Conservative bloggers and anti-immigrant groups began to post and spread the false report on the Internet about the San Diego minuteman belief that Zetas had seized two ranches in Laredo and the feds weren't responding... apparently a hoax by minutemen!
By H. Nelson Goodson
July 25, 2010
Laredo, Texas - On Saturday, local and federal law enforcement agencies have confirmed the alleged report by a blogger that an unknown number of Zetas had taken over two ranches in Laredo was not true. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Office in San Antonio spokesperson Erik Vasys said, the bureau did not comment on rumors.
The Laredo Police Department, Webb County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Border Patrol have confirmed, they have not been notified or responded to a takeover of several ranches at the Minerales neighorhood by members of the Zeta Cartel.
Hector Garcia, a Laredo city council member told the Advocate blogger in Nuevo Laredo that the Sheriff's Department had confirmed that two ranchers had an argument, and there was no Zeta takeover of any Laredo ranch in the area as reported by bloggers. The Avocate even drove to the area where supposedly the Zetas had seized the ranches and were in a stand off with the feds and local authorties. No law enforcement deployment was detected in the area or any indication Zetas had taken control of any ranch, the Avocate reported.
The blog reports began when Dan Amato from Diggers Realm initially posted and began to spread that Zetas had seized two ranches in Laredo as an "act of war." Amato wrote that Jeff Schwilk, the San Diego, California minuteman provided the information (tip). Amato said that he believed Kimberly Dvorak from the Examiner.com who reported two unnamed sources inside the Laredo Police Department had confirmed, that indeed Zetas had seized two ranches in Laredo.
The local newspaper in Laredo reported on Saturday, a blogger wrote that he got a tip from a Schwilk, who said that the Zetas, former enforcers of the Gulf Cartel, had crossed into the United States and taken over two ranches off Mines Road, about 10 miles northwest of Interstate 35, and an armed confrontation followed between the Zetas and the U.S. Border Patrol in conjunction with local police, according to the Laredo Morning Times.
The rumor spread quickly around the U.S. and caught local authorities by surprise when people began to call for confirmation of the seized ranches. Laredo Police Detective Jose E. Baeza, spokesperson confirmed, the department was unaware of any incident or confrontation with Zetas in Laredo.
On Saturday afternoon, Maru De La Paz, spokeswoman from the Webb County Sheriff's Office informed the Laredo Morning Times, the department could not confirm that Zetas had taken over several ranches in the county.
Recently, authorities across the border in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico reported multiple gun battle confrontations between alleged Zetas and the military resulting in more than a dozen people killed and 21 injured. President Felipe Calderon sent Mexican troops last week to secure the city and to try and get rid of the Zeta Cartel drug influence and violence associated with drug trafficking and smuggling through the bordertown of Nuevo Laredo into Laredo, Texas.
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By H. Nelson Goodson
July 25, 2010
Laredo, Texas - On Saturday, local and federal law enforcement agencies have confirmed the alleged report by a blogger that an unknown number of Zetas had taken over two ranches in Laredo was not true. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Office in San Antonio spokesperson Erik Vasys said, the bureau did not comment on rumors.
The Laredo Police Department, Webb County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Border Patrol have confirmed, they have not been notified or responded to a takeover of several ranches at the Minerales neighorhood by members of the Zeta Cartel.
Hector Garcia, a Laredo city council member told the Advocate blogger in Nuevo Laredo that the Sheriff's Department had confirmed that two ranchers had an argument, and there was no Zeta takeover of any Laredo ranch in the area as reported by bloggers. The Avocate even drove to the area where supposedly the Zetas had seized the ranches and were in a stand off with the feds and local authorties. No law enforcement deployment was detected in the area or any indication Zetas had taken control of any ranch, the Avocate reported.
The blog reports began when Dan Amato from Diggers Realm initially posted and began to spread that Zetas had seized two ranches in Laredo as an "act of war." Amato wrote that Jeff Schwilk, the San Diego, California minuteman provided the information (tip). Amato said that he believed Kimberly Dvorak from the Examiner.com who reported two unnamed sources inside the Laredo Police Department had confirmed, that indeed Zetas had seized two ranches in Laredo.
The local newspaper in Laredo reported on Saturday, a blogger wrote that he got a tip from a Schwilk, who said that the Zetas, former enforcers of the Gulf Cartel, had crossed into the United States and taken over two ranches off Mines Road, about 10 miles northwest of Interstate 35, and an armed confrontation followed between the Zetas and the U.S. Border Patrol in conjunction with local police, according to the Laredo Morning Times.
The rumor spread quickly around the U.S. and caught local authorities by surprise when people began to call for confirmation of the seized ranches. Laredo Police Detective Jose E. Baeza, spokesperson confirmed, the department was unaware of any incident or confrontation with Zetas in Laredo.
On Saturday afternoon, Maru De La Paz, spokeswoman from the Webb County Sheriff's Office informed the Laredo Morning Times, the department could not confirm that Zetas had taken over several ranches in the county.
Recently, authorities across the border in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico reported multiple gun battle confrontations between alleged Zetas and the military resulting in more than a dozen people killed and 21 injured. President Felipe Calderon sent Mexican troops last week to secure the city and to try and get rid of the Zeta Cartel drug influence and violence associated with drug trafficking and smuggling through the bordertown of Nuevo Laredo into Laredo, Texas.
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