The migrants were standing near a water tank along a farm when Murder on the Base? It was dozens of people complaining.. Inmates at the time resorted to using plastic bags for toilets and had to kill a rattlesnake found in their sleeping quarters when officials failed to respond. Theyre looking in the wrong placeI cant express what I feel about these people. LockA locked padlock In his interviews with investigators, Mark Sheppard said he and his brother had been out looking to shoot animals and thought they had spotted some javelinas, similar to wild hogs. Even though Mary had not been seen or heard from by her family or friends in weeks, the State Attorney did not charge McDonald with anything related to her disappearance. I hunt man, he added in a grinning reference to the nature of his job in law enforcement. Thus, the pod investigates the "truth" week after week. Anna Giaritelli, Homeland Security Reporter, Freedom House undermines mission by downplaying genocide and terror. The public defender successfully moved to keep out information regarding any speculation that Mary was dead. It has a Border Patrol checkpoint and a large Border Patrol presence. The detention center is in Sierra Blanca, Texas, about four miles north of where the DPS spokesperson said the shooting occurred. The killing is being investigated by the Texas Rangers along with agents from the F.B.I. But he waited until last week to create a cartel division at Texas DPS. Scott Sutterfield, a spokesman for Louisiana-based LaSalle Corrections, confirmed via email that Sheppard no longer worked for the company. The New York Times, citing affidavits filed by investigators, reported the group was walking around 7 p.m. when they stopped at a water tank. The men, per the Times, said in interviews with law enforcement that they had been out looking for animals to shoot. Its like theyre playing with my mind, giving me bad information. -Gloria Barrios (Blancas mom). The people shot were part of a group of The Latino advocacy groups also announced it will ask the U.S. Department of Justice to look into the flights that immigrants rights groups claimed were nothing more than political stunts. Yet, the words and vitriol used against Latinos and migrants are leading to murder. Mount was going through a divorce with her husband and moved home with Knapp in the last months of her life. Neither responded to requests for comment. She was a 24-year-old single waitress who lived alone. Until his arrest, Mike Sheppard was the warden at the West Texas Detention Center, a nearby federal prison run by the company LaSalle Corrections which used to house detained migrants for the federal government and has been the subject of serious abuse allegations in recent years. Border Patrol Apprehends Interpol Murder Suspect. The AFOSI referred to the death as a homicide in the media in the early stages of the investigation. Gloriahad questions about the bruises, defensive wounds, and the fluid found near Blancas groin but never received any answers. Jeanette Harper, an FBI special agent in El Paso, confirmed the agency had provided resources to Texas Rangers for an evidence recovery scene but deferred further comment to DPS as it was the leading investigative authority. I held my sisters bones in my hands, no brother should have to endure that, he said. Additionally, Bahs records checks revealed that he had an active Interpol warrant for murder out of France. Im sure the thought back then was, theres probable cause for burglary. A male migrant was fatally shot, a Texas DPS spokesperson said. struggles to provide sufficient water supplies for its hundreds of inmates. UPDATE:After the first report on this story in May 2018, WINK News obtained exclusive interrogation video with murder suspect Terry Daniel McDonald. Im asking the authorities, Mexican and American, to work together and put these men in jail, said Napoleon Seplveda, Jess father, in an interview with El Paso Matters. Keep reading to find out. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Border Patrol Apprehends Interpol Murder Suspect. The Hudspeth County Clerks office said Monday afternoon it still had not received any documents and had no case against the brothers formally docketed. We were speaking Spanish, and Mark said, Dont speak Spanish around me, said Bill Addington, 65, a longtime resident who volunteered at a local food bank where Mr. Sheppard would supervise county inmates on work detail in striped uniforms. A woman is accused of breaking into a retail store in Naples on Monday, April 3, hiding her identity by holding an umbrella while taking money from the business. Findings have been reviewed by a diverse team of experts, including specialists in forensics, polygraph, computer investigation, behavioral psychology and forensic pathologyMore than 200 DNA tests have been done.. The facility still holds inmates for the U.S. She was living in the Chicago, Illinois area and studying Graphic Design. Change). Updated: 10 PM Central. The brothers reportedly told law enforcement they were looking for animals to shoot. It found that officers used racist epithets and engaged in hate crimes. The San Antonio Express-News reported that Mike Sheppard was the warden of the West Texas Detention Center, run by the Louisiana-based LaSalle Corrections, a company that operates jails, prisons and immigration detention centers. Air Force identifies deceased Airman Napolen Seplveda Moreno, 56, mourned the death of his son, who he said had hoped to meet up with his brother in Austin, stay a couple of years to make money to support his two young children and then return to Mexico. Mark Sheppard told agents that he did not report to law enforcement authorities when they found out a migrant had been killed at the location where they were shooting. The suspects have since claimed they had been out hunting birds and hogs, though statements from witnesses contradicted their claims. When Blancas body arrived in Chicago, the family observed bruises on Blancas face as if she had been punched or had fallen and scratches between her fingers that appeared to be defensive wounds. Here's what we know. WebThe first victim was Lorena Sallas. Agents from the U.S. Border Patrols Sierra Blanca checkpoint were also called to help the Hudspeth County Sheriffs Office locate a female gunshot victim around 9:15 p.m., a spokesperson for the federal agency said. On reddit, listeners didn't hold back at voicing their discontent. One of the reasons we filed the report is that it wasnt just one person complaining. A new bill would change that, LULAC raises reward amount for info on woman who allegedly lured migrants away from Texas, Hispanic students were once segregated at this school. Mark Sheppard said that they had stopped the truck because they believed they had spotted a javelina, according to the Times. WebCrime in Sierra Blanca, Texas. Agents have been assigned to the case on a full-time basis, and more than 350 interviews have been conducted at locations across the country. On Friday afternoon, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) called the incident a "hate crime against brown-skinned immigrants that was inspired by the invasion rhetoric" from Gov. A truck with two men inside pulled over and shot at a group of migrants getting water along a road near the town of Sierra Blanca on Tuesday, according to the statement. Help us secure our homeland, find out more at cbp.gov/careers. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. He then changed his story and said he and his brother "looking for ducks, then changed it to birds, and then to Javelina's." She loved the military. A 2018 report detailed the experience of several Somali migrants that were detained at West Texas Detention Center, where he was the warden. As of Tuesday, both men were again in custody, this time closer to home at the Hudspeth County jail. A spokesman for the company, which operates more than a dozen detention facilities across Texas, Louisiana and Georgia, said Mr. Sheppard had been fired after his arrest. McDonald was charged with Burglary. She felt that they resented her because of her rank and the fact that she was a woman in a leadership position. It was unclear late Thursday what, if any, action federal officials took after the report was released and published in The Intercept. The vehicle backed up and the driver got out, leaned on the hood and fired two shots from a firearm at the group before leaving the scene. It had to be someone affiliated with the base that either lives and/or works there. The "in respect of the victims" in the podcast notes. The FBI, United States Border Patrol, and Homeland Security Investigations are assisting. Sutterfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday about those previous allegations or Mike Sheppards continued employment after they were made. According to one detainee, the Warden Sheppard threatened him and said "Boy, I'm going to show you. They are driving me crazy. If Greg Abbott really cared about public safety, he would immediately condemn these actions and the violent actions of all vigilantes.. They drove away and attended a water board meeting. Mike loves to hunt, the Hudspeth County sheriff, Arvin West, said in an interview at his office, where he displayed an autographed portrait of former president Donald J. Trump. The Murder of Military Women Continues The Debrief with Hugo Gurdon: Why nobody wants a rematch of Trump and Biden in 2024, Reporters Notebook: Biden makes 2024 campaign official. The other was fatally struck and died at the scene. And so I gave him my blessings, Mr. Seplveda said in a telephone interview. The vehicle linked to the shooting belonged to LaSalle Corrections, according to the Express-News. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Knapp didnt sugar coat her objections either when Mount first met Terry Daniel McDonald in late 2003. did not respond to a request for comment. "Definitely an intriguing and creepy plot. The brothers, the Sheppards, were taken into custody and remain in jail in El Paso. Hundreds have drowned in the Rio Grande or perished from extreme heat in failed smuggling attempts. A DPS spokesperson said they did not have copies of the records to release. Find a Grave: Blanca Adriana Luna (1980 2008). A subsequent investigation by the Office of the Inspector General for the federal Department of Homeland Security could not substantiate the detainees claims. Warden of Texas immigrant jail fired after arrest for shooting 2 migrants, SAPD calls: Body in flooded creek; man dead after hit by train. I have a Mexican-Native American background, but Mike was never ugly to me, said Paula Barrios, 39, who lived near the two brothers. Another added, "The fact that they tried to claim it was true, the website they built has a tip line of sorts at the bottom. Big Bend Sector Border Patrol agents, patrol 517 miles of the southwest border, an area that extends from Sierra Blanca, Texas to Sanderson, Texas. She was discovered with a knife in the back of her neck according to the death certificate and no pants or underwear and dried fluid near her groin according to the autopsy. Upon hearing a truck approaching, the group tried to hide. Within weeks of meeting, her family said Mount paid for McDonald to travel from Washington to Florida and purchased a hotel room for him in Cape Coral. OSI continues to investigate March 7 death A lock ( FILE - The warden of a West Texas federal jail for immigrants has been fired after he and a brother allegedly shot at migrants walking along a roadside in Hudspeth County on Sept. 27, killing one and wounding another. 12-year-old Lucas Roulston loved to be outside and had a huge smile. At AFOSIs request, the FBI sent an evidence response team to process the scene immediately after Airman Luna was found, and the two agencies have continued to cooperate in the investigation. by Alejandro Serrano, Uriel J. Garca and William Melhado In 2004 he was not involved with the case, but said he has reviewed that case file. According to the podcast, Ana Nuez, Carlos Aniceto and Magdalena's own aunt, Lorena Salas, were murdered by a killer. This is not the first time Mike Sheppard has been accused of endangering the lives of migrants. I think nearly anyone who knew the man is really just astonished that he used such poor judgment, he said. The warden and his staff were accused of beating migrants and yelling racial slurs in that 2018 report. Neely, the Hudspeth County Judge, said in an interview he was shocked by the shooting. According to the affidavits filed, a group of migrants were "traversing the desert" in a remote area near Sierra Blanca and stopped to drink water out of a water tank in a reservoir. This is problematic because instead of listing the death as an unsolved murder or cold case, it can be written off as a suicide and never investigated again. I said now you got a body, what are you going to do?. The affidavit says migrants told federal agents they overheard one of the men yell in Spanish something to the effect of "Come out you sons of b----s, little a--s!" Six months later they would be accused of leading the family to believe it was a suicide despite evidencesuggesting otherwise. Fiesta crowd to top 2.5 million despite rain canceling SpaceX will be ready for launch in six to eight weeks, Airport-to-downtown tunnel project still on the table, No one is driving this taxi. "It's flat, meaning anything that moves, you see it. Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro called the shooting By 2021, the detention center no longer housed any migrants for federal authorities, according to inspection records. Steve Knapp recalled them arriving in a small brown paper bag, and broke into tears. Knapp said a homicide detective was assigned to the case after Mount failed to show for a divorce proceeding with her estranged husband. This is a military base highly secured. He did not address Sheppards alleged use of the company truck. Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Sierra Blanca violent crime is 20.8. During the recent debate in the race for governor, the Democratic candidate, Beto ORourke, said the killing could be traced to Gov. Offers may be subject to change without notice. During the 60-minute event, the candidates stuck to the talking points that have so far dominated this election season. People have died in our state just based on the color of their skin in El Paso three years ago, and now in our neighboring Hudspeth County. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. McDonald has been incarcerated in Texas since being found guilty of Felipe Andrades 2005 murder. DeSantis and other officials, Latest statewide poll shows majority of Texans think state is headed in the wrong direction. Coastal nonprofit's survey of SpaceX launch site details San Antonio eyes stickers in fight against domestic violence, Man accused of strangling neighbor to death in apartment, SA's last Tuskegee Airman buried at Fort Sam, Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run on Interstate 35 downtown. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. Racially charged murders happen when we promote language and policies that produce hate, said MALC vice-chair and state Rep. Mary Gonzlez, who is from the El Paso area. This is pissing me off, he said. (LogOut/ She was in the Marines. Our faith tells us to love thy neighbor, she said. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. By, A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, dangerous anti-immigrant political rhetoric, How an anti-abortion campaign overtook a reproductive rights club on one Texas campus, Always on our minds: Austin celebrates 90 years of Willie Nelson, Severe storms are moving through the Austin area, More than a third of Texas prisons don't have air conditioning. The FBI said there is no pending threat to public safety at this time. WebCrime rate in Weslaco, Texas (TX): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. This is an ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers and FBI and no further information is available at this time. SIERRA BLANCA, Texas U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol Station arrested a citizen of France illegally in the United States and wanted for murder by Interpol, Aug. 6. Border Report reached out to DPS for confirmation of the victims (The US average is 22.7) Sierra Blanca The facility operated by the for-profit prison company LaSalle Corrections held immigrants for ICE up until October 2019. By James Dobbins,J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval. They turned their back on her, said Knapp. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Mount was born with a genetic disorder at only five pounds. Mark Sheppard said they thought they had seen a javelina and stopped the truck. Copyright 2022 Texas Public Radio. She said initially she struggled to get the Lee County Sheriffs Office to open a missing persons case because Mount was an adult. To see more, visit Texas Public Radio. Who turned off the cameras? Its been over a decade since the man who was last seen with Mary Mount led investigators to the shallow grave where he had left her body near Sierra Blanca, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said last week that the woman who was injured was in stable condition and recovering at an El Paso hospital, but the agency has not commented further. The two brothers charged last week in a shooting that killed one person and left another injured near Sierra Blanca were released from the Hudspeth County jail Monday night on bonds of $250,000 each, the county sheriffs office said. Sept. 29, 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/us/migrants-shot-texas.html, Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The New York Times. My condolences to the family. Two 60-year-old brothers were arrested Thursday in connection with the shooting in Sierra Blanca Tuesday night, which is being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Word of the shooting spread rapidly through Sierra Blanca, a pit stop for truck traffic along Interstate 10. The people shot were part of a group of migrants, according to the FBI. Hudspeth County officials said they found more than 15 bodies of migrants in the desert last year, an increase from two or three a year in previous years. He did not respond to the allegations in 2018 about mistreatment at the jail, nor did he say whether any action had been taken against Mr. Sheppard as a result of the complaints. "Rhetoric about that we're being invaded and the replacement theory that they're spouting, all of that creates a hate. @upandvanished I am sorta annoyed that you all promoted "The Heads of Sierra Blanca" without stating it is fiction. The warden of a West Texas federal jail for immigrants has been fired after he and a brother allegedly shot at migrants drinking water along a roadside in Hudspeth County on Tuesday, killing one and wounding another. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. But if you would like to submit something, please send to militaryjusticeforall@gmail.com, Since when did Air Force personnel start wearing Marine Corps uniforms.
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