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C.W. Thompson, assistant chief for the Marfa Sector, said his agency is
short of help already, and losing any agents hurts.
"We have all been requested to supply someone out there," Thompson said.
"The whole region is broken down as to how many positions to detail. We
sent four for 30 days at a time, but it can be extended."
U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-San Antonio) blasted the latest action by the
Clinton administration to send 46 INS agents from Texas to California
less than a month before the presidential election.
"Once again Texas pays the price as this administration takes close to
50 agents from Texas and moves them to California," Bonilla said. "In
Texas, drug traffickers have killed one border patrol agent this year
and are taking over many ranchers' land."
The San Antonio Express-News reported over the weekend that the
Immigration and Naturalization Service was sending 100 agents from
around the nation to checkpoints east of San Diego, Calif., to help
staunch the flow of illegal entries by undocumented immigrants there.
Gov. George W. Bush also blasted the administration for moving agents
from Texas to California, saying the move flies in the face of the
president's claims that the federal government is protecting the border.
"It's interesting that the Clinton administration has identified
California as a temporary `high priority,'" said Bonilla, whose District
23 includes Reeves County and over half of the border area between Texas
and Mexico. "It's not a coincidence that the agents will be sent to a
key political battleground in this presidential election."
Clinton has said that Texas problems are a high priority for his
administration, Bonilla said.
"I'd hate to see how their low priority programs are dealt with," he
said.
While stopping short of calling it an election-eve maneuver, Bush said,
``We expect Texas to be treated fairly when it comes to enforcing the
borders of our state.''
The Express-News said 46 agents were from Texas points, ``where gunplay
and terroristic threats have sent ranchers and landowners scurrying for
assistance.''
Just two weeks ago, Congress approved funding for an additional 1,000
border patrol agents for this year, Bonilla said.
"Over the last two years, Congress has continually been increasing
border patrol and INS funding. The resources are there, but this
administration is not getting the job done," he said.
Clinton needs to get serious about stopping drugs and illegal aliens
from crossing our borders, he said. "This is not a game. Playing
politics is not fair to Texas and it's not even fair to California."
Thompson said that pressure on border crossings to the east and west
have increased the flow of drugs through the Marfa Sector in recent
months. Federal indictments in Pecos last week bear that out, with 28
defendants charged with drug trafficking.
"As long as the demand is there and the profit is there, they will
figure out a way to bring it in," Thompson said. "Their technology is as
good as ours. It is a constant battle."
Thompson hopes his sector will get 45 to 50 of the 1,000 new agents
completing their training.
"That will be an extreme help to us," he said. "We have gotten a few who
are in the academy now, and some are taking their tests."
Earlier this month, the Texas Department of Public Safety began an
unprecedented attempt to slow illegal drug trafficking across the border
by dispatching 100 patrol and narcotics officers to Eagle Pass.
Bush said the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has only two
agents assigned to a 500-mile stretch of the Texas-Mexico border in that
area.
``It's bad public policy. In our state of Texas, we've got ranchers and
farmers and local communities that are literally under siege. Texans
know that we sent DPS agents down to the Maverick County area to fight
off, as a holding action, waiting for the federal government to do its
job,'' Bush said.
``And lo and behold, we all read recently where the federal government
has made the decision to transfer (INS) agents out of our state. That's
bad for Texas. That's bad for America.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report
A lake staff person said this morning that the fish have not been
killed, "the lake's full and they're biting."
The first part of the statement was in reference to a Sept. 12 story in
the Enterprise dealing with a proposed Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department project. The project is designed to protect the
endangered pupfish and at the same time clean the lake and improve the
fishing stock.
Reeves County Water Improvement District #1 and lake representatives
felt the story was a misleading one.
The article, entitled, Fish kill linked to lake's renewal, referred to the fact that funds for the contingent plan were obtained by the TPWD from an East Texas company for fines imposed for a chemical spill that killed off large amounts of fish, a "fish kill."
The scheme, according to TPWD Fisheries Research Biologist Dr. Gary
Garrett, would call for, "killing the lake," or abolishing all the fish
in Balmorhea Lake and restocking it within a two-year period with over
200,000 Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Gizzard Shad, Native and Florida
Largemouth Bass and White Crappie.
Part of the reason for completely ridding the lake of fish is to
eliminate the Sheepshead Minnow and Carp, which feed on the endangered
Pupfish. Also, TPWD hope to provide the lake with two types of bass,
being the larger, hard-to-catch Florida Largemouth Bass, and the,
smaller, easy-to-catch, Native Largemouth Bass.
At a town meeting on Sept. 10, the project plan was approved by 23 of
the attendees, while five others voted against the scheme.
A RCWID#1 staff person said that the district is being open-minded about
the whole thing, but want TPWD, "to explore other options," and will be
aiding in the reasearch.
"The district's responsibility is to the farmers," said the district
representative and added, the Balmorhea Lake water belongs to the
farmers and was initially set up for irrigation purposes. But the
fishing, "is a wonderful by-product," added the spokesperson for the
RCWID#1.
Manager for the RCWID#1 Joe Gallego said that the district was
established in 1914, and although he couldn't remember when the
reservoir was first established, the dam was erected in 1932.
Both lake and district spokespersons described a petition that allowed
visiting and local fishermen to, "voice their opinion," about the
project.
The, "straw poll," indicated that 112 pollsters were against the idea
and one was in favor of the project.
However, Garrett said earlier today that the poll was not admitted into
the town meeting presentation because, "it didn't explain the details."
The lake staff member said that the petition asked for the pollsters
opinion on, "the killing out at the lake," and was accompanied by a
flyer with an outline of the plan.
While plans for rejuvinating the lake continue to be explored, with
temperatures cooling down, the crappie are biting, as are the bass and
catfish, and all are just, "waiting to be caught."
PECOS, October 16, 1996 - One of 12 defendants in an assault at the
Reeves County Law Enforcement Center during a riot last year has pleaded
guilty, and charges against the other 11 were dismissed Tuesday.
District Attorney John Stickels said that Warden Joe Trujillo asked him
to accept the one guilty plea and dismiss the remaining cases.
Charges against two of the men who allegedly assaulted prison guards
were dismissed earlier when the guards failed to identify them.
All were indicted for aggravated assault, because the guards were
injured. However, the charge was reduced to assault, a third-degree
felony.
Roberto Alvarez-Duarte pleaded guilty in exchange for a two-year prison
sentence. He has 229 days jail credit since the charge was filed.
Assault charges were dismissed for Raul Aguilar-Frausto, Ramon
Garcia-Salazar, Armando Dominguez-Macias, Jose Osuna-Cuevas, Manuel
Sanchez-Batres, Daniel Medrano-Encinas, Israel Reynosa-Chavez, Rafael
Coronel-Saravia, Alejandro Martinez-Baez, Rodrigo Mojarez-Galindo and
Manuel Vasquez.
Frank Shorter, 69, died Saturday, Oct. 12 at Midland Memorial Hospital.
Services are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2:30 p.m. at West Park
Baptist Church with Rev. George Baker officiating. Burial will be Mount
Evergreen Cemetery.
He was born Oct. 10, 1927 in Wharton, was a member of the House of
Prayer, had lived in Pecos since 1946 and was a member of the Lions Club
and the Masons.
Survivors include his wife, Ewillie Shorter of Pecos; three sons, A.C.
Shorter and Cleburne Joiner of Pecos, Edward Shorter Lewis of
Albuquerque, N.M.; six daughters, Veloise Vaghan of El Paso, Alma
Swanson and Sandra Shorter of Fort Worth, Lynne Shorter of Albuquerque,
N.M., Mary Bensley and Patsy Shorter of Columbus, Ohio; two brothers,
L.M. Shorter of San Angelo, Clarence Shorter of Houston; three sisters,
Lizzie Smith and Callie Shorter of Bay City, Eleanor Bankston of Eagle
Lake; 26 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Pecos Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Roy Verble Baker Sr., 80, of Odessa, died Monday, Oct. 14, 1996 at his
residence. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in Hubbard-Kelly Funeral
Home in Odessa, with burial in Sunset Memorial Gardens.
He was born Dec. 27, 1915 in Duke, Okla. and had managed cotton gins in
Amherst, Artesia, N.M. and Pecos. After moving to Odessa in 1970, he
operated a grocery store for two years, then worked for Rexene from
1971-1980. He was a member and a deacon at Crescent Park Baptist Church.
Survivors include one son, Roy V. Baker Jr. of Lubbock; one daughter,
Toressa Kilgore of Knoxville, Tenn.; three grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
PECOS, October, 16, 1996 - High Tuesday 87, low last night 57. Trace of
rain. Tonight, fair. Low in the mid 50s. Southwest wind 5-15 mph.
Thursday, mostly sunny. High in the mid 80s. Southwest to west wind
10-20 mph and gusty.
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Copyright 1996 by Pecos Enterprise
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