Local News National News Local Sports National Sports Community Events News Archives Sports Archives Entertainment Stock Market Government Kids Contact Us

From the KATO Newsroom
William Perry - News Director

March 2007 Archive

The Graham County Sheriff's Office received a call on Monday, March 26th, at around 5:00pm, reporting that a Globe man had drowned on Black River, in Northern Graham County, near the Black River Pump Station.

Witnesses told authorities that Jace Thompson 18, from Globe was trying to walk across the top of a diversion dam at the Black River Pump Station when he slipped and fell into the cold rushing water and drowned.

Attempts were made by his friends to reach Thompson's body but failed.

A command post was set up at the Black River Pump Station and was manned by the San Carlos - Black River maintenance work crew.

Graham County Sheriff Frank Hughes organized an investigative team including the Graham County Search and Rescue team, the Gila County Search and Rescue Dive team, along with members of the San Carlos Recreation and Wildlife Department and San Carlos Police in an effort to investigate the drowning and recover the body.

A DPS helicopter was called in to search for the body on Monday and Tuesday, but was unable to fly because of high winds in the area.

Thompson's body was found on Wednesday by a search team approximately one-half-mile below the diversion dam.

Thompson's body was recovered in very rugged terrain and was flown by helicopter to Morris/David's Safford Funeral Home for examination by the Graham County Medical Examiner.

       

It's amazing to the average person who is not around drug smuggling - the lengths that smugglers will go to - to hide their loads from authorities and attempt to smuggle drugs into the country.

Wednesday afternoon, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Nogales conducted a secondary inspection of a semi tractor and trailer coming from Mexico.

According to authorities, the driver was acting very nervous during the first search, so a secondary search was ordered on a load of concrete pillars that were headed for Colorado.

The agents said they pulled out one of the pillars, drilled a hole in it, and found a bundle of marijuana inside. They unloaded 18 crates, 13 of which had concrete pillars.

In all, officers found 51-bundles of marijuana inside the pillar sections. The total weight of the marijuana was 960-pounds.

The Bundles were surrounded by dirt inside the pillars to mask the marijuana odor.

The 32-year-old driver was arrested and turned over to Immigration and the truck and trailor were impounded.

       

The Safford City Council approved a parking variance, Monday night, for the Shafford Hotel Group L.L.C, to accommodate parking not only for a new motel that will be built at the corner of Highway 70 and Central Avenue, but also for those who live in the neighborhood.

Neighbors in the area and members of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church on 4th Street were worried that the new motel would take up all of the parking spaces in the area and create problems for those wanting to attend Church services or funerals at the Catholic Church.

Safford Planning and Zoning Director, Pete Stasiak, who was also asking the Council to approve a new parking design, assured concerned residents in the area that temporary parking on the 4th Street side of the motel would not only be for motel guests but also for those wanting to attend church or who lived in the area.

       

A Graham County Deputy was called to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center, at around 11:00pm, Sunday night, to a report of a man with a gunshot wound to his leg.

When the deputy arrived at the emergency room he was directed to Ruben Gonzalez, 22, who told the deputy that he was in a desert area at the South end of 20th Avenue with a couple of friends, sitting in a truck.

Gonzalez said that he had a .25-caliber handgun with him and he knew he had two live rounds in it.

Gonzalez said that he had worked the action on the pistol and thought he had cleared the live rounds from the gun.

Gonzalez said that he pulled the trigger on the pistol and he heard a loud "pop".

He then realized that he had shot himself in the leg. He said that he then left the area and walked to the hospital.

Gonzalez had a small hole on his left leg, just below the groin area. The wound went through the top portion of the leg and exited out the back side.

Gonzalez told the deputy that he left the .25-caliber pistol out in the desert.

He refused to discuss who he was with and anything more about the case.

The investigation was completed due to the victim being uncooperative with Deputies.

       

A Graham County Sheriff's Deputy traveling through Safford, stopped a pickup and discovered 19-undocumented immigrants inside that were being transported.

The deputy observed a Dodge pickup that was following a vehicle too closely and stopped the truck in front of the Valley Motel at around 6:00pm, Monday evening.

When the deputy made contact with the driver, he observed numerous occupants laying in the extended cab portion as well as in the cab. In the rear of the truck bed, there was a carpet covering with additional occupants laying under the carpet.

Safford Officer and other deputies responded to the location and they found 19-undocumented immigrants traveling through Safford in the Dodge Club-cab.

The immigrants were taken to the Graham County Jail.

Border Patrol in Willcox was notified and they responded to Safford to pickup the illegals in approximately an hour.

The illegal immigrants were taken back to Willcox and the Dodge truck was impounded in the County Yard.

       

The Safford City Council, Monday night, passed a city ordinance to increase water and wastewater development fees for new construction.

In the past, the City of Safford Utility Department would charge $1200.00 per dwelling unit or house to connect a 5/8-inch water line and $600.00 to connect to the city sewer system.

By passing the new Development Fee ordinance, Safford Utilities will now collect $2,913.00 to connect to city water and $2,245.00, to connect a single dwelling to the city sewer system.

All developers will have to pay the new fee at the time they are issued a building permit. No sewer fee will be collect if the developer is installing a fire protection system.

The new city ordinance goes into effect on July 1, 2007, and will only affect any new construction.

       

Grant County, New Mexico, commissioners have approved a resolution requesting that the state and federal governments pay for livestock and pets killed by Mexican gray wolves.

The southwestern New Mexico county also wants compensation for lost hunting opportunities and emotional damage.

The resolution, passed last week, was requested by the Grant County Area Cattle Growers and the Gila Fish and Gun Club.

Supporters of the resolution said that wolves preying on livestock are driving ranchers out of business.

They say ranchers aren't being fairly compensated for wolf kills.

Opponents complain that ranchers aren't doing their part by removing cattle carcasses to keep wolves from becoming accustomed to eating beef.

The government began releasing the endangered wolves on the Arizona-New Mexico border in 1998 to re-establish the species.

       

A Safford Police officer discovered a small amount of meth on two subjects early Sunday morning.

The officer was parked at the Econolodge Motel at 1:13pm, Sunday morning, and observed a GMC pickup truck pull out of the Mustang Gas Station onto Kay Lane and drive through the stop sign on Kay and Highway 70.

The officer pulled over the truck and observed a male driver and a female passenger inside.

The officer walked up to the truck and explained to the driver that he had run the stop sign at Kay Lane and didn't have his license plate illuminated.

The officer called dispatch and found that the driver, identified as Davin Simms, had no wants or warrants but warned that he allegedly has violent tendencies and is a drug user.

The Safford officer told Simms that he was just going to give him a warning and then asked if he could search for any drugs, guns, or weapons.

Simms allowed the search and he and his passenger, identified as Jasmine Kellems, were frisked and asked to empty their pockets.

Other officers searched the truck and found a white cloth bag that was tied with a string.

Inside the bag officers found several .22-shells and a mini thins pill bottle. Inside the bottle they found two clear plastic baggies containing methamphetamine.

A gram and a quarter was the approximate weight of the meth.

The officer told both Simms and Kellems were under arrest.

Simms' father was contacted and he took possession of the truck.

Simms told the officer that the drugs were his and that he had a drug problem.

After a long discussion about the situation the officer took the meth evidence and released both Simms and Kellems.

The evidence was sent to the D.P.S. crime lab and a copy of the police report was sent to the Graham County Attorney's Office.

       

A Safford High School student called 9-1-1 to report that he witnessed a man stealing a John Deer tractor from a farm field next to the city sewer reclamation plant, at around 4:30pm, Tuesday afternoon.

Tate Hoisington, a Safford High student, told a Graham County Deputy that he saw a white male with tattoo's get on the tractor and drive off toward the Gila River.

The tractor was driven off toward the old sewer ponds and disappeared into the brush.

The deputy followed the tracks of the tractor into the brush until he came upon a homeless camp along the river. The stolen tractor was parked in the middle of the camp when the officer saw a white male running toward the brush. The deputy ran after the man and caught up to him in the brush.

The deputy observed that the man had a knife in a sheath on his hip. He told the man to drop the knife and he searched him for weapons.

The only identification found on the man, identified as James Dudley George, was a summons from a court in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

The deputy took pictures of George and he was identified by Tate Hoisington as the man he saw steal the tractor.

George complained that he was not the guy who stole the tractor and was supposed to be on his medication. George told the deputy that he has many mental problems. George was taken to the Graham County Jail where he was photographed and fingerprinted.

It was decided because of the mental state he was in, George would not be thrown in jail. He was released from custody.

       

An initiative proposed for Arizona's 2008 ballot would generally prohibit drivers from using cell phones without hands-free devices.

Under the proposal, a person could be fined 100 to 200 dollars for using a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving. There are exemptions for emergency personnel and people making calls to emergency agencies.

Past legislative proposals to restrict Arizona motorists' cell phone usage have failed.

California, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and the District of Columbia have enacted laws banning hand-held phone use by drivers.

       

Former Phelps Dodge Chairman and Chief Executive J. Steven Whisler received total compensation for 2006 valued at nearly ten (m) million dollars, according to a regulatory filing. The filing by the copper mining company also shows that Whisler realized 18 (m) million last year in exercising stock options.

The Associated Press' calculations of total pay include executives' salary, bonus, incentives, perks, above-market returns on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock options and awards granted during the year. They may vary from totals the company reports.

Phelps Dodge was acquired in a 26 (b) billion dollar deal by rival Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Incorporated to create the world's largest publicly traded copper company. The acquisition was completed Monday.

       

A patrolling Safford Police Officer observed a man driving a vehicle, down Main Street, at 2:20 am, Friday morning, who he knew had a warrant out for his arrest and a broken windshield.

The officer followed the driver, identified as Christopher Connolly, who began traveling Southbound on 8th Avenue.

The officer turned on his emergency lights behind Connolly near the 900 block of 8th Avenue and Connelly took a right on 10th Street and stopped.

The officer said in his report that he had previous dealings with Connolly and had taken a bag of meth off of him earlier in the month.

The officer got out of his patrol car and began walking toward the subjects vehicle when Connolly took off and the chase was on.

Connolly lead police on a chase through Safford, running several stop signs, at speeds of around 60-MPH, and ended up turning into an apartment complex at 560 16th Street, which is a dead end.

Connolly stopped his vehicle and got out with his hands in the air.

The officers had him get on the ground where he was handcuffed.

Connolly was screaming that he had "Mersa" and handcuffing him would give him blood poisioning, so an ambulance was called.

Officer searched Connolly's vehicle and found a baggie containing methamphetamine.

After the ambulance personnel gave the "OK", Connolly was arrested for unlawful flight from pursuing law enforcement vehicles, possession of a dangerous drug, possession of paraphernalia, and a parole violation warrant.

He was taken to the Graham County Jail.

       

Do you remember the guy and girl who were arrested by Safford Police for allegedly shoplifting cans of spray paint from Wal-Mart and then for allegedly spraying graffiti on walls, cars, and houses, last week in Safford?

Safford Police were again called to Wal-Mart, close to midnight on Saturday night, to detain Nylynn Eyre and Jose Hernandez for criminal trespass and shoplifting.

This time, Nylynn was detained for allegedly stealing two boxes of Sudafed tablets and two cans of Canned Air. The value of these items totaled to $22.22.

A third juvenile was with them this time and was released to the custody of his father. Eyre and Hernandez were handcuffed and transferred to the Juvenile Detention center by Safford Police.

       

Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold announced on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of Phoenix-based Phelps Dodge Corporation. Shareholders of both companies approved the 26 (b) billion-dollar deal last week.

In the case of Phelps Dodge, there is a tremendous amount of Arizona history that took place during the development of the copper giant.

Phelps Dodge has been involved in Arizona mining for 125-years and became a major economic and political force long before Arizona was granted statehood, in 1912.

The company has an estimated $2.6-billion annual impact on the Arizona economy.

A spokesperson for Phelps Dodge says that the continued construction in Morenci and the development at the Dos Pobres mine in Safford will not be slowed or effected by the merger. In fact, the merger could bring about the opening of closed Phelps Dodge properties in Miami and Bisbee, and increase production in mines already in operation.

Freeport-McMoran says the combination creates the world's largest publicly traded copper company.

       

The new company created by the merger of Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold and Phelps Dodge will operate as Freeport-McMoRan, though businesses operating as Phelps Dodge will continue under that name.

The company's headquarters will be in Phoenix, though Freeport has said it will maintain a New Orleans office for accounting and administrative functions.

Freeport officials have said they don't expect any job cuts or facility closures since the two companies' operations do not overlap. Freeport employs about 15-thousand workers, most of whom are in Indonesia. Phelps Dodge has about 20-thousand employees.

       

Eastern Arizona College's Youth Theater group will be offering four skits and a one-act play entitled "A Collage of Morals... Do You Know the Moral of the Story?", written by the play's director, Deanna Stone.

This hilarious Saturday Night Live-style play will be performed by EAC's Youth Theater group, tonight through March 17th, at 7:30pm, in EAC's South Campus Classroom #3.

Admission for this fun-for-the-whole-family event is $3.00-per person. Tickets can be purchased at the EAC Ticket office - in the activities center and will also be available at the door. Show time is at 7:30pm.

       

Shareholders approved the $26-billion sale of Phelps Dodge Corp. to Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc., in what is expected to be the largest mining merger in history.

Anti-trust regulators blessed the transaction and shareholders approval was the last hurdle to the largest ever acquisition of an Arizona-based company.

In an article in the Arizona Republic, the combined companies will have about 25,500 employees, generate almost $17-billion in sales annually, and be one of the world's largest producers of copper, gold and molybdenum.

The company will continue to be based in Phoenix.

Richard Adkerson, 60, the Freeport chief executive who will head the combined operation, said the company, which is financing the acquisition with about $11.5-billion in loans and $6-billion in junk bonds issued, is aware of the past fluxuation in copper prices and plans to pay down the debt as quickly as possible.

To achieve that, Adkerson said that Freeport will work to boost production at Phelps Dodge properties, possibly by reopening closed mines, and would consider selling assets and additional shares of stock to raise cash.

Current Phelps Dodge Chairman and CEO, J. Steven Whisler, at 52, will retire when the deal closes.

Phelps Dodge has been in existence for 173-years.

The transaction, which was approved on Wednesday, is expected to close in several days.

       

A Safford Patrol Officer was parked at the Econolodge on East Highway 70, at around 2:30am, Monday morning, when he saw a red sedan run a stop sign, Westbound on 4th Street.

The officer approached the vehicle and turned on his lights and the sedan took off and began to flee the officer's vehicle.

The speeding red sedan began trying to evade the Safford Officer and sped through streets on the East side at speeds of up to 50-MPH.

Clouds of dust impaired the officers vision when the red sedan turned onto 1st Street and the officer stopped and waited for the dust to clear.

When he did he pulled out his spot light and saw that the red sedan had jumped over a concrete irrigation ditch and was stuck about 50-yards into a plowed cotton field.

Apparently, two suspects in the red sedan had fled in different direction and the Safford Officer called for back up from Graham County Deputies, and Thatcher Police.

The officers searched the area, found both suspects, identified as Richard Hernandez and Michael Nunez, and took them into custody.

Information on the wrecked red sedan, with Oklahoma license plates, found that it belonged to Teresa Isaacs who had reported the vehicle stolen from a Clifton residence. Isaacs was also a girlfriend of Michael Nunez.

Both Nunez and Hernandez were taken to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical center for examination.

Officers found a clear plastic baggie on Michael Nunez, that tested positive for methamphetamine.

Also, it was found that Richard Hernandez had several warrants out for his arrest.

Both suspects were admitted to the hospital for further examination.

On Tuesday evening, the hospital advised Safford Officers that Richard Hernandez had discharged himself from the hospital against medical advice and could not be found.

       

The Eastern Arizona DUI Task Force with help from the Arizona Dept. of Liquor conducted what they call a "CUB" detail in Graham County on March 2nd, to test establishments who sell alcohol and see if they are selling alcohol to minors.

CUB operations send an underage person into a bar or store that sells alcohol and see if they can be served alcohol of if they can buy alcohol.

If the establishment sells alcohol or serves alcohol to a minor, then the business is accused of violating Arizona liquor laws and is written a citation by the Arizona Department of Liquor.

On March 2nd, the American Club, the Bull Pen, the Beverage House and several convenience stores and Safeway did not sell alcohol to the CUB agent.

Three Graham County businesses were sited by Liquor Control. They are; Thriftee Grocery, the Minit Market in Pima, and the Stadium Club in Thatcher.

Opponents of the CUB operations in Arizona say that DUI task forces and Liquor Control are breaking the law to enforce the liquor laws, by using a minor to "bait" businesses with liquor licenses.

Liquor Control says that the program is set up to evaluate whether or not businesses are following the Arizona Liquor laws.

       

Safford Officers were notified by a passing motorist that three people were smoking marijuana near the Heli-pad at the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center, at around 10:00pm, Monday night.

When the officers arrived, they saw three people inside a Jeep Cherokee. One officer began talking to a man sitting in the rear, behind the drivers seat, who was identified as James D. Kimball.

Kimball had a beer between his legs and told the officer that he was celebrating the birth of his baby.

The officer said that he could smell the odor of burnt marijuana inside the vehicle.

Kimball was asked to exit the vehicle and stand with another officer at the rear of the vehicle.

As the first officer went to talk to the driver and passenger of the Jeep, identified as Kyla M. Ingram and Kevin Barnes, Kimball began to struggle with the other officer at rear of the vehicle.

Both officers began to struggle with Kimball when the first officer had to pull out his tazer and fire at the upper right leg of Kimball. This didn't seem to have any effect, so the officer positioned his tazer in Kimball's groin area and fired. The officer had to fire his tazer several times and had to cycle it several more time in the small of Kimball's back before he finally submitted to arrest.

Kimball was handcuffed and searched. Officers found a small baggie of meth in his pocket and some marijuana. He was transported to the Graham County Jail.

The other subjects were released at the scene.

       

The City of Safford has hired a company out of Texas to identify the types of businesses that will work best in Safford.

Three marketing analysts from a company called Buxton, out of Ft. Worth, Texas, spoke to the Safford City Council, Monday night, on helping retailers from across the country to find the right locations for new retail sites and also identify suitable retailers for municipalities that are growing.

Buxton will develop a "Community I.D." in Safford, by defining the trade area, identifying customers, match retailers and restaurants, and target retailer marketing packages.

The community I.D., will identify and analyze all of the households in the drive-time trade area. Based on more than 1,500 categories of lifestyles, purchase behaviors, and media reading and viewing habits, the local households in the area are profiled to gain an understanding of the types of retailers that would be attracted to the Safford area.

Buxton explained that the community I.D., will enhance citizen's quality of life, help increase the Safford tax base, stop leakage of sales tax dollars, and help satisfy the desire to shop at home.

       

Safford Police on patrol Saturday night pulled over a driver with a passenger-side headlight out and ended up arresting him for possession of meth, drug paraphernalia, and misconduct with a weapon.

David Martinez was pulled over at around 1:00am, Sunday morning, on Highway 191, in Safford. He was driving his father truck.

The officer asked Martinez for his driver's license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration, and everything was in order, except for the passenger-side headlight was not working.

The officer then asked Martinez if he had any "guns, knives, or drugs on him or in the vehicle." Martinez said, "no". The officer then asked Martinez if he could search his vehicle and Martinez said "yes".

Several Safford officers arrived and searched the vehicle.

Martinez advised them that his father's pistol was in the center consol of the truck.

The officers located the loaded Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol. They also found a meth pipe under the seat of the truck and found a quantity of methamphetamine in Martinez' shoe.

Martinez was arrested and taken to the Graham County Jail.

       

Graham County Sheriff's Deputies were called to a single-vehicle rollover accident at the of Roper Lake Road, and Stockton Road, South of Safford, Friday, at around 4:30pm.

The driver of the 1977 Jeep, Matthew Allen Pohl, 37, told deputies that he was traveling at around 35 to 45-MPH, on Stockton Road, when another vehicle passed him. Pohl said he moved over to allow the vehicle to pass him and he lost control of the Jeep by overcorrecting and flipped the Jeep up on the passenger side.

Based on the driver's statement to the deputy and examining the skid marks in the road, the deputy concluded that the accident was cause as a result of the driver traveling too fast.

No citations were issued. Pohl was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. An ambulance was called and transported Pohl to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center in Safford, for an examination, even though he was not complaining of any injuries.

       

Safford Detectives have arrested two juveniles for spray painting graffiti on walls, cars, trucks, and homes, early Thursday morning.

According to Safford detectives Diane Thomas and Bill Wren, a 16-year-old female, NyLynn Ayre and Jose Hernandez, 17, had gone to Walmart, Wednesday night and shoplifted two cans of spray paint.

The two then began spraying paint on the outside walls of Wal-mart and continued walking down 8th Street at 3:00am, spraying signs, walls, cars, trucks, and businesses heading into Safford.

After asking around and with help from confidential informants, the two detectives were able to develop evidence against Arye and Hernandez. They found the two "taggers" the same day at around 5:30pm, again at Wal-mart and brought them in for questioning.

Both Ayre and Hernandez allegedly confessed to the criminal damage and were arrested.

The spray painting culprits were caught by Safford Detectives in less than 14-hours after they committed the crimes.

According to Safford Police Captain Dennis Whisman, Thomas and Wren did, "an outstanding job" of finding the taggers and solving the crime.

Thomas also said that a product called "Graffiti Remover" was used by several victims of the tagging to remove the spray paint.

       

Reports of spray painted walls, cars, and homes started coming in to Safford Police at around 4:30am, Thursday morning.

The first call came from a lady at 911 West 11th Street, saying someone spray painted graffiti on her car.

Officers call it "tagging", and as they drove around Safford, Thursday morning, they saw more spray painted cars and walls through out the city.

Some of the businesses that were "tagged" were; Tri County Distributing, Omnibus Security, the BLM Building on 8th Street, Matlock Gas, and Wal-Mart, just to name a few.

At least 15-businessess, homes, and vehicles around 11th Street, 14th Avenue, 8th Street, and 10th Avenue were "tagged" with spray paint.

Safford Officers are looking for the culprits and when and if they are found, they will be charged with multiple counts of criminal damage.

       

Rapid growth in the community has caused serious over-crowding in the Graham County Jail, - so serious that the jail has had to purchase temporary bunks and place them in jail hallways to provide sleeping quarters for inmates.

According to Graham County Jail Commander, Tim Graver, a new area inside the jail has been designed and approved by Graham County Supervisors to hold another 34 inmates.

The jail is so overcrowded that female inmates have to be shipped - at County expense - to Greenlee or Gila County jails to be housed.

With the new 34-bed addition - that still needs to be built - Graver says that he wouldn't have to "farm-out" female inmates and would have more room for an increased inmate population.

A new laundry room, class room, and a new industrial sized washer and dryer would also be included in the new addition.

Graver also said that on Friday's, the jail might have three or four beds available, but by Monday morning, the jail is usually full again to overflowing.

       

Safford Police officers were called to an area South of 26th Street in the Glenn Meadows area, West of 8th Avenue in Safford to a report of a serious ATV accident.

Four riders on two ATV's apparently collided head-on, at around 3:30pm, Wednesday afternoon, while riding in the desert area.

Involved in the accident were Joseph Borjon, 14, Joseph Manuel Castro, 13, Dale Lopez, 35, and Justin Lopez, 14, all of Safford.

All four victims were transported to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center in Safford and Borjon and Castro were flown out to University Medical Center in Tucson.

University Medical Center later announced that Joseph Borjon had died of injuries from the accident.

No word on the condition of Joseph Manuel Castro, who was suffering from severe head injuries.

       

When people mention the Town of Bowie, Arizona, most people think of a sleepy little town on Interstate 10, in Cochise County, named for a famous old west military post.

That was what an illegal immigrant smuggling family was hoping everyone thought while they ran - for years - one of the largest people-smuggling operations in the United States.

On October 30, 2006, FBI, DPS, Cochise County Deputies, and Willcox Police put an end to the Juarez Family smuggling business, based in Bowie, by arresting suspected ringleader Pablo Esteban "Stevie" Juarez, 31, and his wife Lori Ann Juarez, 30.

The Federal indictment says the defendants would arrange for recruitment of illegal immigrants from Mexico, who wanted to go to the U.S., along with transportation from Mexico into the U.S - usually walking through the desert along with a guide - and charged between $1,000 and $2,000 per person.

The illegal immigrants were then taken to "stash houses" in and around Bowie and sometimes held for ransom until the immigrants families sent more money to the smugglers.

The indictment alleges Juarez paid co-defendants for their roles in the operation with cash or narcotics.

53-other defendants have been named in the 764-count indictment and are scheduled to go to trial on June 26th. Motion hearings will take place Monday, May 21st, through Friday, May 25th, in Federal Court.

The arrests capped a two year investigation by local, state, and federal agencies into the family run human smuggling ring based in Bowie.

       

A Mexican Government diplomat has sent a note to the U.S., objecting to an alleged incursion into Mexican territory by Border Patrol Agents in Arizona, trying to extinguish a fire.

The incursion allegedly took place on Monday, as Border Patrol agents stationed in Sonoita were trying to extinguish a brush fire on the U.S. side that quickly spread into Mexico, according to the Mexican Foreign Relations Department.

According to the report, the Border Patrol put out the brush fire and then returned to the U.S.

This complaint comes on the heals of another alleged border incursion late last month. U.S. workers erecting border fences between Douglas and Agua Prieta, allegedly crossed about 10-yards into Mexico.

The Mexican Government's reaction was; even though the incursions may have been a response to an emergency, it is required, without exception, to immediately notify the Mexican authorities.

       

A Kearny, Arizona, man has been convicted in a federal court of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute.

Arturo Vasquez Martinez, 35, was convicted for his participation in the delivery of approximately 1.5-tons of marijuana.

FBI agents in New York City linked Martinez to the $180,000 drug deal, according to a spokesperson from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Martinez and his co-conspirators paid undercover FBI agents $60,000 to transport the marijuana from Mexico into the U.S. and then to New York City.

The Martinez sentencing is set for June 1st. The conviction carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $4-million fine or both.

       

Safford Mayor Ron Green, Vice-Mayor J. T. Cotter, and City Manager Huey Long, are in Washington D.C., this week to meet with federal officials in an attempt to remind those officials of their obligations to the City of Safford.

Monday, the three met with representatives from Senator John McCain's office.

Every year, representatives from the City of Safford take a trek to Washington to meet with government officials to remind them of their financial commitments to Safford.

Mayor Green said that the trio will attend 15-meetings in four days.

Green, Cotter, and Long will meet with Congressman Rick Renzi, representatives from the Bureau of Prisons, Senator John Kyl, and representatives from the Department of Agriculture, to name a few.

The City of Safford will also inquire about a $2-million grant to help with repairs to Safford's drinking water system.

Green, Cotter, and Long are expected to return to Safford Thursday evening.

       

A Safford School bus was hit, Friday morning, by a small vehicle at the intersection of East Highway 70 and 8th Street, in Safford.

The bus was headed East-bound on Highway 70, when a red 1999 Pontiac driven by Rhrett Stickney, 24, with Wyoming license plates, failed to yield coming from Hollywood Road onto Highway 70 and struck the bus, spinning the bus around in the intersection and knocking off the rear axel and wheels.

Luckily, there were no students inside the bus. The only person in the bus was the driver, Gloria Tellez.

Both drivers told Safford Police that they would seek their own medical attention.

       

Drug enforcement agencies are beginning to see the abuse of prescription drugs exceeding the abuse of street narcotics in the U.S and around the world.

The shift to prescription drugs has spawned a lethal new trade in counterfeit painkillers, sedatives, and other medicines potent enough to kill.

Prescription-drug abuse has already outstripped illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and Ecstasy in parts of Europe, Africa, and South Asia, according to a report from the U.N.-affiliated International Narcotics Control Board.

The number of Americans abusing prescription drugs nearly doubled from 7.8-million in 1992 to 15.1 million in 2003.

Among the prescription drugs of choice: the painkillers oxycodone, sold under the trade name OxyContin, and hydrocodone, sold as Vicodin and used by 7.4-percent of college students in 2005.

The report from the International Narcotics Control Board says that Iran is the world's number 1 abuser of opiates, and 2.8-percent of the Iranian population now uses illicit cocaine and heroin, mostly from Afghanistan.

       

A statewide poll shows that a majority of Arizona voters support proposals to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said they would support a proposal that would make it a felony for businesses in Arizona to hire illegal immigrants. More than a third oppose it. Eight percent were undecided.

That's according to the poll by K-A-E-T-T-V and Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

A bill at the Legislature would prohibit employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and require businesses to sign affidavits saying they aren't breaking such a rule.

       

The U-S Fish and Wildlife Service has issued an order to permanently remove a Mexican gray wolf from the wild because the animal was involved in killing three cows in southwestern New Mexico.

The Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project will make every effort to capture the wolf, labeled male 1007.

However, if the team can't capture the animal, he will be shot.

That word from Victoria Fox of Fish and Wildlife's Southwest Region office in Albuquerque.

Fish and Wildlife says the wolf has been involved in three confirmed livestock incidents since March 20th.

Federal biologists began releasing wolves on the Arizona-New Mexico border in 1998 to re-establish the species in part of its historic range.