This isnt coming from here. Yet prosecutors pushed forward anyway. The governments sole witness, a heroin addict and prostitute who habitually robbed her clients, was in jail for theft the day she said she saw Herrera shoot the journalist. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of times. Im not getting any type of pressure from anyone. For reasons that will never be knownperhaps an error, perhaps a cover-up, perhaps a combination of boththe government proceeded to arrest a different Herrera. He is a University of Oklahoma graduate and outdoors enthusiast living in Texas. Matt Naham Feb 8th, 2023, 9:07 am. Danny Dominguez, Sheriff Presidio County Sheriff's Office 320 N. Highland Ave. P.O. UPDATE: Tobias Penner Peters is wanted for his involvement in a human trafficking attempt on December 30th, 2021. 2023 County Office. Mitchell Willetts is a real-time news reporter covering the central U.S. for McClatchy. Many were injured on impact but Peters managed to flee the scene of the smuggling attempt gone wrong.. County Sheriff. Seeing the fury of Herreras supporters in his own courtroom, now he too was afraid of what might await him on the other side. The court specifically pointed out in a footnote that Peters was warned he faces up to two decades behind bars and a fine of up to $250,000. Tobias Penner Peters and pictures of the plane involved [Images via Presidio County Sheriff's Office] A 46-year-old Texas pilot pleaded guilty late last week to a federal crime in connection with a Dec. 30, 2021, plane crash that exposed his attempted smuggling of five undocumented immigrants. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. They want me to describe what life has been like for this family since April 29. There were odd circumstances in Ortegas personal life too that suggested other motives. The Texas Fair Defense Project, a group that fights against the criminalization of poverty, last month filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Dominguez in . In the courtroom he wears expensive suits. Presidio, though, is hardly immune to the lucrative border business. No, sir, you walk out with your head up high., But Herrera looks anxious and worn today. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. (Sometimes, it tries to have it both ways.) A 46-year-old Texas pilot pleaded guilty late last week to a federal crime in connection with a Dec. 30, 2021, plane crash that exposed his attempted smuggling of five undocumented immigrants. Baca Magaa believes that it was prepared only after the state discovered the mismatch in names, then slipped into Herreras file. Here, melon pickers and teachers and accountants from both sides of the border mingle. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The suspect attacked the sheriff when the sheriff found out he was a bracero and threatened to turn him over to the INS. Legally, its an extremely simple case for me because the prosecution has no evidence, no testimony, no scientific proofnothing that implicates my client in the crime, Baca Magaa said. When asked if its true that he has represented some of Chihuahuas most notorious narcotraffickers, he gave a lawyerly response: Well, they were accused, but nobody proved anything. But then he started ticking off names of his other clients, including the infamous drug lord Amado Carillo Fuentes, Pablo Acostas successor and the so-called Lord of the Skies, who died mysteriously in 1997 while undergoing plastic surgery. That trailer had been forfeited to the sheriff's office in a previous case. Presidio County Sheriff Secretary Shanna Elmore chimed in to voice her support for a longevity pay system after a brief discussion on whether incentives should be based on cumulative service to the county for employees who leave their positions and come back or consecutive years of service. Whoever did this doesnt know how much they killed my brothers spirits, Marta said one afternoon. And if youre going to get life in prison, you know, most people want to get something for pleading guilty and saving the govt the expense of going to trial. The late Mexican drug lord Pablo Acosta headquartered his multimillion dollar operation in Ojinaga, smuggling some sixty tons of cocaine into the U.S. annually until he was gunned down by Mexican federal police in 1987. (He starred in a public service announcement TV ad urging people to call in and help lock up smugglers.). The people of Presidio and Ojinaga were aware that they lived on the edges of their two countries, but except for bureaucratic nuisances like paying taxes or electing some distant government leader, here the Rio Grande had always seemed irrelevant. The iconiclawman was once a symbolof the War on Drugs.. 23 were here. The personal scars also will take time to fade. Ojinaga district attorney Sergio Garca Gmez turned and his eyes met Herreras. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for patrolling any unincorporated areas of the county or areas not covered by the municipal Police force as well as enforcing legal judgments such as foreclosures, repossessions, and tax delinquencies. J.NUEZ - 501. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - An alleged smuggling attempt ended in a plane crash North of the Presidio International Airport on Thursday. So it was really, really a harsh sentence for someone going up on a guilty plea," Rogers says. An investigation by authorities found the pilot of the 4-seat aircraft was allegedly smuggling undocumented migrants out of [] The description she gave of the murderershort, dark-skinned, with sideburns and a mustachedid not fit the fair-skinned, six-foot-one Herrera at all. Though its industry is similar to Presidios, there are many more reasons to hang out there: the horse races, the cockfights, the drive-ins, the clubs, the restaurants, the pretty plaza between the church and the city hall. Were autonomous. Most people who know how the Mexican justice system works believed differently. They held nothing against the people of Ojinaga. After his death, Chambers briefly served as The Plaza before Amado Carillo Fuentes took control of distribution with the Juarez Cartel. Marfa, TX 79843, How to reach us. Cook, a U.S. Customs agent, was DEA agent Dale Stinsons partner. Garca Gmez had quietly withstood Baca Magaas piercing remarks that afternoon, but then his patience broke. Deputies arrived on the scene and assisted the injured passengers when they discovered that the crash was a smuggling attempt gone wrong. I do.. You have to have courage because I dont want you getting sick, she says in her raspy voice, making two fists with her hands. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. Peters later fled the scene and left multiple individuals at the scene with severe bodily injuries. The Astrodomes Decline From Eighth Wonder to Eighth Blunder of the World, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Best Little Steakhouse in Texas Turns Forty, A Backsliding Joint Got New Owners and a Whole New Level of Barbecue, Miranda Lamberts Five Must-have Home Goods, A Fredericksburg Couple Forges a New Path With Their Cast-Iron Pans, Another, Quieter Comeback for Billy Gillispie. But he became even more popular in his new job, greeting his customers by name and offering a little informal credit when they needed it. J.NUEZ - 501. The police swarmed around Herreras 1955 Chevy Bel Air; Herrera, as usual, offered his hand. Free Junie. Junie Is Innocent. Justice for Junie. People mobilized on both sides of the river to raise money for Herreras legal fund, and when reporters arrived from the Dallas Morning News, the New York Times, and Telemundo, they articulated their rage and posed for cameras with yellow ribbons, T-shirts, and posters. It was Junie who introduced people from both sides of the border to one another at annual Super Bowl parties in his home, Junie who could persuade a group of men aged eighteen to seventy to buy a lottery ticket together. PublishedJanuary 14, 2016 at 12:35 PM CST, Bipartisanship at its finest: Texas Senate passes budget with property tax relief, teacher raises, Texas eyes marine desalination, oilfield water reuse to sustain rapid growth, El noticiero semanal: Debate sobre AirBnBs en Marfa, y un controvertido proyecto de ley de seguridad fronteriza, More than 18,000 cows are dead after dairy farm explosion in Texas Panhandle, Border-enforcement bill at Texas Capitol sparks debate over states' rights and 'invasion' rhetoric, Marfas chamber of commerce pushes for new regulations on Airbnbs. If you have any information on this or any other illegal activity in Presidio County, please contact the Presidio County Sheriff's Office at 432-729-4848 or 432-729-4911. You do. Wives and kids and vintage cars in tow, Herrera and his friends did not think of the short drive to Ojinaga as a venture into another country, a foreign republic with foreign people and customs and, especially, a foreign justice system. In just a few minutes the big SUV approached the narrow bridge that links the two towns, and Herrera now says that he was overcome when the U.S. Customs agent asked him for his nationality. The prosecutors had introduced a Mexican border-crossing video that was supposed to prove that Herrera had been in Ojinaga the night of the murder. The project is a result of more than three years of research on the Sheriff Thompson case and interviews with dozens of sources. Chambers, now 65, was quick to cooperate with federal officials and only served 13 years of a life sentence. I dont know what words they [state prosecutors] use to suggest that Junie shouldnt be let out. Judge Estrada Rascn, word had it, was not crossing north either. Because of the two towns isolationtwo and a half hours to the nearest Wal-Mart in Fort Stockton or Chihuahua Citythey had come to depend on the border economy. Nothing still. MARFA A Texas nonprofit is suing Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez after the group says it struggled to get timely records on who he was keeping in the county jail. PETERS then fled the scene left multiple individuals at the scene with severe bodily injuries. Baca Magaa worried, though, that the following Friday, July 13, the court system would shut down for a two-week vacation. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Peters made a run south of the border while the unidentified undocumented immigrants were left behind injured at the crash scene, the feds said. If you have any information on this or any other illegal activity in Presidio County, please contact the Presidio County Sheriff's Office at 432-729-4848 or 432-729-4911. Jobs are scant besides those in the schools, the government agencies, the ranches and the cantaloupe, onion, and alfalfa fields. You begin to question. The Presidio County Sheriff's Office, located in Marfa, Texas, is a law enforcement agency that promotes public safety in Presidio County through public policing and the management of county jails and inmates. At the time, the Presidio County Sheriffs Office put out a wanted poster noting that Peters was on the run. As the guards helped pack his belongings, the deejay at one of Ojinagas favorite radio stations repeated the news to listeners on both sides of the Rio Grande. Throughout his twenties and thirties, Herrera helped around the H&H Supermarket, which his father then owned with Junies uncle, and cashed in bags of coins he collected from a small car wash he had bought. On both sides of the border.. He quickly worked his way up to a key operator in smuggling drugs into the U.S. and after Acostas death, he even held the title of The Plaza (the kingpin who controlled all drug movement through Ojinaga)a strange position for an American. Any rational person would not have expected Jurado Contreras to reach a decision within a week, when the process of issuing an appellate ruling normally takes months. [emailprotected]. Even before Judge Estrada Rascn made his ruling to bind Herrera for trial on May 4, the states case had fallen apart. Now 56, he lives in El Paso. Carrying six passengers, the four-seat aircraft was under-fueled and overloaded, investigators said. Sign-up for Presidio County's New Reverse 911 Emergency Notification System by Hyper-Reach. Sheriff Hamilton was shot and killed while he and a deputy questioned a man near Marfa in a parked car at the request of U.S. Border Patrol agents in a spotter plane. In both towns Herrera is known as an exceptionally friendly, happy-go-lucky person, a 42-year-old who is still growing up. We used to have a lot of friends from across the border, she reminisced. While the podcast features numerous sources, here are a few of the main players in the story. Nearby, a deputy sheriff grinned as Herrera drove away and said, Its good to have you back home.. Stage presence 101, Search is on for WWII shipwreck that poses environmental dangers off Florida coast, Dont wear blue: Moms swim safety tip goes viral on TikTok. July 14, 2021 1151 AM. They were judicialesstate police. The pilot attempted to smuggle illegal immigrants from Presidio by air. For him, the bust was an unfortunate necessity that put a halt to their goals of a much larger bust of key players. That is Baca Magaas style: frank, audacious, sarcastic. If you have any information on this or any other illegal activity in Presidio County, please contact the Presidio County Sheriffs office at 432-729-4848 or 432-729-4911. Deputies with the Presidio County Sheriff's Office found and assisted individuals injured during the crash. Look, he shot at Baca Magaa with a long, knowing stare, so you wont break your head, you know where this is coming from. The room was dead silent as three people waited for his revelatory words. Junie Herrera had so many friends that if the Chihuahua government needed a scapegoat for Ortega Matas murder, they picked the worst one possible. Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District, Presidio Co. Facilities Management Policy, Presidio County Employee Email Log-In Page, Far West Texas Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2016-2020, Provided by the Texas Association of Counties, Duties & Responsibilities of County Officials. The Presidio County Sheriff Office - Annex, located in Presidio, Texas, is a law enforcement agency that promotes public safety in Presidio County through public policing and the management of county jails and inmates. An old schoolmate of Herreras brother-in-law, he took on Junies case after the family fired its first attorney. Former Presidio County Sheriff Rick Thompson MARFA As the town slept fitfully late Dec. 3, 1991, its single traffic light blinking out a perfect pulse, shadowy figures moved through the streets, while others lurked on the outskirts. With so much drug trafficking and death, the attorney general for the state of Chihuahua, which makes up fully one eighth of Mexico, has a big job. Federal agents and others had learned that his nickname in Mexico was La Puerta, the door to smuggling. Every day, the Herreras made pleas to the Chihuahua prosecutors, to the media, to Jesus Christ himself. Sheriff Danny Dominguez. Apocalypse Sow: Can Anything Stop the Feral Hog Invasion? 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), which says the following: Domestic Transporting Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) makes it an offense for any person who knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, transports, or moves or attempts to transport or move such alien within the United States by means of transportation or otherwise, in furtherance of such violation of law. On March 16, the day she testified, she was in jail for robbing an elderly man who had solicited her for sex. In 1992 Presidio County sheriff Rick Thompson was caught with a ton of cocaine. Presidio County Courthouse 300 Highland St. Marfa, TX 79843. It suits him well as an attorney. For them, the borders economic lessonseducation is free in the U.S., health care is affordable in Mexicoare more important than the precariousness of traveling between two jurisdictions. Drawer V | Marfa, TX 79843 | Confidential communication can be sent to Sheriff D The Presidio County Jail, as like many other County Jails, accepts inmates from all over state under contract with the U.S. Marshall Services for temporary housing. Law&Crime reached out to Peters attorney for comment on the resolution of the case. Raising Junies spirits is a family project. At age 41, it was the younger Herreras first mortgageenough, friends say, to make him tone down the partying. If you have any information on this or any other illegal activity in Presidio County, please contact the Presidio County Sheriff's office at 432-729-4848 or 432-729-4911. The suspect fled to Mexico where he was arrested and tried in a Mexican court. ezTaskTitanium TM. Next to it, he has barely fit a small wooden table where he keeps his cigarettes, dental floss, and a pack of Breath Savers. Around Herreras 1955 Chevy Bel Air ; Herrera, as usual, offered his hand supposed to prove that had! 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