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From the Los Angeles Times

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Agent's death may mean increased security for U.S. role in Mexico drug war

The fatal shooting of a U.S. federal agent is not expected to fundamentally alter the U.S.-Mexican alliance, but the expanding corps of U.S. personnel helping Mexico's drug war may face new measures.

by Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times

February 17, 2011

Reporting from Mexico City

The fatal shooting of a U.S. federal agent in Mexico may lead to new security measures for the expanding corps of American personnel participating ever more deeply in Mexico's drug war, but it is not expected to fundamentally alter the U.S.-Mexican alliance, officials said Wednesday.

Hit men thought to be with the Zetas drug gang or with the Gulf cartel killed the agent, Jaime Zapata, and wounded a second agent Tuesday afternoon after bringing their armored vehicle to a stop on a federal highway in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosi.

"What we are seeing is organized crime fighting for territory … with repercussions we had not experienced before," San Luis Potosi Gov. Fernando Toranzo said Wednesday, blaming drug traffickers for the attack.

As new details of the incident emerged, the U.S. departments of Homeland Security and Justice formed a joint task force headed by the FBI that will work with Mexican authorities to track down suspects.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano telephoned her Mexican counterpart, Interior Secretary Jose Francisco Blake Mora, to state that violence against U.S. personnel "will not be tolerated."

Zapata, of Brownsville, Texas, and the second agent, Victor Avila, worked for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and were on temporary duty attached to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

The agents had traveled in a dark, tinted-window SUV with U.S. government plates from Mexico City into San Luis Potosi state to pick up equipment from agents working out of the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey, ICE sources said. They were headed back to Mexico City when confronted.

Initially, U.S. and Mexican authorities said the pair had stopped at a fake checkpoint staged by the gunmen. However, the head of a U.S. congressional security subcommittee, briefed by senior ICE officials, said the agents were chased by their attackers and run off the road.

"When the agents identified themselves as American diplomats, the cartel members responded by opening fire on the officers," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a statement.

Regardless of how the vehicle was stopped, the gunmen appeared to have fired AK-47 assault rifles into the open windows of the vehicle, wounding Avila and killing Zapata. Avila was evacuated to a U.S. hospital and released Wednesday.

Among unanswered questions is why the agents were traveling in such a conspicuous vehicle, a type known to be coveted by gangsters across Mexico, and without extra security in an area of surging drug violence. U.S. law enforcement agents are not allowed to carry weapons in Mexico.

It also remained unclear, despite McCaul's account, whether the assailants knew they were pursuing U.S. federal agents or merely were after the car.

"It was their big shiny car more than anything," a U.S. federal law enforcement official said. But, he said, because the gunfire damage to the car was not scattershot, "that's what makes us lean to this being a targeted killing, that they knew they were U.S. federal agents," at least once the vehicle stopped.

Other law enforcement officials said the vehicle should have been considered relatively safe because it was armored.

Conventional wisdom holds that traffickers, wanting to avoid the scrutiny of the U.S. government, would not deliberately target U.S. officials. Some sources suggested that the gangsters may have assumed they were pursuing members of a rival cartel.

It was the highest-profile slaying of a U.S. law enforcement official in Mexico since Enrique Camarena, an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, was kidnapped, tortured and killed in 1985. That incident cast a deep pall over relations between Washington and Mexico City amid recrimination and suspicion.

Not only are the circumstances of Zapata's death far different, so is the relationship between the two countries. The United States has designated $1.4 billion in aid over a three-year period for Mexico's war against drug cartels, and the role of U.S. law enforcement, intelligence and military officials is growing steadily.

Jay Carney, spokesman for President Obama, said Wednesday that the Zapata killing would not have a negative effect on bilateral relations.

"We are very supportive of the Mexican government," Carney said at a White House briefing.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-shooting-20110217,0,2336445,print.story

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Judge urged to throw out plea bargain in sex assaults of disabled women

Advocates for the disabled say a proposed 8-year sentence for Juan Fernando Flores, who confessed to sexually assaulting three mentally disabled women, is an injustice.

by Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times

February 17, 2011

Advocates for the disabled are urging a Los Angeles County judge to throw out a plea bargain for an employee of an El Monte day care center who confessed to sexually assaulting three mentally disabled clients, saying his eight-year-sentence was an injustice.

The proposed sentence for Juan Fernando Flores "does not reflect the harm sustained by the victims nor the severity of the crimes committed," Robert J. Baldo, executive director of the Assn. of Regional Center Agencies, said in a letter to Superior Court Judge Jack Hunt.

"We urge the court to reconsider this sentence in light of the vulnerability of the victims and the defendant's abuse of his position of trust and authority."

The association represents 21 nonprofit regional centers in California that serve more than 240,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities. Baldo's letter was one of several sent since the plea bargain was proposed at a pre-trial hearing Jan. 27 in his Pomona courtroom.

Another organization, The ARC of California, which advocates for people with developmental disabilities and their families, asked the court to accept a friend-of-the-court brief opposing the plea bargain. "The defendant only showed concern for his own sexual cravings and no regard for the victims," Thomas Coleman, a lawyer representing the group wrote in the brief.

Pete R. Navarro, a lawyer for Flores, did not return calls. But, in a court filing, he said he opposed allowing uninvolved parties to participate in sentencing hearings."If allowed," he said in part, "it would lead to a circus atmosphere in the courts and further exacerbate the logjam that often occurs in the criminal courts.

Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, said her office represents the victims, and none of their families had asked the office to dismiss the plea bargain. In fact, some of the family members are expected to speak at a sentencing hearing set for Thursday.

The mother of one victim told The Times, however, that she was disappointed by the plea bargain, viewing it as too short a prison sentence for the crimes.

If the case went to trial and Flores were convicted of all the charges, he would face up to 27 years in prison. Flores worked as a cook and driver for the day care center formerly known as Healthy Start on Garvey Avenue. El Monte police say he confessed to the sexual assaults — including two rapes and an attempted sodomy — after his arrest last year.

The three victims all have mental disabilities, including Down's syndrome, and range in age from 24 to 54. Though it can be difficult to put such victims on the stand, the prosecutors already have Flores' confession to police and preliminary hearing testimony from a former employee who said she witnessed one of the assaults.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0217-molest-20110217,0,2818064,print.story

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Armenian gang fraud cost victims at least $20 million, authorities say

At least 74 reputed members of the Armenian Power organized crime gang were charged Wednesday in a fraud scheme that cost Southern California victims at least $20 million, law enforcement officials said.

Authorities said members of Armenian Power, or AP, face criminal charges with potential sentences ranging from a few years to life in prison.

DOCUMENTS: Read the indictment

A total of 99 members have been charged in two federal indictments and by the Los Angeles County district attorney with crimes including racketeering, extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking and identity theft.

Some of the defendants are accused of secretly installing sophisticated skimming devices that allowed them to steal customer account information at a dozen 99-Cent Only stores across the region, according to a 212-page federal indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

Armenian Power members allegedly caused more than $2 million in losses when they used the skimmed information to create counterfeit debit and credit cards, the indictment alleges.

In addition, authorities allege Armenian Power worked in conjunction with African American street gangs to gather information that allowed them to take over bank accounts, often of older victims, that led to financial losses of $10 million.

“The common denominator among these defendants and their criminal enterprises is their willingness to commit any crime for profit and to use any means of violence and intimidation to further their goals,” Birotte said.

Birotte cited the kidnapping of a Glendale businessman who was held for $500,000 ransom and threatened with death as an example of the lengths the gang would go to to strike fear in the community.

The culmination of a two-year investigation, Operation Power Outage involved nearly 1,000 officers focused primarily on suspects who live in heavily Armenian neighborhoods in Burbank, Glendale and East Hollywood, but authorities said arrests and indictments also were made in other parts of the country, including Denver and Miami.

The syndicate had global reach, according to law enforcement officials. The indictment described a transnational network that tied Armenian Power to the Mexican Mafia and organized crime gangs in the former Soviet-bloc regions, including Armenia, Georgia and Russia.

Participating law enforcement agencies included the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service, Immigration Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' office of the inspector general. Also participating was the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles police departments.

The bulk of the arrests and search warrants were served without any major incidents. But officials stressed they continued to search for about 24 suspects.

Armenian Power is a small but virulent gang that took root among Armenian immigrants who arrived in Los Angeles in the 1980s and early 1990s, authorities said. The gang has about 200 members.

Law enforcement officials described Armenian Power as having an "extensive portfolio" that combined ruthlessness with opportunism, focusing on white-collar crime that included identity theft crimes such as credit-card skimming.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/authorities-detail-alleged-fraud-schemes-by-armenian-power-gang.html

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From the New York Times

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Mexicans Knew They Shot U.S. Agents

MEXICO CITY — The gunmen who attacked two American law enforcement officials in Mexico on Tuesday, killing one and wounding the other, knew they were firing on foreign officers but proceeded anyway, current and former American officials said Wednesday.

But an important unresolved question is whether the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were attacked because of their work — more than one Mexican drug gang has expressed interest in killing American officers — or for another reason, like an attempt to steal their dark and presumably armored S.U.V., a vehicle favored by drug gangs.

The Justice and Homeland Security Departments announced on Wednesday the creation of a task force to work with Mexican federal authorities to investigate the shooting, which killed Jaime Zapata and wounded his colleague, Victor Avila. Mr. Zatapa was the first American immigration agent to be killed in Mexico.

The men were shot as they traveled in their vehicle, which had diplomatic plates, on a main highway to Mexico City from San Luis Potosí, about 265 miles to the north. Mr. Avila was released from an American hospital on Wednesday after being treated for gunshot wounds to his legs.

American and Mexican officials would not comment about the reason for the shooting, saying they had not yet determined a motive.

Alonzo Pena, a retired Immigration and Customs Agent who served as its representative in Mexico until 2009, said law enforcement officials had told him that the two men were taking equipment to another team of agents when they encountered the gunmen. They rolled down a window to identify themselves and were shot, Mr. Pena said.

Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, said the agents “were pursued by numerous cartel members and run off the road.”

“When the agents identified themselves as American diplomats, the cartel members responded by opening fire on the officers,” Mr. McCaul said, adding that “this tragic event is a game changer” that “should be a long overdue wake-up call for the Obama administration that there is a war on our nation's doorstep.”

American and Mexican officials, who have said that law enforcement relations between the two countries are at record strength, rushed to pledge their cooperation. The bitter history of the last American agent to be killed in Mexico, Enrique Camarena of the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1985, is still raised in discussions about cross-border relations.

After Mr. Camarena's death, American officials accused the Mexican police of complicity and whisked one suspect out of Mexico for trial in the United States.

Mr. Pena said that compared with the 1980s, relations between the nations' law enforcement agencies “are like day and night.”

“I think they can handle this,” he said of the Mexican authorities. “But we will also help them with a lot of resources.”

The immigration and customs agency is expanding in Mexico. There are 30 agents in the country now — part of a large contingent of American agents here — and the agency has proposed adding a dozen more to help train the Mexican police and to investigate smuggling cases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/world/americas/17mexico.html?_r=1&ref=world&pagewanted=print

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From Google News

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Florida woman pleads not guilty to childrens' murder

Julie Schenecker, 50, was arrested January 28 after police found the bodies of her 16-year-old daughter Caylx and 13-year son Beau at their home in Tampa. Both had been shot in the head.

Police said at the time that Schenecker had told them she killed both children the night before because they talked back to her.

Schenecker appeared in a Tampa courtroom with her hands and feet in shackles and flanked by three armed female deputies. Her public defender entered the not guilty plea at the three-minute hearing.

Her husband, Army Colonel Parker Schenecker, was not present. A family spokesman said he was out of town.

Parker Schenecker was on assignment in Qatar when his children were killed. He is assigned to Central Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

Julie Schenecker is being held in jail without bail. No trial date has been set and prosecutors have until March 25 to decide if they will seek the death penalty for her.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/16/us-crime-schenecker-idUSTRE71F5DJ20110216

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Ohio dispatcher helps solve mystery of man killed in Tampa in 1998

by Ileana Morales and Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writers

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

TAMPA — A curious dispatcher uncovered information that helped identify a homicide victim more than 12 years after his death, police said.

Chad Everette Griffith was killed Nov. 9, 1998, during a robbery involving cocaine at 9508 N 13th St. He was shot in the back of the head and the bullet went through his forehead, records show. Griffith, then 20, was from Marion, Ohio.

But until Friday, he was known only as "John Doe."

In 1998, Samuel Hewitt was charged in the killing and later convicted at age 14. Robert Hewitt, then 16, was convicted of tampering with evidence, police said.

Griffith's mother had reported him missing two years after his death and again in 2006.

Matt Cole, a dispatcher for eight years with the police department in Marion, was working his usual 11 p.m. shift this month when he found the Doe Network, a database of unidentified victims and missing persons.

He found descriptions of the victim that pointed to Griffith, including a heart tattoo on his left hand. Cole gave the information to the police department's Detective Ben Graff.

"He goes above and beyond frequently," Graff said of Cole. "He really is an extraordinary dispatcher. He's very smart. He does whatever he can to help."

Graff called the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office and Tampa police.

Two medical examiners in Tampa determined that fingerprints from Marion matched those on file in Tampa. The tattoo matched John Doe's.

Then it was time to call Griffith's mother, Brenda Bautista, who was living in Winter Haven, to let her know.

"She had her suspicions, but she just didn't know the fate of her son," Graff said. "And once she learned, it naturally hurt her, but at the same time she was relieved she could have some closure."

It's not clear why Griffith was in Tampa. He may have come to be around his mom, Graff said, but that is speculation.

Cole, who could not be reached for comment, wants to be a detective, Graff said. He heard about the case in a class.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/ohio-dispatcher-helps-solve-mystery-of-man-killed-in-tampa-in-1998/1151692

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From the Department of Homeland Security

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Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder form Joint Task Force to Assist Mexico's Investigation into Yesterday's Shooting of Two ICE Agents in Mexico

Washington, D.C. - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder today met to discuss the shooting by unknown assailants of two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents in the line of duty yesterday while driving in Mexico.

During their meeting, Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder decided to establish a joint task force between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, which will be led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and will leverage the investigative capabilities of both agencies to work with Mexico in tracking down the perpetrators and swiftly bring them to justice.

"This joint task force reflects our commitment to bring the investigatory and prosecutorial power of the U.S. Government to bear as we work with the Mexican Government to bring these criminals to justice," said Secretary Napolitano. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the ICE agents' families and loved ones, as we are reminded of the risks and sacrifices undertaken every day by the men and women on the frontlines in protecting the safety and security of the American people."

"The murder of Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the shooting of another ICE agent provide a sad reminder of the dangers American law enforcement officers face every day," Attorney General Eric Holder said. "Working with our Mexican counterparts, we have already launched an aggressive investigation, and this joint task force will ensure that every available resource is used to bring the perpetrators of this terrible crime to justice."

During their meeting, Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder underscored the United States' commitment to work closely with Mexican law enforcement in full support of the ongoing effort. They also reiterated their commitment to the U.S. government's broader support for Mexico's efforts to combat violence within its borders.

Today, Secretary Napolitano also spoke with Mexican Interior Minister Fernando Blake Mora. During the call, Secretary Napolitano emphasized to Minister Blake Mora that violence against DHS personnel in Mexico represents an attack against all those who serve our nation and put their lives at risk for our safety, and will not be tolerated by either country.

In yesterday's attack, one U.S. law enforcement official, ICE Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata, was critically wounded and died from his injuries. The second agent was shot in the leg and has been discharged from the hospital. More information will be released when it is available.

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1297887776389.shtm

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From the Department of Justice

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Statement of the Attorney General on the Shootings in Elkins, West Virginia

WASHINGTON – “Today's shootings in Elkins, West Virginia, demonstrate yet again the danger that our nation's law enforcement officers confront on a daily basis. This morning, while attempting to serve a felony arrest warrant, three Deputy United States Marshals were met with gunfire from a dangerous fugitive who was eventually killed. In fulfilling their critical duties, these courageous Deputies put their lives on the line and put the safety of others above their own.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Deputy U.S. Marshal Derek Hotsinpiller, who made the ultimate sacrifice today, and with the two Deputies who were injured in the line of duty. Their valiant actions and their service to our nation will not be forgotten, and the Justice Department's ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of all those who serve in law enforcement will continue to be a top priority.”

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/February/11-ag-197.html

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Joint U.S.-Croatia Statement on Preventing and Combating Serious Crime Agreement

WASHINGTON – The United States and Croatia today signed an Agreement on Preventing and Combating Serious Crime. The agreement was signed on behalf of the United States by Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. On behalf of Croatia, the agreement was signed by Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko.

The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Republic of Croatia Ministry of Interior released the following statement:

“This agreement reflects, and further advances, the close collaboration between U.S. and Croatian law enforcement and border security personnel in fighting terrorism and transnational crime. It also provides an opportunity for overall security cooperation between the United States and Croatia as well as avenues in which to explore the possible further strengthening of such cooperation.

“The Agreement on Preventing and Combating Serious Crime provides 21 st century tools to fight terrorism and transnational crime, while protecting individual privacy. It reinforces our shared commitment to international cooperation and will help prevent known criminals and terrorists from causing harm to our citizens. It allows for fingerprint matching “hit/no hit” queries between our two nations, pursuant to which law enforcement officials in either country may submit the fingerprint information of a suspected criminal or terrorist to the other country for an immediate determination whether the queried country holds matching fingerprint records, while incorporating important privacy protections. If this initial inquiry results in a match, only then may follow-up inquiries be made through law enforcement or mutual legal assistance channels.

This agreement – which is modeled on the EU's “Prüm” Agreement – provides for the sharing of important law enforcement information regarding criminal and terrorists, while ensuring that the privacy of citizens is protected.”

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/February/11-ag-199.html

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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at Armenian Power Takedown Press Conference

Los Angeles ~ Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Good morning. I am pleased to be here today with my friend, U.S. Attorney Birotte, and our law enforcement partners to announce these indictments, and the arrest of more than 80 members and associates of transnational organized crime groups, including a particularly powerful one based here in California. Indictments involving members of these violent groups were unsealed today, charging 102 defendants in four cities: Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Miami, and Denver.

The California indictments charge more than 80 defendants, many of whom are associated with the Armenian Power street gang. Today's actions represent the largest enforcement action to date against Armenian Power, as charged in the indictment, a violent criminal enterprise that thrives on intimidation and fear, and profits from a diverse range of crimes. These defendants are charged with assault, robbery, kidnapping, narcotics and firearms trafficking, as well as various forms of financial fraud.

The crimes alleged in these indictments were calculated, wide-ranging, and sophisticated. Armenian Power's influence has grown over the past two decades. The enterprise's members have formed alliances with other gangs, such as the Mexican Mafia. Their alleged ties transcend prison walls and international borders, reaching all the way to various former Soviet bloc countries.

The California indictments allege more than 400 criminal acts intended to further Armenian Powers' racketeering enterprise. Looking at the allegations over just one short span of time – from August to November of 2009 – shows how central violence and fear are to this group's activities. From alleged armed business meetings meant to settle disputes to negotiating the sale of fire arms, the use of violence is never off the table for this group. In one instance, members allegedly kidnapped a local businessman and demanded $500,000 for his release. They even allegedly joked, as they threatened him, that he might die of a heart attack.

As charged, members of these organized crime groups and their associates not only trade in violence, but they also perpetrate large-scale fraudulent schemes. In Miami, 13 alleged members of an Armenian organized crime group are charged with committing a series of financial and health care frauds, extortion conspiracies and money laundering offenses. In Denver, another defendant associated with a transnational criminal group allegedly engaged in a bank fraud scheme over a ten-month period that resulted in approximately $400,000 in losses.

These cases, coupled with the largest one-day takedown ever against the mob ever, which was announced last month, and the nationwide enforcement actions against gangs announced just last week, are stark evidence of this Justice Department's commitment to fighting all forms of organized crime. We are committed. We are focused. And we are not going away.

In September 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder issued an order directing the Department's Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and the FBI to ensure that they are focusing on attacking domestic and international organized crime threats. Toward this end, I previously announced plans to merge the Criminal Division's Organized Crime and Racketeering Section with our Gang Unit. These prosecutors have specific experience in prosecuting organized criminal enterprises, and with this new section, we'll be able to use their expertise against a broad spectrum of criminal groups, in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys' Offices.

We're also using new tools in this fight, including the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center, or IOC-2, which allows prosecutors and agents to coordinate across jurisdictions to target the illegal activities of a group operating in more than one city. Federal, state, and local agents and prosecutors are synchronizing their efforts, and we are using every available technique to investigate these cases, including Title III wiretaps and consensual recordings.

These groups bring fear into our communities, defraud innocent victims and put the safety of our neighborhoods at risk. Today's arrests and charges are an important step forward in the fight against organized criminal enterprises. As investigations continue, our intent should be clear: to rid our communities of the influence of domestic and international organized crime. Our citizens deserve no less.

http://www.justice.gov/criminal/pr/speeches/2011/crm-speech-110216.html

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From ICE

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ICE special agents brutally attacked; suspects sought by authorities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata was shot and killed in the line of duty Tuesday afternoon after he was attacked by unknown assailants while driving between Monterrey, Mexico, and Mexico City. During the attack, a second ICE special agent was shot twice in the leg. He has been transported back to the United States and is in stable condition. Both special agents were assigned to ICE's attaché office in Mexico City.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Zapata family for their tragic loss," said ICE Director John Morton. "May the work we continue to do as an agency be worthy of a sacrifice as great as the one made by Special Agent Zapata."

Special Agent Zapata joined ICE in 2006. He was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Special Agent in Charge in Laredo, Texas, where he served on the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Unit as well as the Border Enforcement Security Task Force. He most recently was detailed to ICE's attaché office at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

Special Agent Zapata began his federal law enforcement career with the Department of Homeland Security as a member of the U.S. Border Patrol in Yuma, Arizona. A native of Brownsville, Texas, Special Agent Zapata graduated from the University of Texas at Brownsville in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

U.S. law enforcement agencies continue to work closely with Mexican authorities who are investigating the shooting to ensure the perpetrators of this unconscionable crime are captured as quickly as possible. The full resources of the Department of Homeland Security are at the disposal of our Mexican partners in this investigation.

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1102/110216washingtondc.htm

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