Black leaders urge Obama to focus job creation on their communities

With the joblessness among African Americans at 16.5%, they want to ensure that legislation being drafted in Congress will be effective in minority-dominated areas.

By Christi Parsons and Janet Hook

February 11, 2010

Reporting from Washington

Amid signs that black Americans are not sharing in the nation's fledgling economic recovery, President Obama on Wednesday met at the White House with African American leaders, who urged him to adopt a new approach more tightly focused on chronically depressed communities.

While the unemployment rate in January dropped below 10% for the first time in five months, joblessness among blacks increased slightly, to 16.5%.

"We're not looking for race-based programs but, like the president, we want to make sure that everyone is included," the Rev. Al Sharpton said after the meeting. "We need to make sure that those efforts to spur job creation are equally and fairly distributed so that, when the rubber meets the road, we're all in the car."

The meeting came at a time when some black leaders have faulted Obama for not pursuing policies more targeted on the economic woes of their community.

Sharpton and the two other leaders in the meeting -- NAACP President Benjamin T. Jealous and National Urban League chief executive Marc H. Morial -- have been supportive of Obama in the face of those complaints.

Obama remains supremely popular among African Americans. David Bositis, a political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, recently surveyed blacks in four states and found that 80% approved of the job he was doing as president.

But even Obama's supporters want to be sure that the jobs legislation being drafted in Congress will be effective in minority-dominated communities with high unemployment.

"More must be done," said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) after the January unemployment report was released. "As lawmakers, we must not shy away from targeted public policy that seeks to address the specific and unique issues facing minority communities."

The House in December passed a $154-billion jobs bill that included several provisions sought by the Congressional Black Caucus, such as a $500-million summer jobs program and a $1-billion fund for affordable housing. It also included $26.7 billion to help state and local governments maintain public service jobs -- workforces in which minorities are well represented.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), the black caucus chairwoman, met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently to urge inclusion of those priorities in the companion Senate jobs bill.

The provisions were not in the draft $85-billion measure that began circulating this week, which focuses mostly on a payroll-tax break for hiring unemployed workers and an extension of safety net programs for the jobless.

The bill was crafted to be lean enough to garner Republican support and move quickly through the Senate, but a Reid aide said Democrats planned for additional jobs bills later this year.

Some of Obama's supporters are concerned that the president has not more directly confronted issues of race, and they see the jobs bill as a good place to start.

Sociologist Michael Eric Dyson took issue with Obama's recent response to complaints that his jobs policies weren't more directly aimed at helping African Americans. Obama had said that he "can't pass laws that say I'm just helping black folks."

Dyson compared that to issuing the same prescription to everyone who comes to the hospital, when some people obviously arrive much sicker than others.

The jobs bill, argued Dyson, "is a tremendous opportunity for the president to weigh in on critical issues that are of import to the entire nation. It's not just that you want to help blacks. If blacks don't do well, if one significant portion of the population isn't doing well, then the nation doesn't do well."

But two activists who met with Obama and political advisor Valerie Jarrett said they think the White House is rightly attuned to their concerns. The NAACP's Jealous said he showed up to the meeting with a briefing document to leave with Obama and his staff. He left without giving it to anyone, he said, because it no longer seemed necessary. Sharpton said he and the other activists hope to help the president press for provisions in the jobs bill aimed at helping chronically challenged communities.

"The president shares their sense of urgency that we need to move forward with a jobs bill to stimulate job creation," Jarrett said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-obama-blacks11-2010feb11,0,3081509,print.story

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Haiti judge to free U.S. missionaries in kidnap case

From Reuters

February 10, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE

A Haitian judge has decided to release 10 U.S. missionaries accused of kidnapping 33 children and trying to spirit them out of the earthquake- stricken country, a judicial source said Wednesday.

The source said the missionaries, who have been in jail since they were stopped at Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic on Jan. 29, could be released as early as Thursday.

"The order will be to release them," the source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. The decision has not yet been made public.

"One thing an investigating judge seeks in a criminal investigation is criminal intentions on the part of the people involved and there is nothing that shows that criminal intention on the part of the Americans," the source said.

The missionaries, most of whom belong to an Idaho-based Baptist church, were arrested trying to take the children across the border to the Dominican Republic 17 days after a magnitude 7 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in the impoverished Caribbean nation.

The five men and five women have denied any intentional wrongdoing and said they were only trying to help orphans left destitute by the quake, which shattered the Haitian capital and left more than 1 million homeless. But evidence has come to light showing most of the children still had living parents.

As part of Haiti's legal requirements, investigating Judge Bernard Sainvil must send a notice of his decision to the prosecutor. That will be done on Thursday, the source said.

Once he receives the order, the prosecutor could offer an opinion that one or more of the Americans should be held but that would have no legal effect on the judge's decision, the source said.

The case has been a distraction to the Haitian government as it tries to cope with the aftermath of the earthquake and was diplomatically sensitive for the United States as it spearheads a massive international effort to feed and shelter Haitian quake survivors.

Haiti's beleaguered government had warned that unscrupulous traffickers could try to take advantage of the chaos that followed the quake by taking away vulnerable children, and it tightened adoption procedures.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fgw-haiti-missionaries11-2010feb11,0,5398188,print.story

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U.S. adds new Iranian targets to sanctions list

The Obama administration on Wednesday expanded sanctions against Iran, adding four subsidiaries and a person all connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard to the list of those facing business limitations.

The move comes as Iran has signaled it is stepping up its nuclear program and President Obama said this week that the United States was considering more sanctions as a way of forcing the Islamic Republic to give up its nuclear ambitions.

At a news conference, Obama said the United States was hopeful that Russia and China would go along.

Wednesday's action by the Treasury Department is more limited, an extension of existing sanctions, and is directed against the Revolutionary Guard and its Khatam Al Anbiya Construction Headquarters, already under sanction. According to Treasury, Khatam Al Anbiya builds highways, pipelines and water projects, and its profit helps support Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The sanctions bar U.S. transactions and aim to freeze any assets the companies have under U.S. jurisdiction, Treasury said.

The four subsidiaries are Fater Engineering Institute, Imensazen Consultant Engineers Institute, Makin Institute and Rahab Institute. Treasury also invoked the sanction against Gen. Rostam Qasemi, identified as the commander of Khatam Al Anbiya.

As the guard “consolidates control over broad swaths of the Iranian economy, displacing ordinary Iranian businessmen in favor of a select group of insiders, it is hiding behind companies like Khatam Al Anbiya and its affiliates to maintain vital ties to the outside world," Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey said in a statement.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dcnow/2010/02/us-adds-new-iranian-targets-to-sanctions-list-.html

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Providing security at Vancouver Olympics is a daunting task

The area's water-riddled geography presents a policing nightmare, and the 'rings of steel' strategy used at past Games isn't possible this time.

By Kim Murphy

February 11, 2010

Reporting from Vancouver, Canada

With Friday's opening of the Winter Olympics, Canada is preparing for the biggest domestic security operation in its history -- a $900-million policing nightmare that takes in 3,860 square miles of downtown stadiums, remote woodland valleys and miles of urban waterways.

The military contingent alone will require nearly twice the 2,500 soldiers Canada has in Afghanistan. Police and contract security agents must screen up to 1.6 million ticket holders and protect 5,500 athletes and officials -- while preparing for domestic protesters, who a year ago announced preparations for "Riot 2010."

Vancouver's location just 30 miles from the U.S. border could elevate the threat of a terrorist attack, analysts said. U.S. authorities this week began fully staffing a $4.5-million, multi-agency Olympics Coordination Center in nearby Bellingham, Wash.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command is providing air and marine surveillance on both sides of the border, while Canadian CF-18 Hornets are prepared to intercept any unauthorized aircraft that might penetrate the tightly restricted airspace around the main Olympic sites in Vancouver and Whistler, located 62 miles away along a twisting mountain highway.

Military divers have strung floating security booms around the waterside athletes' village and the cruise ships housing some of the 15,500 security personnel assigned to the Games. A naval destroyer and frigate will conduct surveillance patrols.

"Of the six Western countries threatened by Al Qaeda, Canada is the only one so far not to be hit. And in view of our role in Afghanistan, that can't last forever," said Peter St. John, a professor at the University of Manitoba who specializes in terrorism and the Middle East.

St. John said the main security challenge is protecting the 15 far-flung athletic venues in a region ribboned with water, a geography not seen in other recent Winter Olympics.

The relatively small number of bridges that connect downtown Vancouver with the rest of the city could act as choke points if the area suddenly had to be evacuated, analysts said. And the ferries that ply the Georgia Strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland are loaded with hundreds of cars whose trunks are not regularly inspected.

"The Vancouver Games must contend with the same security challenges that all Olympic Games have faced, but all of these issues appear much more severe in the Vancouver context," Mike Zekulin, a University of Calgary professor, wrote in an article assessing the Vancouver security risk for the Journal of Military and Strategic Studies.

The geography makes it impossible to adopt the "rings of steel" strategy that in recent Games has focused on integrating venues and providing a secure perimeter around them, the report said.

Authorities are relying on about 900 surveillance cameras, but those will be less useful for preventing attacks than for investigating them afterward, Zekulin said.

Bud Mercer, who is heading the security operation, said in an interview that Olympic organizers had received no specific threats, and the danger level was considered low. Still, he said, they have prepared based on a medium-level security risk and will be able to ramp up or down depending on what unfolds after Friday.

"We realistically have two separate theaters of operation. I've heard it described as 17 consecutive Super Bowls but in two locations," Mercer said.

Authorities have banned much automobile traffic on the Sea-to-Sky Highway--the only access to Whistler--restricting most spectators to buses, a three-hour journey from Vancouver.

"Somebody asked me, what would happen if there were a mudslide or rock slide? We have had incidents that have caused us to test those plans already," Mercer said. "Flooding, ice storms, firestorms. This is not new business for us."

To protect the Whistler athletes' village, which is surrounded by miles of wooded, rugged, backcountry, Canadian troops will patrol on skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles.

"We have the mobility and the skills to be the eyes, the ears and the legs of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police into the backcountry," said army Maj. Dan Thomas.

The military has deployed a high-tech surveillance system in the Whistler mountains that allows them to loft surveillance cameras and night-vision equipment 500 feet above the terrain, a system used by Canadian armed forces to detect bombs in Afghanistan.

There will be airport-style security at all Olympic events, with a private contractor handling inspections with 5,000 newly trained employees. Spectators are being advised to arrive two hours early -- three hours in the case of mountain venues -- and to bring only small bags.

In addition to the already-stepped-up security at Vancouver International Airport, general aviation flights into the city will be allowed from only 20 "gateway" airports, all but four of them in the U.S. Private planes will face rigorous searches before departure.

At the U.S. border in Washington state, a previously planned expansion increased the number of inspection booths from eight to 10 at the main crossing on Interstate 5. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has increased staffing at the border by 20%.

Though the U.S. will not have a large security presence in Canada, a diplomatic security team will operate from a base south of Vancouver to oversee protection of U.S. athletes and visitors.

The Bellingham facility will include as many as 200 agents from federal law enforcement, intelligence and customs agencies, along with their Washington state counterparts.

"We've planned for everything from weather-related -- what if we have a huge snowstorm, how do we keep the border open? -- to what if a chemical tanker overturned on I-5? What would we do if there was a massive migration of people out of the Vancouver area toward the United States, whether because of a terrorist attack, volcano, earthquake?" said Mike Milne, spokesman for the border protection agency.

"We're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best -- which would be a very nice, quiet, peaceful Olympics."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-olympic-security11-2010feb11,0,1644278,print.story

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Over 1,500 California jail inmates released in recent weeks; judge blocks Sacramento County program

More than 1,500 inmates have been released from county jails around California in response to legislation designed to cut the state prison population, prompting an outcry from some law enforcement officials.

More than 300 inmates have been released from Orange County Jail in the last few weeks and about 200 have been freed in Sacramento County, including a man who allegedly assaulted a woman hours after getting early release.

On Wednesday a judge in Sacramento ordered a temporary halt in that county's early releases, saying the legislation applies only to state prisons and not to county jails. The judge sided with the deputy sheriff's union, which filed suit against the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department to block the releases.

Officials for Sacramento, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura, Riverside and other counties have said their legal counsels advised them that the law did apply to county jails, and they created release plans when the law took effect in January.

The legislation, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year, was designed to reduce the state prison population in the wake of the state's financial crisis and court rulings about prison overcrowding.

Officials have said the law would reduce the state prison population by 6,500 low-level offenders over the next year. The state prison system has not yet released prisoners early under the terms of the law.

The law changes the formula by which prisoners receive time off for good behavior, speeding their release. The state legislative counsel's summary of the law said it would “revise the time credits for certain prisoners confined or committed to a county jail or other specified facilities.”

David Tennessan, chief deputy of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, said his agency has had no choice but to release 200 inmates in recent weeks. But officials have not done so happily. The law "was misguided,” he said, adding that he expects the county to ultimately release at least 600 inmates.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department has not released any inmates early under the new law. The county requires that male inmates serve 80% of their sentences, and officials said they won't reduce that requirement because of the new law.

"We have no plans to release anyone from county jail based on what the state is doing," Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said. "We don't think it applies to us."

In San Bernardino County, 648 inmates have been released so far, according to the Sheriff's Department. In Riverside County, more than 170 inmates have been released.

A previous version of this post said nearly 1,000 inmates had been released from county jails.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/nearly-1000-california-jail-inmates-released-in-recent-weeks-sacramento-judge-blocks-program.html#more

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Family over foster care is still a priority in L.A. County

A recent Times headline misleadingly said that county child welfare officials will abandon their focus on preserving families.

By Michael Nash

2:10 PM PST, February 10, 2010

The Times' Feb. 5 article on child-family reunification efforts in Los Angeles County's foster care system began with a grossly misleading headline before it was later corrected: "County to end emphasis on family over foster." The headline did not at all reflect the state laws under which the county's welfare system operates, and it sent a very negative message to readers. It reinforced the widespread perception in many communities that our child welfare system does more to break up than preserve and build families, the cornerstone of our society. This misperception often limits cooperation with the system. I'm sure this was not The Times' intent.

The intent of the California Welfare and Institutions Code, which governs our child welfare system, is very clear: Officials must try to keep children with their families. Below are a few code citations that prove my point. Section 300 states, in part:

"It is the intent of the Legislature that nothing in this section disrupt the family unnecessarily or intrude inappropriately into family life. . . . Further, nothing in this section is intended to limit the offering of voluntary services to those families in need of assistance. . . . To the extent that savings accrue to the state from child welfare services funding obtained as a result of the enactment of the act that enacted this section, those savings shall be used to promote services which support family maintenance and family reunification plans."

Section 300.2 states in part:

"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the purpose of the provisions of this chapter relating to dependent children is to provide maximum safety and protection for children who are currently being physically, sexually or emotionally abused, being neglected, or being exploited, and to ensure the safety, protection and physical and emotional well-being of children who are at risk of that harm. This safety, protection and physical and emotional well-being may include provision of a full array of social and health services to help the child and family and to prevent re-abuse of children. The focus shall be on the preservation of the family as well as the safety, protection and physical and emotional well-being of the child " [emphasis added].

Section 306(b) states:

"Before taking a minor into custody, a social worker shall consider whether the child can remain safely at home. The consideration of whether the child can remain safely at home shall include, but not be limited to, the following factors: (1) Whether there are any reasonable services available to the worker, which, if provided to the minor's parent, guardian, caretaker or to the minor, would eliminate the need to remove the minor from the custody of his or her parent, guardian or caretaker."

Finally, Section 319(d)(1) states:

"The court shall also make a determination on the record, referencing the social worker's report or other evidence relied upon, as to whether reasonable efforts were made to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from his or her home . . . and whether there are available services that would prevent the need for further detention."

These are only a handful of examples from the law that make clear that the emphasis of child welfare in California is and will continue to be on family over foster care, regardless of what The Times writes in a headline.

The key, of course, is that our work is done safely. The fact that there are some tragic, sickening cases is not enough to ignore the law and keep more children in foster care. In fact, the policy of supporting families is consistent with child safety. Better training and supervision of social workers would go a long way toward improving child safety in the county's Department of Children and Family Services. Lightening social workers' caseloads and increasing resources wouldn't hurt either.

The history of child welfare in Los Angeles -- of which I have been a part for 20 years -- shows that wholesale removal of children from their homes fails children and their families, jeopardizes child safety and is, over the long term, detrimental to us all. The right goal is to achieve a balance where the emphasis is on working with families while maintaining safety. A few tragic cases are no reason to turn the clock back to the days of wholesale removal of children.

None of this is to say that our courts will be lenient on homes we know are dangerous for children. But while I am under no illusion that we do our jobs perfectly, we are not going to run scared from our obligation to prioritize family unity, even in the face of deep budget cuts. I urge The Times and others to continue following our system.

Michael Nash is presiding judge of the Los Angeles County Juvenile Court.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-nash11-2010feb11,0,3205739,print.story

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OPINION

Wronged by the 'R-word'

How about letting Rahm Emanuel and the White House deal with healthcare instead of a manufactured controversy?

by Meghan Daum

February 11, 2010

What's most exasperating about the flap surrounding White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's recently publicized use of the "R-word"?

The fact that he made the remark six months ago but it somehow only surfaced last week, (perhaps in the wake of growing disenchantment with the president)? Or that Sarah Palin, via Facebook, is calling for Emanuel's resignation and at the same time defending Rush Limbaugh's repeated use of the word? Or Emanuel's round of perfunctory apologies, notably to Special Olympics Chief Executive Timothy Shriver, who, with other advocates of the mentally disabled, issued a press release saying Emanuel has promised the Obama administration will "look for ways to partner with us, including examining pending legislation in Congress to remove the R-word from federal law"?

The "R-word" in question is not "recession" or "reform" (as in healthcare) or even "recall" (as in Toyota) but "retarded." Though still a diagnostic term for people with certain developmental disabilities, it fell out of favor as it gained traction as a schoolyard jibe -- apparently one tenacious enough to carry over into White House meetings. By the early 1990s, the word was sufficiently taboo that the Assn. for Retarded Citizens became, simply, the ARC. In 2006, the American Assn. on Mental Retardation changed its name to the American Assn. on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

In 2008, Shriver, a major voice against mockery of the developmentally disabled, led a campaign to boycott the movie "Tropic Thunder," which had an "R-word" motif, and in 2009, he accepted Obama's apology for comparing his bowling score to that of a Special Olympics competitor. His website, r-word.com , allows users to publicly pledge never to say the word pejoratively again (Emanuel made his pledge last Thursday) and offers a word count app that tells you how many times the word appears on any given website.

It's not clear when the counter started keeping track, but as of Wednesday, it says The Times had used the "R-word" 16 times. I can promise you, though, that we didn't use it the way Emanuel did. That's because his exact words combined "retarded" with an expletive that, while quotidian for the famously foul-mouthed Emanuel, is barred from this family newspaper. I trust you know what I'm talking about.

Tellingly, it's something like that kind of trust -- the covenant that helps us understand each other despite unclear speech and misused words -- that appears to be missing from this tempest in a teapot. And because this misunderstanding pretty clearly falls into the willful category, I think it's fair to call it a high violation of that trust. Moreover, the surrounding opportunism is far uglier than anything Emanuel said.

Anyone even slightly capable of understanding meaning versus mere words (and despite her acts to the contrary, that includes Palin) can see that the chief of staff harbors no animosity toward the developmentally disabled. In his frustration with a group of left-leaning PAC leaders who wanted to run TV ads criticizing Democratic lawmakers who didn't support the healthcare bills, he called their idea, well . . . you know. Sure, he should have known better, but compared to Limbaugh -- who (on the radio) referred to a Shriver meeting at the White House as a "retard summit" -- Emanuel doesn't need to be first in line for sensitivity training.

Worse than that, though, an ultimately false narrative has arisen from all this political opportunism born of faux umbrage. Emanuel has emerged not only as a seeker of redemption for his sins but also as a spokesperson for a national crusade against them.

This isn't all that surprising. Americans love conversion stories almost as much as they love celebrities; combine the two (think Stanley "Tookie" Williams becoming an anti-gang activist or Michael Vick partnering with the Humane Society) and you've hit the spokesperson jackpot.

But by all appearances, Emanuel hasn't joined Shriver's cause as much as he's been bullied into performing community service for it. And that, I dare say, is a [insert your word of choice here] waste of time. Not only because there are better people for the job (those with expertise in the rights of the developmentally disabled) but because Emanuel surely has other "R-words" to deal with.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-daum11-2010feb11,0,5831776,print.column

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From the Daily News

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Arrests up, robberies down at LAX

Arrests at Los Angeles International Airport increased to 1,407 last year, up from 1,263 in 2008, while police logged only one robbery, down from five the year before, according to statistics released Wednesday.

"The total number of major crimes against persons is remarkably low, given over 56.5 million travelers used LAX last year," Airport Police Chief George Centeno said.

The number of batteries totaled 47, down from 56 in 2008, police said.

Thefts and drug-related crimes apparently accounted for most of the arrests, though property crimes declined 9 percent to 850, down from 938 in 2008, according to Airport Police.

Thefts from individuals dropped 4.4 percent to 766 last year, down from 802 in 2008, and thefts from locked vehicles totaled 41, down from 88 in 2008.

Nine vehicles were stolen from airport lots, down from 19 in 2008, police said, adding that more than 6.5 million cars were parked in LAX lots over the year.

Thefts from unlocked vehicles totaled 22, down from 24 in 2008, police said.

Burglaries in commercial areas more than doubled, from five in 2008 to 12 in 2009, police said.

Police logged 1,593 "minor, miscellaneous" crimes, up from 1,548 the year before.

Reports of vandalism totaled 39, down from 62 in 2008, police said.

Airport Police patrol about 3,600 acres, including passenger terminals, parking facilities, aircraft ramps, offices and cargo areas.

LAX, the sixth busiest airport in the world, has about 565 domestic flights daily and more than 1,000 weekly flights to 65 locations abroad.

Serial murder suspect denies killing 12-year-old, admits preparing to leave

SANTA ANA - A serial murder suspect accused of five slayings in the late 1970s acknowledged Wednesday that he planned to leave California in the weeks following the youngest victim's death and lied to his employer and friends about where he was going.

Rodney James Alcala, 66, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of four Los Angeles County women and a 12-year-old Orange County girl between 1977 and 1979. Prosecutors say he raped, tortured and robbed some of the women before killing them. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Alcala, a photographer and UCLA graduate, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is representing himself in the case.

Prosecutors began cross-examining Alcala on Wednesday after he wrapped up his defense a day earlier. Alcala says he's innocenct in the murder of one of the alleged victims, 12-year-old Robin Samsoe. Samsoe disappeared on June 20, 1979, while riding a friend's bike to ballet class in Huntington Beach in Orange County. Her body was found 12 days later, but investigators couldn't determine the cause of death or if she had been sexually assaulted because of the condition of the remains.

Orange County prosecutor Matt Murphy questioned Alcala Wednesday about why he moved his belongings to Seattle after Samsoe's murder and why he lied to his friends about where he was going.

Alcala said he quit his job typing classified ads for the Los Angeles Times and told them he was moving to Fremont. He told family and friends he was moving, too, but named four different locations, including Hawaii, New Mexico, Dallas and Chicago.

"Isn't it true that you were telling people you were going to different places because you were going on the lam and you didn't want them to be able to tell police where you were?" Murphy asked. "I was thinking about going on the lam," Alcala replied, adding that he intended to go to Chicago for a photography conference and return to Los Angeles. He was arrested on July 24, 1979.

Earlier, Murphy asked Alcala why he "radically changed" his hairstyle several days after Samsoe disappeared.

Alcala had his naturally curly, shoulder-length hair straightened three days after the murder and then cut short several days later. Prosecutors have argued that he made the changes so he would not be recognized after a police sketch was published on TV and in newspapers. Alcala acknowledged the changes, but said they were not radical and were not related to the murder.

Murphy also questioned Alcala about his conversation with a 15-year-old girl he photographed near the beach on the day Samsoe disappeared. Alcala told the girl, who was wearing a blue bikini and roller skates, that he was taking pictures for a contest.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14377417

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Survivors of slavery 'still fighting'

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - The woman once known as a slave stood under the protective gaze of two giant Thai temple guardian statues Wednesday, took a deep breath, and smiled.

Nearly 15 years ago, Rojana Cheunchujit Sussman and 71 other Thai nationals were rescued from an El Monte apartment complex, where their lives had been reduced to 17-hour days cranking out garments in sweatshoplike conditions.

They lived behind shuttered windows, padlocked doors and barbed wire for more than a year. They earned no more than $1.60 an hour until they were discovered on Aug. 2, 1995 as part of a predawn, multiagency raid.

Their story became well-publicized as one of the most prominent cases of modern-day slavery.

On Wednesday in front of the Wat Thai Buddhist Temple in North Hollywood, Sussman and some of the others who were liberated with her displayed quilts they had sewn recently, each given a different name to describe their lives since: Freedom, Courage, Justice.

But those quilts also symbolize how the slave trade is still very much a part of the American fabric.

Sussman and others hope a renewed local campaign will raise awareness of the existence of human trafficking to help end it once and for all.

"I don't want history to repeat itself," Sussman said during a news conference, the smile fading from her face.

"I'm still fighting. I still want to tell people that this human trafficking exists."

Though it's difficult to quantify, about 17,500 men, women and children are trafficked into the United States each year, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Smugglers house them in rancid conditions, while using coercion and brainwashing to make the captives pay their debts through sexual exploitation or hard labor.

In the last decade, Los Angeles has become one of three top hubs for human trafficking, a result of its proximity to the Mexican border and its busy harbor and airport, said City Councilman Tony Cardenas. On Wednesday, Cardenas unveiled a new hotline at 888-539-2373 for anyone who suspects that people are being held in a home against their will.

Cardenas, who described traffickers as an "evil deep within the world who will stop at nothing to take slaves," said he felt compelled to act because of an incident in 2004, when at least 12 girls and women were forced to work as prostitutes in a South Los Angeles brothel to pay off debts for being smuggled.

Also that year, more than 70 illegal immigrants were found living barefoot inside a padlocked 900-square-foot "drop house," in Canoga Park that officials said was crawling with cockroaches.

"As we raise awareness, people will say `Stop it. Enough,"' Cardenas said.

The monthlong awareness campaign began on Jan. 11 and will end on Friday, Abraham Lincoln's birthday, when the Los Angeles City Council is expected to read a new version of the Emancipation Proclamation updated for modern-day slavery issues.

In addition to the hotline, the Thai Community Development Center is hoping the public will adopt the various quilts to help fund resources for those who are rescued to benefit the upcoming play called "Fabric" about the El Monte incident. "Fabric" will be performed this summer in Los Angeles.

Working alongside several agencies, including the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, the Thai Community Development Center works to find shelter and other resources to help trafficking victims.

"Sadly, the majority of the cases continue to involve the Thai," said Chanchanit Martorell, executive director of the Thai CDC. "Despite having seen a lot of progress, most of the world is still just awakening to the reality of human trafficking."

Sussman, who was 24 when she was brought to the United States, said human traffickers persuaded her to leave her family's farm by promising an eight-hour work schedule and enough money to help her children attend college.

She said she no longer holds a grudge against her captors.

"I'm a forgiving person," Sussman, 40, of Pasadena, said.

"I just want to make a difference, give back to my community, and take care of my family."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14377419

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New photos of 9/11 attack on World Trade Center taken by NYPD helicopter By Colleen Long

Associated Press

02/10/2010

ABC News has obtained images from the New York Police Department on 9/11 that show the World Trade Center towers being destroyed as the result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

Click here  to see the full gallery.

A trove of aerial photographs of the collapsing World Trade Center was widely released this week, offering a rare and chilling view from the heavens of the burning twin towers and the apocalyptic shroud of smoke and dust that settled over the city.

The images were taken from a police helicopter - the only photographers allowed in the airspace near the skyscrapers on Sept. 11, 2001. They were obtained by ABC after it filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the federal agency that investigated the collapse.

The chief curator of the planned Sept. 11 museum pronounced the pictures "a phenomenal body of work."

The photos are "absolutely core to understanding the visual phenomena of what was happening," said Jan Ramirez of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. They are "some of the most exceptional images in the world, I think, of this event."

In some of the pictures, the tops of the nearby Woolworth Building and other skyscrapers can just be seen above the enormous cloud of debris, gray against a clear blue sky. Gray clouds billow through the streets of the financial district and shroud the 16 acres (6.5 hectares) where the towers had stood just moments before.

Buildings can hardly be seen at all in one image - just dust clouds hanging over the Hudson River at the southern tip of Manhattan.

One close-up shows orange flames and black smoke pouring from the upper floors of the north tower, the first hit by a hijacked plane.

"I almost didn't realize what I was seeing that day," Greg Semendinger, the former New York Police Department detective who took the pictures posted on ABC's site, told The Associated Press. "Looking at it now it's amazing I took those pictures. The images are ... stunning."

The attack and the collapse of the World Trade Center were well documented on live TV and amateur video. But more than eight years after the nation's deadliest terror attack, the images still had the power to shock and disturb. They were an instant sensation on the Internet.

"Some survivors may find these pictures too painful to look at," said Richard Zimbler, president of the WTC Survivors Network. "But they are an important part of the historical record."

ABC said NIST gave the network 2,779 pictures on nine CDs. The network posted 12 pictures on its Web site Monday and an additional 12 on Wednesday, including another close-up of the burning north tower and photos of rescue boats and commuter ferries docking in the Hudson River to pick up survivors.

ABC initially said some of the photographs posted had never been seen before, but later backed off that assertion.

Semendinger - who took all the photos posted by ABC - said Wednesday that he had previously e-mailed some of the pictures to friends who later posted them on the Internet. Also, nine of the images were published in a book called "Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of Sept. 11" without his consent. The book was a tribute to the officers who were killed that day.

Semendinger was first in the air in a search for survivors on the rooftop. He said he and his pilot watched the second plane hit the south tower from the helicopter.

"We didn't find one single person. It was surreal," he said. "There was no sound. No sound whatsoever, but the noise of the radio and the helicopter. I just kept taking pictures."

He took three rolls of film with his Minolta camera, plus 245 digital shots. Semendinger said that he gave the digital images to the 9/11 Commission that investigated the attack, and that the commission evidently released the pictures to NIST.

Glenn Corbett, a fire science expert who sat on an advisory committee during the NIST probe, said the photos did not yield any new information for investigators.

"I don't see anything here that's new," he said. "These are common photos. ... It just reinforces things we know, that debris spread over a large area and the resultant dispersion of toxins and human remains."

Ramirez said the museum, slated to open in 2012, saw a selection of the photos at police headquarters several years ago. They are extremely important because the NYPD helicopter had the clearance to be up in the air in lower Manhattan only moments after the first tower was hit, and stayed in the area for the remainder of the day, she said.

The museum hopes to get a complete set of the photos.

"We've had our sights set on this body of visual evidence for several years," Ramirez said

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14374116

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From the Wall Street Journal

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Church Fires Scar Texas

Nervous Congregations Rush to Add Security as Officials Probe Rash of Arsons

An ATF agent inspects the charred remains of Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church on Tuesday outside Tyler, Texas, after it burned Monday.

A string of church arsons in East Texas has congregations mobilizing to guard their houses of worship, while investigators dig through charred buildings for evidence.

Authorities are examining 10 fires in the area this year, seven pf which have been ruled arsons, according to Tom Crowley, a spokesman from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The targeted churches have varied in denomination, size and race of their members. The area is populated mostly with small towns and rural communities. Investigators have said little about how the fires were set or who is likely behind them.

No one has been injured, but the damage to the churches is in the millions of dollars.

Congregations are networking with each other, setting up night watches and buying security equipment in an effort to head off disaster.

In Tyler, about 90 miles southeast of Dallas, Lanes Chapel United Methodist Church has hired professional security it is sharing with a church across the street and is taking other measures that administrator Bob Green declined to discuss.

"It's an expense, but you need to do what you need to do to protect your facility," he said.

Also, sheriff's offices are advising churches on security and have stepped up their patrols.

The two most recent suspicious fires occurred Monday about three miles apart in a rural area northwest of Tyler. Dover Baptist Church and Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church both sustained extensive damage,

The string of fires has disturbed many in these communities, where local families have been worshiping together for generations.

"To see these things go up in flames is something that is extremely traumatic and very emotional," said David Chenault, the news director at KMOO radio station in Mineola, who has been reporting on the fires and helping to guard his own church.

Including fire investigators, forensic chemists, and state and local police, about a 100 officials are devoted to the investigation, and the ATF has set up a hot line for residents to report any suspicious behavior. A reward for information in the case was raised to $25,000 from $5,000 last month.

"We have a citywide awareness going on," said Demethruis Boyd, minister at Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Mineola, a town of just more than 5,000 people about 80 miles east of Dallas.

For some, the extra layer of security has apparently paid off. Lloyd Young, who owns a security company in Tyler, said an alarm he recently installed at an area church appeared to have scared away an intruder who tried to break in Monday night.

That was the same night the two most recent fires broke out, Mr. Young said.

And area residents hope that if they react rapidly enough, they might be able to apprehend the culprits.

Jeff Sandifer, a homebuilder in Mineola, is putting together a system to quickly disseminate news about a fire and dispatch volunteers to check on every nearby church and report anything amiss.

"It'd be sweet if you could catch someone in the act," he said.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703455804575057612462847940.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5#printMode

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Arizona Sheriff, U.S. in Standoff Over Immigration Enforcement

An Arizona sheriff said he planned to defy Washington's attempts to roll back his staunch enforcement of federal immigration law, a move that could put him on a collision course with the U.S. government.

Late last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest arm of the Department of Homeland Security, stripped Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of the authority to use 100 of his deputies to enforce federal immigration in his jurisdiction, which includes Phoenix. The customs agency took the action because Mr. Arpaio's aggressive immigration crackdowns had drawn criticism from human-rights groups and had run afoul of the U.S. Justice Department, which is investigating whether he has used racial profiling and abused his authority.

In an interview this week, Mr. Arpaio said he would ignore Washington's effort to clip his powers and would train all of his 881 deputies to enforce federal immigration law on the streets.

"We have the inherent right to enforce federal immigration law," Mr. Arpaio said. "If Washington doesn't like it, I recommend they change the laws."

Asked about Mr. Arpaio's plans for reinstating street-level immigration enforcement, an ICE spokesman in Arizona said: "Sheriff Arpaio's efforts to conduct immigration-enforcement actions do not derive from any ICE-delegated federal authority."

The dispute stems from a provision called 287g, a federal program that enlists and trains local police to identify suspected illegal-immigrant criminals in jails and on the streets. The program was intended to target serious criminals. However, it was criticized for promoting racial profiling and serving as an excuse for local law-enforcement officers to hunt down illegal immigrants. Mr. Arpaio gained notoriety for his tactics.

The Obama administration sought to rein in the 287g program as part of a broader effort to retool the ICE, which became known in recent years for raiding companies and rounding up illegal workers. The administration has been taking steps to tone down the agency's image as a hard-edged enforcer.

When it attempted to curtail Mr. Arpaio's authority, Washington limited his deputies' ability to verify the immigration status of people in the streets during the course of duty. The deputies still retain the authority to check the status of people booked into Maricopa County jails.

"Since the Department of Homeland Security took away 100 of our federally trained deputies…we are going to train every sworn deputy to teach them how to enforce state and federal immigration laws," the sheriff said in a telephone interview.

The course, which will mainly be taught via computer, will equip deputy sheriffs to "recognize…immigration violations" in the course of duty, Mr. Arpaio said.

Mr. Arpaio has partnered with Kris Kobach, a law professor who has gained prominence as a national advocate for stricter measures against illegal immigrants.

Mr. Arpaio said "we don't engage in racial profiling." He noted that the training for his deputies would include a lesson on how to avoid the practice.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703455804575057650062572536.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5#printMode

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From the Washington Times

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Promises made to help war widows not kept

by Kimberly Hefling

ASSOCIATED PRESS

For a decade, war widows in matching yellow suit jackets and hats quietly and persistently have knocked on Capitol Hill doors seeking an end to the "widows' tax," a government policy that deprives them of benefits from their husbands' military service.

They are always warmly received, but that's where the hospitality ends. Despite pledges of help from scores of federal officials - including President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - their long quest remains unfulfilled.

Every year since 2005, the Senate has voted to eliminate the policy that denies widows the ability to collect both a military survivor's benefit and the full annuity bought when their military husbands were alive. But in each of those years, the fix was dropped when House and Senate negotiators wrote the final bill in private.

"What we always hear is that there is just no funding for us. 'Sorry, this is not your year,' " said Vivianne Wersel, chairwoman of the Government Relations Committee at Gold Star Wives of America. Her husband died of a heart attack in 2005, days after returning from his second tour in Iraq. "What happens behind closed doors, we get thrown under the bus."

The widows' tax is a law that won't allow surviving spouses to receive the retirement pay due them when their spouse died from a cause related to military service, and at the same time collect the full annuity - essentially an insurance policy most of their spouses opted to buy.

They paid an average of 6.5 percent of their retirement pay in premiums, often $100 or more a month.

Because one benefit is subtracted from the other, affected surviving spouses lose about $1,000 a month on average. There are about 54,000 survivors who are affected by the policy, whose spouses served in conflicts from World War II to Afghanistan, and that number could grow.

The widows say politicians have promised time and time again to help them, but they don't.

Part of the problem is the cost. Eliminating the offset in benefits is expensive, said Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat, who has been the widows' longtime ally. Making good on the promise would cost $6.7 billion over a decade.

But knowing the cost hasn't stopped politicians from promising to help.

Mrs. Pelosi, as House minority leader in 2005, took up the widows' cause as part of the Democrats' GI Bill of Rights, before her party gained control of Congress.

Two years later, Mr. Obama, then a senator, co-sponsored legislation to eliminate the offset just before he spoke at a Gold Star Wives reception on Capitol Hill.

In his budget proposal to Congress last week, he didn't include it.

Kimberly Hazelgrove, 36, of Lorton, Va., whose husband died in Iraq in 2004, said she recalls Mr. Obama coming to the reception and promising to help them. The 36-year-old mother of two said she's now left wondering what happened to the promise.

"I have yet to see it, after a year in office, that really being a priority for them," said Mrs. Hazelgrove, who has lobbied on Capitol Hill with her children, ages 6 and 9, in tow.

Steve Strobridge, a retired Air Force colonel who is director of government relations at the Military Officers Association of America, said something could be done for the widows if the "political" will existed.

"It requires a vote of the entire Congress or a big emphasis of leadership to say we're going to elevate this priority, and as terrible as it seems, taking care of the widows whose military sponsor was killed by service has not been given a high enough priority," he said.

Congress did take the step of recognizing the widows' plight and gave affected survivors $50 more per month starting in 2008.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/11/promises-made-to-help-war-widows-not-kept//print/

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From the White House

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Responding to Concerns Over Ryan White Emergency Housing Policy

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced today that it is rescinding enforcement of its 24-month cumulative cap on short-term and emergency housing assistance under the Ryan White program. This is a temporary step pending a broader review of Ryan White housing policies.  See the announcement in the Federal Register.

Late last year, I became aware of growing community concern over the impact of this policy, especially as the date (late March) was approaching when the first persons subject to this limit faced the possibility of losing their housing.  In December, I met with a number of HIV community advocates who shared their concerns with the perceived inflexibility of this policy.  The situation is compounded by the difficult economic situation.  The need for housing assistance exceeds the available resources in many communities in the best of circumstances, but is further constrained by tight local and state budgets as the country works to recover from the most serious economic downturn in many peoples' lifetimes. 

In October, the President signed into law the fourth reauthorization of the Ryan White program.  This is a strong law that underscores the ongoing commitment of the Administration and the Congress to provide for the care and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS.  The HIV/AIDS Bureau, under the leadership of Deborah Parham Hopson, is determined to implement the law and ensure that resources are effectively deployed to provide critical medical care and supportive services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the country. 

Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive and essential role of housing in ensuring that people living with HIV/AIDS come into care and stay in care. Recognition of this link provides a basis for Ryan White supporting short-term, emergency housing assistance.  At the same time, the Ryan White program is intended to primarily support primary medical care and related health care supports.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and in particular the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program, has lead responsibility for providing housing assistance to people with HIV/AIDS.  Going back through many Administrations, the role of Ryan White in providing housing supports has always been understood to be limited to short-term and emergency assistance.  We are not currently contemplating any expansion of Ryan White's role beyond providing short-term emergency assistance. 

I have heard the community concerns and believe it is important to ensure that our implementation of this policy reaches an appropriate balance that achieves several goals: it should strengthen linkages to HUD programs and state and local housing resources for providing longer-term assistance; it should minimize housing disruptions for people living with HIV/AIDS; it should integrate housing with a broader range of supports that collectively can support individuals in maintaining their health; it should provide flexibility to respond to exceptional circumstances; and it should minimize the burden on Ryan White providers who are responsible for assisting us in implementing any housing policy.  Administering the Ryan White program is an important responsibility that necessarily entails making difficult choices as we respond to multiple and competing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS all over the United States. As I work with the HIV/AIDS Bureau to undertake a comprehensive review of Ryan White housing policies, I look forward to the continued insights and perspectives of people living with HIV/AIDS, housing experts, and our network of local, state, and community-based partners.

Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. is the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/02/10/responding-concerns-over-ryan-white-emergency-housing-policy

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UN Appoints Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict

Following up on the U.S.-led Security Council session on preventing sexual violence in conflict, the United Nations has appointed Margot Wallstrom as the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.  This is a newly created position to lead, coordinate, and advocate for efforts to end conflict-related sexual violence against women and children and bring  more attention and action on this critical issue.  Ms. Wallstrom brings important experience to this job and has been a long time advocate for women's rights. She said about her appointment, “The challenge is enormous. I intend to bring all of my energy and political experience to bear on it. This is an issue which I regard as one of the most important and yet one of the most overlooked and ignored in modern conflicts. Violence against women is the most common but least punished crime in the world. In recent years, it has been sickening to see sexual violence become a tool of modern warfare. In far too many parts of the world, women are excluded from the decision-making process and from conflict resolution and peacekeeping. This absolutely has to change and I am determined to play my part in making that change happen.”

The Obama Administration is committed to strengthening international action to stop the atrocious targeting of women and girls in conflict.  In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an average of 36 women and girls are raped every day.  Many of those surviving such vicious attacks - which often involve mutilation - are children, mostly girls.  We must do more. This appointment of the new Special Representative is a further step in the right direction, and we commend Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for it.  We welcome Ms. Wallstrom to her role and look forward to working with her and her team to protect women and children from sexual violence.

Jennifer Simon is a Senior Advisor to Ambassador Susan Rice and serves as her liaison to the White House Council on Women and Girls

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/02/10/un-appoints-special-representative-sexual-violence-conflict

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From the Department of Homeland Security

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CBP Offers Tips for Easy Travel for Travelers Going to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

February 09, 2010

Washington — U.S. Customs and Border Protection reminds travelers planning trips across the border into the United States to make sure they have approved travel documents and offers tips to make an easier entry process when traveling back into the U.S. from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, implemented on June 1, 2009 requires U.S. and Canadian citizens, age 16 and older to present a valid, acceptable travel document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. by land or sea.

CBP strongly encourages travelers to obtain a radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled travel document such as a U.S. Passport Card, Enhanced Driver's License/Enhanced Identification Card or Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST/EXPRES) to expedite their entry and make crossing the border more efficient.

WHTI-compliant, RFID-enabled documents help reduce the time it takes to process travelers at the border. No personal identification information is stored on the RFID chip embedded in the cards – only a series of ones and zeros that points to information in a secure CBP database.

WHTI document requirements for air travel have been in effect since January 2007. Almost all travelers flying back to the United States need to present a passport or NEXUS card.

WHTI is the joint Department of State-Department of Homeland Security plan that implemented a key 9/11 Commission recommendation to establish document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda.

CBP also reminds U.S. lawful permanent residents that the I-551 form (green card) is acceptable for land and sea travel into the U.S.

Traffic volumes at ports of entry in the Washington State area are expected to be heavier during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and all travelers are reminded of a few simple steps they can take to have a more efficient entry process:
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Tip # 1 –	Travelers should familiarize themselves with the “Know Before You Go” section of the CBP Web site to avoid fines and penalties associated with the importation of prohibited items. ( Know Before You Go )
Tip # 2 –	Travelers should prepare for the inspection process before arriving at the inspection booth. Individuals should have their approved travel documents available for the inspection and they should be prepared to declare all items acquired abroad.
Tip # 3 –	Members of the traveling public should consult the CBP website site to monitor border wait times for various ports of entry. Information is updated hourly and is useful in planning trips and identifying periods of light use/short waits. During periods of heavy travel, border crossers may wish to consider alternative, less heavily traveled entry routes.
Tip # 4 –	Travelers should plan to build extra time into their trips in the event they cross during periods of exceptionally heavy traffic.
Tip # 5 –	Know the difference between goods for personal use vs. commercial use. For more details, visit the CBP Web site. ( CBP.gov/Travel )
Tip # 6 –	Do not attempt to bring fruits, meats, dairy/poultry products and firewood into the United States from Canada without first checking whether they are permitted.
Tip # 7 –	Understand that CBP officers have the authority to conduct enforcement examinations without a warrant, ranging from a single luggage examination up to and possibly including a personal search. Even during the holiday travel season, international border crossers should continue to expect a thorough inspection process when they enter the U.S. from Canada.

The United States has been and continues to be a welcoming nation. U.S. Customs and Border Protection not only protects U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in the country but also wants to ensure the safety of our international travelers who come to visit, study and conduct legitimate business in our country.

Our dual mission is to facilitate travel in the United States while we secure our borders, our people and our visitors from those that would do us harm like terrorists and terrorist weapons, criminals and contraband.

For more information, please visit the WHTI and CBP Web sites. ( getyouhome.gov )

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/national/02092010_2.xml

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From ICE

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ICE agents thwart Nogales 1.75-ton marijuana smuggling attempt

NOGALES, Ariz. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents seized nearly 3,500 pounds of marijuana concealed in a tractor-trailer carrying squash late on Tuesday.

Acting immediately on a tip about the mysterious appearance of a semitrailer at a Rio Rico, Ariz., warehouse facility, agents responded to the scene and established surveillance on the trailer. During the course of the investigation, ICE agents discovered there was no truck associated with the trailer or driver in the vicinity; the trailer appeared to be out of place.

Agents obtained consent from the warehouse manager to break the seal securing the trailer door and conduct a consent search. Agents discovered 156 vacuum-sealed packages hidden among the squash. They probed several packages which revealed a green-leafy substance that later field tested positive for marijuana. Agents emptied the trailer and turned the squash over to the consignee.

The marijuana and trailer were seized and transported to the vault and cargo facility at the Mariposa Port of Entry. The total weight of the marijuana was 3,470 pounds with an estimated street value of $7.6 million.

No arrests have yet been made in this ongoing investigation.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/1002/100210nogales.htm

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