Gabriel López, Director for the Veterans Center In Laredo Illegally Evicted An Ill Korean War Veteran

Korean War Veteran's eviction from the Rio Grande Plaza Hotel and Suites leads to allegations that Gabriel López, the Director for the Veterans Center had threaten and acted to evict 86-year-old Veteran from the hotel.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

November 9, 2015

Laredo, Texas - On Monday, Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) learned that Gabriel López, the Director for the Veterans Center had been in contact with Kent Mann of Florida for about a month and had threatened to evict Kent's father Larry Mann, 86, a Korean War Veteran who has been ill from the Rio Grande Plaza Hotel and Suites. Kent told HNNUSA that at first he thought López had a good invested interest on his father, but later noticed that López just wanted to evict Mann for no apparent reason other than for being ill. One day around midnight, López called Kent and told him that he was going to evict Mann, according to Kent.

Kent had talked to his father about moving to Florida, but his father refused and wanted to stay in Laredo. 

López told the local Univision News that the family or Mann's son had authorised for López to end Mann's stay at the hotel, but Kent says, that is not true. Mann is now in Florida and is staying at a room rental place and not with his son. Kent explained that Mann suffers from bad kidneys and has been a truck driver for most of his life and was very independent. He didn't want to move from Laredo because a lot of people cared and loved him, according to Kent. 

It now seems, that Mann was evicted without any legal authority or a court order. Alicia Valls exposed the webb of lies and the abuse of Mann by López and Enrique Canales who Coordinate's the Veterans program at the hotel.

López held a press conference at the hotel on Monday to dispute Valls allegations that Mann was forced out or evicted from the hotel, but Kent confirmed that Valls was telling the truth and López was not. López failed to provide any legal document or a family notarized letter of authorization allowing him to evict Mann.

Valls is pushing for a local and federal investigation into any wrongdoing by López and the illegal eviction of a Korean War Veteran from the hotel. 

The Mann controversy and scandal of an eviction of a ill War Veteran has drawn the attention of Jaime Canales, the 4th Precinct Commissioner in Laredo, who is now asking questions and has the Laredo Police Department investigating López and Mann's eviction. Jaime is not related to Enrique.

The Veterans Administration (VA) has not released a statement in regards to Mann's illegal eviction from the Rio Grande Plaza Hotel and Suites. At least 200 other Veterans and their families could be effected, if the program that houses the Veterans at the hotel ends. López now wants to shut down the program in wake off Mann's eviction scandal in Laredo.

How many other ill War Veterans has López evicted from the hotel or program for just being sick? 

López alleged illegal actions has caused a public outcry in Laredo for justice for Mann and other Veterans affected by the mismanagement and illegal action to evict Mann by both López and Canales.