AIDS drugs at the end of 2008, compared with 3 million the previous year. Nonetheless, an additional "5 million people need treatment and are not receiving it," Dr. Teguest Guerma, acting director of the WHO's HIV/AIDS department, said at a Tuesday news conference.

She said that about 2.9 million lives had been saved so far by increased access to the drugs as a result of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and other international assistance programs.

The drugs have also cut down on mother-to-child transmission and reduced the number of orphaned children. About 200,000 infant infections have been averted since 2001, Guerma said.

Even so, about 430,000 children were born with HIV in 2008, bringing the number of children under the age of 15 living with the virus to 2.1 million.

The report was formally released in Shanghai by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe because of concerns that China will become a new epicenter of the AIDS pandemic. HIV infections were once a problem only with homosexuals and intravenous drug abusers in that country, but the pandemic is rapidly spreading into the general population.

The rate of new infections through heterosexual contact in China tripled between 2005 and 2007, according to the new report. About 40% of new infections were acquired through heterosexual contact last year, with homosexual sex accounting for 32% and most of the rest related to drug abuse.

According to the Chinese government, the number of people confirmed to be living with HIV was 319,877 at the end of last month, up from 135,630 in 2005. Most experts view those numbers as suspiciously low, however, for the world's most populous country. In large part, that is because the groups most at risk are highly stigmatized in China and at risk of imprisonment or harsher penalties, so it is difficult to get accurate numbers.

A similar situation occurs in the Middle East and North Africa, according to Dr. Paul De Lay, a deputy executive director of UNAIDS. "Even in sub-Saharan Africa, we still have a dearth of information about high-risk groups," he said.

As in China, the AIDS epidemic is changing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Where it once was characterized chiefly by drug abuse and prostitution, it is now spreading into the general population. AIDS prevention programs in those regions are not shifting as rapidly, and are still focused on high-risk groups.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-sci-aids25-2009nov25,0,6944736,print.story

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Census worker's death was suicide, not anti-government violence, police say

William Sparkman was found dead in the Kentucky woods with a rope around his neck and 'Fed' written on his chest.

by Richard Fausset

November 25, 2009

Reporting from Atlanta

A Census Bureau worker found dead in rural Kentucky -- a death that sparked fear of anti-government violence in some quarters -- committed suicide, authorities said Tuesday.

The death scene was "staged to appear as a homicide," according to a statement released Tuesday by the Kentucky State Police.

The body of William E. "Bill" Sparkman Jr., 51, was found in the backwoods of Clay County on Sept. 12, with his hands, feet and mouth bound with duct tape, a rope around his neck and the word "Fed" written on his chest. The rope was tied to a tree, though police said his body was not hanging but, rather, on the ground.

State police and the FBI began looking into the possibility that he was targeted because of his job collecting information for the federal Census Bureau.

Officials said Tuesday that Sparkman had in fact acted alone. Witnesses told them that Sparkman had discussed suicide, as well as "perceived negative attitudes toward federal entities by some residents of Clay County."

Also discovered, the statement said, were two life insurance policies Sparkman had recently purchased that did not pay benefits in cases of suicide.

Evidence at the scene and DNA testing concluded that Sparkman committed suicide, the release said. The cause of death was "asphyxiation/strangulation" at the spot where his body was discovered.

The death came at a time of growing and impassioned concern among some conservatives about what they perceived as an expansion of government power under President Obama. That concern was manifested most prominently in the tea party protests that began earlier this year.

A month before Sparkman's death, a dozen people carrying guns were among the protesters outside an Obama event in Phoenix. In June, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) gained national attention when she said she and her family would not fully fill out their 2010 census forms, in part because the questions had become "very intricate, very personal."

After the discovery of Sparkman's body, Village Voice Media's True Crime Report blog cited the recent "rage against Washington . . . especially in the rural South." The blog said Sparkman's death had "all the makings of some anti-government goober taking his half-wit beliefs way too far."

In September, the Census Bureau suspended door-to-door interviews in Clay County until the completion of the investigation. Census spokesman Stephen Buckner said in a statement Tuesday that "normal census operations" would resume next month.

Sparkman's death, Buckner said, "was a tragedy and remains a loss for the Census Bureau family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-census-worker25-2009nov25,0,362351,print.story

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IRAQ: TV commentator who criticized government is shot

Baghdad is buzzing about the shooting Monday night of a prominent TV commentator who regularly criticized the government on his show "Without Fences" on the privately owned Al-Diyar TV station.

Imad Abadi was shot in the head and neck by gunmen using a pistol equipped with a silencer at about 8 p.m. as he rode in his car in the Salhiya neighborhood not far from Baghdad's Green Zone. He managed to keep driving to an Iraqi checkpoint, and doctors today said his chances of recovery are good.

"For sure it is the politicians who are responsible," said Ziad Ajili, the head of the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, an independent press freedom group. "He was very brave in exposing corruption and he is one of the most prominent journalists who are criticizing the political parties."

Al Sharqiya TV repeatedly played throughout the day a recent clip of an interview with Abadi, speaking of receiving threats to his life, the dangers facing journalists in Iraq and the scale of corruption in Iraq.

"A journalist should be a free person who can write whatever he wants, but nowadays any scandal he writes about the whole world will collapse on his head," he said. "In any country in the world, a journalist will spend a year and thousands of dollars to expose a scandal, but in Iraq many scandals took place in one day.

"The intimidation of journalists is rejected, as is the allegations that they get money from abroad or are collaborators. The people know who is a traitor and who gets money from abroad – and it is not Iraqi journalists, 284 of whom have been sacrificed on the altar of freedom. Journalists walk around Baghdad day and night with no protection or cars, while each of those people has 50 cars to protect him, and bodyguards, and still they feel afraid and are hiding in the Green Zone."

The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory says 284 journalists and media workers have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, 175 of them while performing their jobs.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists says 139 journalists have been killed, 89 of whom were murdered. Not one murder case has been solved, CPJ says.

In the early days of the war, most of the deaths occurred in combat but as the violence has waned, journalists are more likely to be targeted because of what they write.

CPJ highlights the case of a journalist from Kirkuk, Soran Mama Hama, who exposed police complicity in a prostitution ring and was subsequently assassinated in July 2008.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/11/iraq-tv-commentator-who-criticized-government-is-shot.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BabylonBeyond+%28Babylon+%26+Beyond+Blog%29

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LAPD releases composite drawing of "Grim Sleeper" suspect

	Male, Black, black hair (neatly trimmed), 20-30 yrs., 5 8 - 5 10, 160 lbs, pockmarked face, soft spoken and articulate. (Courtesy of the LAPD)

Police are hoping that a composite drawing of a suspected serial killer will help detectives Tuesday identify the man responsible for the so-called Grim Sleeper murders between 1985 and 2007 in Los Angeles, Inglewood and unincorporated Lennox.

The composite drawing was re-released by Los Angeles Police Department Monday.

The suspect in at least 11 killings was described in 1988 by a surviving victim as black, in his 20s, between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10 inches tall, around 160 pounds, soft-spoken, articulate, with neatly trimmed hair and a pocked-marked face, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the LAPD's Media Relations Section.

The suspect's identity has not been determined, but a surviving victim provided information used for the composite drawing, which was initially released early this year, Eisenman said.

DNA and ballistics evidence has connected the killings of 10 women and one man between 1985 and 2007, according to police. After 1988, the killer did not commit any known homicides until 2002. He last struck on Jan. 1, 2007.

The victims were all black and most were apparent prostitutes or drug addicts who were sexually assaulted. A 12th victim escaped after being shot and raped.

In February, the LAPD released a 911 tape of a call that a witness made more than 20 years earlier to report having seen the killer dispose of a woman's body in South Los Angeles.

About 12:19 a.m. on Jan. 10, 1987, the witness called police from a pay phone to say he had seen a man remove a woman's body from a blue and white 1976 Dodge van.

The man told the dispatcher the van's license plate was 1PZP746, and police found it about 30 minutes later at the now-defunct Cosmopolitan Church at 6075 S. Normandie Ave.

The suspect has also been seen driving a 1970s two-door orange, white- striped Pinto hatchback with tinted windows, a green interior and tan seat covers, according to police.

At the beginning of 2009, the City Council renewed a $500,000 reward for information leading to the killer's arrest and conviction.

The moniker "Grim Sleeper" was coined by LA Weekly reporter Christine Pelisek in August 2008 and adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department in February.

The nickname is intended to convey the fact that a purported serial killer apparently stopped murdering for 13 years, then became active again in 2002.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call detectives at 213-473-0346 or 877-527-3247 evenings and weekends.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_13857156

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From the Wall Street Journal

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Probe in Fort Hood Intensifies

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Military investigations into the Nov. 5 shooting spree here intensified Tuesday, with the arrival of two former top officials leading a Pentagon probe into what could have been done to prevent the shootings.

Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is accused of opening fire in a crowded facility when soldiers went to complete last-minute paperwork before heading overseas. He has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder.

While the military pursues a criminal case against Maj. Hasan, a psychiatrist who was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan, the Pentagon is also probing whether officials could have done more to prevent the shootings.

One of the leaders of that investigation, former Army Secretary Togo West, said Tuesday that one of the main purposes of the investigation was to look at "policies and procedures that have to do with service members that may cause trouble or harm to their fellows."

Former colleagues of Maj. Hasan said he espoused fervent Islamic beliefs and a deep-seated opposition to the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Former medical colleagues also said his professional work was substandard. The probe will look at whether military policies failed to identify Maj. Hasan as a potential threat and whether his patient care was acceptable.

Officials at the base had also scheduled a televised town-hall meeting for Tuesday night to allow people on the base and in the surrounding communities to ask questions about "the incident, security of the installation and comprehensive health care support to survivors and families."

Maj. Hasan's lawyer, John P. Galligan, separately said he was considering an insanity plea for his client. "Based on my preliminary assessment, it's very clear that mental responsibility issues will play a very important part of the case," he said in a telephone interview.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125912038267763495.html#printMode

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The Desolate Wilderness

A chronicle of the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth, as recorded by Nathaniel Morton.

So they left that goodly and pleasant city of Leyden, which had been their resting-place for above eleven years, but they knew that they were pilgrims and strangers here below, and looked not much on these things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, where God hath prepared for them a city (Heb. XI, 16), and therein quieted their spirits.

When they came to Delfs-Haven they found the ship and all things ready, and such of their friends as could not come with them followed after them, and sundry came from Amsterdam to see them shipt, and to take their leaves of them. One night was spent with little sleep with the most, but with friendly entertainment and Christian discourse, and other real expressions of true Christian love.

Being now passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before them in expectations, they had now no friends to welcome them, no inns to entertain or refresh them, no houses, or much less towns, to repair unto to seek for succour; and for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of the country know them to be sharp and violent, subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to known places, much more to search unknown coasts.

Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wilde beasts and wilde men? and what multitudes of them there were, they then knew not: for which way soever they turned their eyes (save upward to Heaven) they could have but little solace or content in respect of any outward object; for summer being ended, all things stand in appearance with a weatherbeaten face, and the whole country, full of woods and thickets, represented a wild and savage hew.

If they looked behind them, there was a mighty ocean which they had passed, and was now as a main bar or gulph to separate them from all the civil parts of the world.

These editorials have appeared annually since 1961.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204482304574216002146998902.html#printMode

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And the Fair Land

'For all our social discord we yet remain the longest enduring society of free men governing themselves without benefit of kings or dictators.'

Any one whose labors take him into the far reaches of the country, as ours lately have done, is bound to mark how the years have made the land grow fruitful.

This is indeed a big country, a rich country, in a way no array of figures can measure and so in a way past belief of those who have not seen it. Even those who journey through its Northeastern complex, into the Southern lands, across the central plains and to its Western slopes can only glimpse a measure of the bounty of America.

And a traveler cannot but be struck on his journey by the thought that this country, one day, can be even greater. America, though many know it not, is one of the great underdeveloped countries of the world; what it reaches for exceeds by far what it has grasped.

So the visitor returns thankful for much of what he has seen, and, in spite of everything, an optimist about what his country might be. Yet the visitor, if he is to make an honest report, must also note the air of unease that hangs everywhere.

For the traveler, as travelers have been always, is as much questioned as questioning. And for all the abundance he sees, he finds the questions put to him ask where men may repair for succor from the troubles that beset them.

His countrymen cannot forget the savage face of war. Too often they have been asked to fight in strange and distant places, for no clear purpose they could see and for no accomplishment they can measure. Their spirits are not quieted by the thought that the good and pleasant bounty that surrounds them can be destroyed in an instant by a single bomb. Yet they find no escape, for their survival and comfort now depend on unpredictable strangers in far-off corners of the globe.

How can they turn from melancholy when at home they see young arrayed against old, black against white, neighbor against neighbor, so that they stand in peril of social discord. Or not despair when they see that the cities and countryside are in need of repair, yet find themselves threatened by scarcities of the resources that sustain their way of life. Or when, in the face of these challenges, they turn for leadership to men in high places—only to find those men as frail as any others.

So sometimes the traveler is asked whence will come their succor. What is to preserve their abundance, or even their civility? How can they pass on to their children a nation as strong and free as the one they inherited from their forefathers? How is their country to endure these cruel storms that beset it from without and from within?

Of course the stranger cannot quiet their spirits. For it is true that everywhere men turn their eyes today much of the world has a truly wild and savage hue. No man, if he be truthful, can say that the specter of war is banished. Nor can he say that when men or communities are put upon their own resources they are sure of solace; nor be sure that men of diverse kinds and diverse views can live peaceably together in a time of troubles.

But we can all remind ourselves that the richness of this country was not born in the resources of the earth, though they be plentiful, but in the men that took its measure. For that reminder is everywhere—in the cities, towns, farms, roads, factories, homes, hospitals, schools that spread everywhere over that wilderness.

We can remind ourselves that for all our social discord we yet remain the longest enduring society of free men governing themselves without benefit of kings or dictators. Being so, we are the marvel and the mystery of the world, for that enduring liberty is no less a blessing than the abundance of the earth.

And we might remind ourselves also, that if those men setting out from Delftshaven had been daunted by the troubles they saw around them, then we could not this autumn be thankful for a fair land.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204482304574216001051255042.html

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From the White House

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Giving Thanks to Our Heroes This Holiday

There is nothing like the warmth of home during the holidays.  In this spirit, the Vice President and I hosted an early Thanksgiving Dinner last night for servicemembers and their families at our home, the U.S. Naval Observatory.  It was the Biden family's small way of saying thank you to these heroes, and we could not have been more honored to share a table with this group.  As my husband said, “Never before has this place been accorded such an honor as tonight. No individual group has walked through that door that has lent more dignity than you.”

During the holiday season, enjoy the warmth of your home and consider reaching out to all of those who have given so much for our country.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Dr. Jill Biden is the Second Lady of the United States

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/24/giving-thanks-our-heroes-holiday

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From the Department of Homeland Security

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Secretary Napolitano and Minister Van Loan Announce Initiatives to Combat Common Threats and Expedite Travel and Trade

Release Date: November 24, 2009

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Public Safety Canada Minister Peter Van Loan today announced initiatives between the United States and Canada.

Those initiatives build on their shared commitment to tackle common threats like terrorism and organized crime while ensuring the lawful flow of travel and trade across the border.

The announcement came after Secretary Napolitano and Minister Van Loan met for the second of their formal biannual meetings; the Secretary and the Minister have also met three other times this year.

Today they reviewed progress on the mutual goals they announced in May—including enhancing information sharing and expanding integrated law enforcement while protecting privacy and economic security.

“Close cooperation and coordination between the United States and Canada is critical to the national and economic security of both nations,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Minister Van Loan and I are committed to working together to combat transnational threats and facilitate lawful travel and trade on both sides of the border.”

“A shared understanding of the threats and risks we face is paramount to our common objective of enhancing U.S.-Canadian security. We are working together to achieve this,” said Minister Van Loan. “We have a joint responsibility to secure the safety of our citizens.”

Secretary Napolitano and Minister Van Loan also made announcements to strengthen both trade and security:

Streamlining Border Shipping: Canada and United States have agreed to work toward aligning the U.S. Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Canada's Partners in Protection (PIP) program, in an effort to achieve harmonization as quickly as possible. These trusted shipper programs focus on improving the security of private sector supply chains and benefit shippers.

Maritime Emergency Cooperation: Canada and United States have created a Maritime Annex to the Joint Framework for the Movement of People and Goods During and Following Emergencies. This is an addition to the Framework the countries established in May. The new annex guides communication and coordination during incidents that affect shared waterways and ports, enabling both nations to assist one another during emergencies.

NEXUS and FAST Cards Now Accepted Everywhere: Canada will join the United States in recognizing NEXUS and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) trusted traveler program cards as valid identification documents in all lanes at all land and sea border ports of entry beginning Nov. 25. It was also announced that the programs are expanding with new enrollment centers opening in St. Stephen, New Brunswick – Calais, Maine and Lansdowne, Ontario – Alexandria Bay, N.Y

Immigration Information Sharing: Secretary Napolitano announced that the United States will join a biometric data sharing initiative involving Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and, eventually, New Zealand – an initiative designed to strengthen the integrity of immigration systems and the security of each country while protecting privacy and civil rights. Minister Van Loan, with the Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, welcomed the United States' participation.

“Previous trials show that biometric information sharing works. For example, when the fingerprints of some asylum claimants in Canada were checked against the U.S. database, more than a third matched and 12 percent of these individuals presented a different identity in the United States,” said Minister Kenney. “The data sharing helps uncover details about refugee claimants such as identity, nationality, criminality, travel and immigration history, all of which can prove relevant to the claim.”

Fighting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing: Secretary Napolitano and Minister Van Loan announced that the two countries are in the final stages of completing a Memorandum of Understanding to share data on currency seized at the border. This will significantly enhance the ability of law enforcement officers in both countries to investigate and track illicit cash movement. It will disrupt the flow of funds that support the activities of criminals and terrorists.

Combating Human Trafficking: Secretary Napolitano and Minister Van Loan agreed to instruct their respective law enforcement agencies to enhance collaboration on efforts to combat human trafficking in both nations and across the U.S.-Canada border. As part of extensive existing cooperative efforts to ensure the security of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, both countries are already focusing on ensuring that the Games do not present a venue for criminals to engage in human trafficking.

Security Cooperation: Secretary Napolitano and Minister Van Loan also agreed to exchange best practices and broaden collaboration in the areas of critical infrastructure protection and countering violent extremism.

Continuing Cooperation: Minister Van Loan and Secretary Napolitano expect to meet again in approximately six months to continue their strategic work on mutual initiatives to combat security threats and expedite travel and trade.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov or www.publicsafety.gc.ca .

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1259080420061.shtm

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From the Justice Department

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Ten individuals were indicted today, charged with, among other things, conspiring to export weapons from Philadelphia to the Port of Latakia, Syria.

According to the indictment, Hassan Hodroj and Dib Hani Harb attempted to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of approximately 1,200 Colt M4 Carbines (machine guns). Harb and other defendants — including Moussa Ali Hamdan and Hasan Antar Karaki — were also charged with conspiring to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of proceeds from the sale of fraudulent passports, counterfeit money and stolen (genuine) money. In addition, Hamdan and several other defendants (listed below) were charged with several counts of transporting stolen goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods, and making false statements to government officials.

"The allegations contained in this complaint demonstrate how terrorist organizations rely on a variety of underlying criminal activities to fund and arm themselves. I applaud the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring about these charges and arrests," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

"This investigation demonstrates the dedication and cooperation of law enforcement agents from numerous agencies," said U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy. "These cases show the breadth of criminal activity engaged in by those who oppose us. The crimes charged here range from the purchase of stolen and counterfeit goods, to the purchase of false visas and passports, to the purchase of weapons. I want to compliment the law enforcement agents, the Assistant U.S.Attorneys, and the attorneys in the National Security Division of the Department of Justice for their efforts."

According to a related criminal complaint that was also unsealed today, Moussa Ali Hamdan began purchasing purportedly stolen cellular telephones from a cooperating witness acting as an agent of the government (hereinafter "the CW") in or about late 2007. Over the next several months, Hamdan and other defendants — including Hamze El-Najjar, a/k/a "Hamze Al-Najjar," Moustafa Habib Kassem, Latif Kamel Hazime, a/k/a "Adanan," Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a.k.a. "Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa," Maoda Kane, and Michael Katz — participated in the purchase and transportation of purportedly stolen goods on numerous occasions. These stolen goods included cellular telephones, laptop computers, Sony Play Station 2 systems and automobiles, which the conspirators caused to be transported to destinations outside Pennsylvania, including overseas.

At the same time, according to the complaint, the CW sold counterfeit goods — namely, counterfeit Nike® shoes and Mitchell & Ness® sports jerseys — to Hamdan and his associates, including defendants Hamze El-Najjar, Moustafa Habib Kassem, Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a.k.a "Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa," Maodo Kane and Michael Katz.

The complaint details efforts by defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan, Dib Hani Harb, and Hasan Antar Karaki to sell the CW counterfeit United States currency for the purpose of raising funds for Hizballah. In total, the conspirators provided the CW with approximately $9,800 in counterfeit U.S. currency.

In this same vein, the complaint alleges that defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan, Dib Hani Harb and Hasan Antar Karaki generated additional funds for Hizballah by selling fraudulent passports. The CW and the defendants participated in the purchase of two fake passports — one from the United Kingdom and one from Canada — for the benefit of Hizballah.

Finally, the complaint alleges that defendant Dib Hani Harb worked with Hodroj in furtherance of a conspiracy to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of approximately 1,200 Colt M4 Carbines (machine guns).

"The FBI remains resolutely committed to working with our law enforcement partners to find and stop those individuals who commit crimes, such as those alleged today, which are intended to provide financial and other material support for those individuals and groups operating on behalf of designated foreign terrorist organizations," said Special Agent-in-Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk, of the Philadelphia Division of the FBI. "Today, through the well-coordinated effort of all involved agencies, a blow has been struck to Hizballah's efforts to fund its terrorism activities."

"ICE will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to disrupt networks involved in the illegal sale and distribution of weapons and critical technologies," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton. "Today's arrests are a clear indication of the federal government's commitment to keeping Americans safe."

Information regarding the defendants is below:

• Hassan Hodroj, of Beirut, Lebanon, date of birth unknown, faces a potential 15 years in prison if convicted.
  
  
• Dib Hani Harb, of Beirut, Lebanon, was born in 1978 and faces a potential 30 years in prison if convicted.
  
  
• Hasan Antar Karaki, of Beirut, Lebanon, was born in 1959 and faces a potential 15 years in prison if convicted.
  
  
• Moussa Ali Hamdan, of Brooklyn, New York, was born in 1972 and faces a potential 25 years in prison if convicted.
  
  
• Hassan El-Najjar, a.k.a "Hassan Al-Najjar," of Brooklyn, New York, was born in 1982 and faces a potential 10 years in prison if convicted.
  
  
• Moustafa Habib Kassem, of Staten Island, New York, was born in 1980 and faces a potential 10 years in prison if convicted.
  
  
• Latif Kamel Hazime, a.k.a "Adanan," of Margarita Island, Venezuela, and Dearborn, Mich., was born in 1980 and faces a potential five years in prison.
  
  
• Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a.k.a Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa," of Brooklyn, New York, was born in 1966 and faces a potential five years in prison.
  
  
• Maodo Kane, of Bronx, N.Y., was born in 1971 and faces a potential five years in prison.
  
  
• Michael Katz, of Plainsboro, N.J., was born in 1942 and faces a potential five years in prison.
  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New Jersey State Police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Secret Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Department of Commerce, Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Air Marshals, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Department of State.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy Beam Winter and Stephen A. Miller, and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman.

The public is reminded that an indictment is an allegation. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-ag-1278.html

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From ICE

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Indictment charges four with conspiracy to support Hezbollah
Six others charged with related crimes

PHILADELPHIA - As the result of a multi-agency investigation, which included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 10 individuals have been indicted in federal court for various crimes aimed at providing weapons and material support to Hezbollah. The charges include conspiracy to export sophisticated Colt carbines from Philadelphia to the Port of Latakia, Syria.

The announcement was made by David S. Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Department of Justice, and U.S Attorney Michael L. Levy, together with Janice K. Fedarcyk, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Philadelphia), John P. Kelleghan, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Philadelphia, Don Fort, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service (Philadelphia), and Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.According to the indictment, Hassan Hodroj and Dib Hani Harb attempted to provide material support to Hezbollah in the form of approximately 1,200 Colt M4 Carbines (machine guns). Harb and other defendants - including Moussa Ali Hamdan and Hasan Antar Karaki - were also charged with conspiring to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of proceeds from the sale of fraudulent passports, counterfeit money, and stolen (genuine) money. In addition, Hamdan and several other defendants (listed below) were charged with several counts of transporting stolen goods, trafficking-in counterfeit goods, and making false statements to government officials.

"The allegations contained in this complaint demonstrate how terrorist organizations rely on a variety of underlying criminal activities to fund and arm themselves. I applaud the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring about these charges and arrests," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

"ICE will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to disrupt networks involved in the illegal sale and distribution of weapons and critical technologies," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton. "Today's arrests are a clear indication of the federal government's commitment to keeping Americans safe."

"This investigation demonstrates the dedication and cooperation of law enforcement agents from numerous agencies," said U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy. "These cases show the breadth of criminal activity engaged in by those who oppose us. The crimes charged here range from the purchase of stolen and counterfeit goods, to the purchase of false visas and passports, to the purchase of weapons. I want to compliment the law enforcement agents, the Assistant United Attorneys, and the attorneys in the National Security Division of the Department of Justice for their efforts."

According to a related criminal complaint that was also unsealed today, Moussa Ali Hamdan began purchasing purportedly stolen cellular telephones from a cooperating witness acting as an agent of the government (hereinafter "the CW") in or about late 2007. Over the next several months, Hamdan and other defendants - including Hamze El-Najjar, a/k/a "Hamze Al-Najjar," Moustafa Habib Kassem, Latif Kamel Hazime, a/k/a "Adanan," Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a/k/a "Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa," Maoda Kane, and Michael Katz - participated in the purchase and transportation of purportedly stolen goods on numerous occasions. These stolen goods included cellular telephones, laptop computers, Sony Play Station 2 systems, and automobiles, which the conspirators caused to be transported to destinations outside Pennsylvania, including overseas.

At the same time, according to the complaint, the CW sold counterfeit goods - namely, counterfeit Nike® shoes and Mitchell & Ness® sports jerseys - to Hamdan and his associates, including defendants Hamze El-Najjar, Moustafa Habib Kassem, Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a/k/a "Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa," Maodo Kane, and Michael Katz.

The complaint details efforts by defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan, Dib Hani Harb, and Hasan Antar Karaki to sell the CW counterfeit United States currency for the purpose of raising funds for Hizballah. In total, the conspirators provided the CW with approximately $9,800 in counterfeit United States currency.

In this same vein, the complaint alleges that defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan, Dib Hani Harb, and Hasan Antar Karaki generated additional funds for Hizballah by selling fraudulent passports. The CW and the defendants participated in the purchase of two fake passports - one from the United Kingdom and one from Canada - for the benefit of Hizballah.

Finally, the complaint alleges that defendant Dib Hani Harb worked with Hodroj in furtherance of a conspiracy to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of approximately 1,200 Colt M4 Carbines (machine guns).

"The FBI remains resolutely committed to working with our law enforcement partners to find and stop those individuals who commit crimes, such as those alleged today, which are intended to provide financial and other material support for those individuals and groups operating on behalf of designated foreign terrorist organizations," said Special Agent-in-Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk, of the Philadelphia Division of the FBI. "Today, through the well-coordinated effort of all involved agencies, a blow has been struck to Hizballah's efforts to fund its terrorism activities."
...

...

...

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New Jersey State Police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Secret Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Department of Commerce, Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Air Marshals, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Department of State.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy Beam Winter and Stephen A. Miller, and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0911/091124philadelphia.htm

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From the FBI

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http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov09/terrorists_112409.html

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From the DEA

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Large-Scale New York City Marijuana Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

NOV 24 -- (MANHATTAN, NY) JOHN P. GILBRIDE, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA") and PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WINSTON CLARKE, a/k/a "Wimpy," was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison for his involvement in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy. In October 2008, CLARKE, 48, was found guilty following a jury trial in Manhattan federal court of conspiring to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial before United States District Judge DEBORAH A. BATTS:

From 1996 through January 2002, CLARKE was the leader of an organization that distributed large multi-kilogram quantities of marijuana in the New York City area.

The evidence showed that in order to continue selling large amounts of marijuana, CLARKE used his connections with various members of a gang known as the "John Shop Crew" to smuggle marijuana from California to the New York City area. The evidence showed that the marijuana was purchased in, and shipped from, California via air cargo to airports in the New York City area. Once the marijuana arrived, CLARKE ordered his workers to go to airports in the New York City area and pick up hundreds of pounds of marijuana at a time.

The evidence further showed that once the marijuana was picked up from the airports, CLARKE's workers brought the marijuana back to various stash houses in the Bronx. The workers then stored and packaged the marijuana for further distribution.

The evidence also showed that CLARKE and his workers kept firearms at the stash houses in order to protect the large amounts of marijuana and money that was being stored at these locations. After the marijuana was packaged, large wholesale amounts were sold to other marijuana distributors for hundreds of dollars per pound, and smaller retail amounts of marijuana were sold to customers for "nickel" and "dime" amounts out of store fronts throughout the Bronx that were owned by CLARKE. The evidence showed that after the marijuana was sold, CLARKE ordered his workers to ship small refrigerators and stereo speakers that contained tens of thousands of dollars of marijuana proceeds to California so that more marijuana could be purchased and sent back to the New York City area.

Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Group D-35, New York Field Division.

Assistant United States Attorneys LOYAAN A. EGAL and CHI T. STEVE KWOK are in charge of the prosecution.

http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/states/newsrel/2009/nyc112409.html

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Alleged La Familia Mexican Drug Cartel Members and Associates Indicted in Federal Court

NOV 24 -- (Chicago) Seven separate indictments were returned in Chicago on November 19, 2009, charging 15 defendants of alleged involvement with a Chicago cell of a Mexican drug trafficking organization. Arrests and charges initially occurred in August. These indictments allege for the first time that the defendants were connected to the Chicago distribution cell of La Familia Michoacana, whose members and associates distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine and collected tens of millions of dollars in profits within the Chicago area since at least 2007.

During the investigation, which began in 2007, the Chicago Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration seized approximately 250 kilograms of cocaine and $8 million in alleged drug proceeds. One kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds. The seizures occurred mainly in suburban locales, including Berwyn, Bolingbrook, Oak Lawn, Hickory Hills, Joliet, and Justice, officials say. The investigation was part of a multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction narcotics-trafficking investigation that targeted La Familia's distribution network throughout the United States. Federal charges were brought against over 300 defendants in 19 states last month in coordination with Project Coronado. With the 15 individuals named in the indictments released last week, a total of 20 defendants linked to this investigation are facing federal drug charges in the U.S. District Court in Chicago. The La Familia cartel, accused of importing large quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States, is based in the southwestern Mexico state of Michoacan.

The indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy, an individual in Mexico and members and associates of the La Familia cartel's distribution cell in the Chicago area formed a “command and control group designed for the efficient distribution” of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and the collection of drug proceeds from the wholesale distributors and their associates. The 15 defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute multiple kilogram quantities of cocaine, while some defendants face additional drug trafficking-related charges. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of as much as $20 million, as well as the millions of dollars already seized during the investigation.

The conspiracy count against each of the 15 defendants charged in the indictments released last week carries a minimum sentence of ten years in prison, with a maximum of life, and a possible $4 million fine. If convicted, a judge would determine the appropriate sentence to impose.

The charges were announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Stephen A. Luzinski, Acting Special Agent-In-Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division Office. The Illinois State Police, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Chicago, Aurora, and Arlington Heights Police Departments assisted in the investigation. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet Bhachu, Michael Donovan, Stephen Baker and Erika Csicsila.

A list of the cases and defendants follow:

United States v. Ayala-German, et al. (09 CR 546)
JORGE GUDALUPE AYALA-GERMAN , 44, of Joliet, detained;
JORGE LUIS TORRES-GALVAN , 31, of Danforth, Ill., aka “Jose Manuel Castell-Villot” and “Choche,” detained;
JOSE GONZALEZ-ZAVALA ,37, of Joliet, aka “Panda,”detained;
EZEQUEL HERNANDEZ-PATINO , 48, of Joliet, aka “Cheque,” detained;
ISMAEL FLORES , 35, of Dallas, aka “Bobby,” “Cunado” and “Primo,” released on bond;
OSCAR BUENO , 25, of Dallas, released on bond;

United States v. Flores-Candelario
OSCAR MANUEL FLORES-CANDELARIO ,34, of Broadview, aka “Manolo,” detained;

United States v. Godinez-Gonzalez, et al.
MIGUEL GODINEZ-GONZALEZ , 36, of Rockford, aka “Compadre” and “Pedro,” fugitive;
CELSO CORONA-SANCHEZ , 37, of Rockford, aka “Ponciano” and “Poncia,” detained;
JAVIER SOTO-MEDINA , 24, of Rockford, aka “Chuchi,” fugitive;

United States v. Hernandez
JESUS HERNANDEZ , 32, of Orland Park, aka “J.C.,” “Yesi,” “Yessy del 19" and “Jesse,” detained;
FRANCISCO RAMIREZ , 40, of Chicago, released on bond;

United States v. Gonzalez
ANAI MAGANA GONZALEZ, 25, of Hammond, Ind., aka “Ana,” detained;

United States v. Lucatero
BARTOLO LUCATERO , 29, of Chicago, aka “Pelon,” detained;

United States v. Rodriguez
JOSE RODRIGUEZ , 39, of Brookfield, Wis., detained.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government will have the burden of proving his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/states/newsrel/2009/chicago112409.html

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