Major Drug Trafficker Chepe Handal Arrested In Honduras

Drug trafficker is wanted by the U.S. government for his distribution of drugs to both the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas that ended up in the U.S.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 15, 2015

San Pedro Sula, Honduras - On Thursday, José Miguel Handal Pérez, 40, aka, "Chepe Handal" a major cocaine trafficker and supplier to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas was taken into custody. Handal Pérez was visiting his father at Cemesa, a clinic and nursing home when local police, federal and national security military forces surrounded the nursing home. The suspect was leaving the nursing home along with a bodyguard, another person and an 8-year-old child when authorities stopped him and after several hours Handal Pérez negotiated his surrender with his lawyer and federal authorities. No shots were reported fired, according to feds in Honduras.

Handal Pérez was wanted for drug trafficking charges since 2009 and authorities executed an October 2014 warrant from his arrest to face drug trafficking charges in Honduras.

In April 2013, Handal Pérez was designated as a drug trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by the U.S. Treasury and prohibited U.S. citizens and companies from during business with his companies, Corporación Handal, which is comprised of various business ventures including a general merchandise and auto parts store, Supertiendas & Autopartes Handal, JM Troya, a motorcycle brand, and Cleopatra's, a clothing store.

Handal Pérez drug operation included smuggling multi-tons of cocaine from Colombia and distributed the drugs to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas in Mexico, according to the U.S. Treasury.

On March 3, 2011, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida indicted Chepe Handal with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine with knowledge that it will be unlawfully imported into the United States.

Robbie L. Fields Charged For Rumeal Ray Meatheney's Homicide In Milwaukee

The 34-year-old suspect was sought by police for fatally shooting a 23-year-old man at a home in the 1700 block of W. Mineral St.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 14, 2015

Milwaukee, WI - On Friday, Robbie L. Fields, 34, was charged with one felony count of first-degree reckless homicide in connection with last Monday's homicide of Rumeal Ray Meatheney, 23, aka, "Melly Mel" at a Milwaukee Southside home. Fields turned himself to Milwaukee police on Wednesday, according to police. A $75,000 bond was set for Fields.

On Monday, March 9, police responded to the 1700 block of W. Mineral St. around 4:30 p.m. after shots were reported fired inside a home.  

Apparently, Meatheney and Fields got into an altercation outside of a home where Field's lived with his girlfriend in the lower level of a duplex. Both of them ended in the upper level of the home where the brother of Field's girl was staying. Fields than fired multiple shots through a door striking Meatheney. Fields than fled the scene, according witnesses.

Fields had been distraught that people who knew him by an alias, Chris P. Klean had learned that he had HIV. Fields had bragged that he was a member of the Crips in California and had several felonies, indicating why he might have left California to avoid a third (three time loser) felony conviction that would send him to life in prison. 

Fields in a fake Facebook (FB) account using his alias as Chris P. Klean had posted that he was strapped with two 9mm handguns and didn't care what was being said about him. While on the run for several days, Fields even contacted the victim's sister by text messages to say that he was sorry for killing Meatheney.

Klean's FB account has been disabled.

MVS Radio Fired Two Aristegui Investigative Reporters Over Mexico Leaks Alliance

Aristegui news host Carmen Aristegui announced that she has rejected the decision by MVS Radio CEO Joaquín Vargas to terminate two of her investigative reporters over an alliance with Mexico Leaks.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 13, 2015

Mexico, D.F. - On Friday, Carmen Aristegui, the radio news host for Aristegui Noticias on MVS Radio rejected the decision by Joaquín Vargas, the CEO of MVS Radio to terminate two of Aristegui Investigative reporters for an alliance with Mexico Leaks dot mx. Vargas on Thursday announced that both Daniel Lizárraga and Irvin Huerta had been fired for unauthorized used of the MVS corporate name and resources to formed an alliance with eight other news sources to create Mexico Leaks, a Internet watchdog platform page for citizens and government whistle-blowers to anonymously submit material and information about government and police corruption.

Vargas accused Aristegui and the two reporters of misusing the MVS corporate name to form an alliance without the MVS owners authorization and administration knowledge. On Wednesday, Aristegui reported in her news program that a Mexico Leaks website is in the process to being created in collaboration with eight other news sources, including Proceso and Press Unlimited from Holland. 

Aristegui received an award and recognition from the Journalists Club in Mexico for her national news reporting about the White House real estate bribery, failure to report real estate assets and money laundering scandal involving President Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI) and his wife Angelica and for the Cuauhtémoc Gutiérrez de la Torre sex and prostitution scandal. De la Torre, the PRI Party leader in Mexico City was involved in a prostitution ring, he was later removed from the job. Women were solicited for employment at the PRI headquarters in Mexico City, but when they were interviewed, it turned out that they would be paid to engage in sex acts with De la Torre while at work.

Aristegui says, that the reporters should not have been fired, but recognized for their work exposing both the White House and the De la Torre prostitution ring scandals. Vargas had said since Monday, that the Mexico Leaks news alliance was not the problem, but using the MVS corporate name and resources without the knowledge of the MVS ownership and administration was the issue.

Aristegui says, that she has notified the MVS administration that Aristegui News can not continue to work effectively without Lizárraga and Huerta. Other pending news investigations have been jeopardize by the termination of both investigative reporters and if MVS wants Aristegui News to continue on the radio, they have to rehire both reporters, Aristegui reported on Friday.
MVS on Friday released a 16 point policy for its radio hosts and their personel. The new policy creates a News Director who will be responsible for all news production, reporting and will follow an editorial committee decision to air news stories, only news material produced at MVS will be used, news hosts and their personel will not be allowed to engage in agreements with other news sources unless first approved by the MVS administration, news exclusively by MVS will not be shared with the competition or other websites unless approved by MVS, will hire extra investigative reporters who will share services with MVS radio hosts, the radio hosts and the News Director will select working assignments for reporters, and other personel for news production, MVS administration and all personel, including radio hosts can not be associated with political groups or special interest groups, all radio hosts and their personel will sign contracts agreeing to said policies and the policies will take effect on Monday, March 16. The new policy agreement was accepted by Carmen Aristegui, Alejandro Cacho, Luis Cárdenas and Ezra Shabot, according to MVS. It was not clear, if Lizárraga and Huerta will return to work with Aristegui. 

MexicoLeaks at:  http://bit.ly/1FZrjhp

Máquinaria Norteña Band Opposes Tejano Music Movement And Sunday's HLSR Protest

Members from La Máquinaria Norteña had their first television interview and placed themselves in the center of the HLSR rodeo and Tejano music enthusiasts controversy in Houston.

By H. Nelson Goodson

March 12, 2015

Houston, Texas - On Thursday, one of the Mexican genre music groups hired to perform on the Go Tejano Day on Sunday at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) arena has placed themselves in the center of a major controversy over Tejano music and culture. During a first time interview by Houston ABC 13 with Rory Nieto from the Máquinaria Norteña band, he told ABC 13 that Tejanos "had their time, we have our time now" indicating that they have almost sold out their performance along with the Arrolladora Banda El Limón for Sunday's HLSR concert. Nieto's band plays Mexican Norteño music and Banda El Limón plays Mexican Banda music, which is totally a different music genre than Tejano music and culture.

Rory, Keith Nieto, Tony Nieto, Sergio Soto and Randy Pérez do say that they are from Texas, but have chosen to play Norteño music and make up the Máquinaria Norteña Mexican style of music. They say that their Norteño music is Texan like they are, but Tejanos and Mexican nationals would definitely disagree with them, because they don't sound Tejano at all.

In prior years, Tejano bands have been featured at the Go Tejano Day HLSR arena stage and have sold out, but in the last eight years, the bands have been moved out of the main arena stage and placed in small outside tents or areas less attractive to rodeo attendees. 

Tejanos, supporters and enthusiasts have staged protests and are demanding for the HLSR organization, which all the executive positions of the non-profit organization are White managed to stop discriminating and add Tejano or Conjunto bands on stage during Go Tejano Day. Mexican and Tejano bands could share the arena stage on Sunday and would generate revenue from everyone attending the rodeo, instead of the HLSR and Máquinaria Norteña attempting to further deepen discriminatory practices by the HLSR. 

Nieto and his group failed to recognized Tejano music as a popular genre in Texas, because they have been hired to perform at the HLSR rodeo event and their music is popular today, but come tomorrow they might just fade away as many have done. Tejano music is popular in Texas and will always be, including various styles of Spanish language music genres today. 

The Tejano activists and supporters have not attacked or criticized both the Máquinaria Norteña or La Banda Limón for getting hired to perform during Go Tejano Day. What Rory and his band players have overlooked is that the Tejano Day protest on Sunday is against all the White HLSR Rodeo executive committee, the President/CEO of the HLSR and President of the HLSR Board of Directors who have blatantly discriminated Tejanos and their music for the last eight years, but do depend on the 42 percent of the Tejano population in Houston to attend the rodeo and contribute to more than $133M of revenue generated in the 19-day rodeo event.

The ABC 13 interview with Máquinaria Norteña was seen as a biased news segment because the HLSR Tejano protesters were left out of the interview to balance the story. If ABC 13 and Máquinaria Norteña would have only focused on their performance at the Houston rodeo and the interview would not have brought up the protest, ABC 13 and the Norteño band wouldn't be seen as attempting to divide the Tejano and Mexican Houston community even further.

Which José Vega, one the Tejano HLSR protest organizers for Sunday on his Facebook posted,  "We gave ABC 13 till the end of the day today to meet with us and give straight answers on Why they are allowing the HLSR to use them as a tool for their useless propaganda when it comes to our issues against the RODEO and them ignoring our request to resolve this issue... The FCC in Washington will not be to happy when they find out that they are particularly taking part on the Rodeos mission to divide our people... We have nothing against Norteño but with us being 42% Latino we deserve more!!" ABC 13 has agreed to meet with Vega and other members of the HLSR protest, according to Vega.

Máquinaria Norteña band criticized the Tejano music movement and the HLSR protest for Sunday on Houston's ABC 13: http://abc13.co/1Asd93u

Rodner Figueroa Fired From Univision After Comparing Michelle Obama To An Ape

First lady Michelle Obama was compared as one of the ape characters in the movie Planet of the Apes by popular Univision commentator Rodner Figueroa.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 12, 2015

Miami - On Thursday, Univision released a statement that Rodner Figueroa, 42, a popular fashion critic TV host from the Sal y Pimienta (Salt and Pepper) Program has been fired after making a racist remark about First Lady Michelle Obama on the Wednesday show of El Gordo y la Flaca. Figueroa was talking about make-up and he told the audience, "you all know that Michelle Obama looks like the characters of the Planet of the Apes." That comment went viral on social networks and Univision immediately fired Figueroa on Wednesday. Univision stated that Figueroa had made "a reprobable comment and did not reflect the opinion of Univision...as a result Figueroa was separated from the company."

Figueroa was making comments about the make-up artist Paolo Ballesteros who transforms himself to look like female celebrities.
Figueroa released a statement on Thursday saying that he sent a letter of apology to Michelle Obama's Office at the White House. He said that he is the first openly Gay fashion critic TV host on Univision and his comment was misinterpreted and that he is not a racist. Figueroa felt humiliated by Univision for the way they handled the news covering his termination without conducting an internal investigation by the company. Figueroa says, that he was fired after the Office of the First Lady Obama complained to Univision about his racist remark that compared Michelle to the cast of the Planet of the Apes. Figueroa has accepted the consequences for his error, but didn't explain why he compared Michelle to the Apes in the movie sequel.
Figueroa had worked at Univision for 17 years.

Rodner Figueroa's racist remark in Spanish on Univision: https://youtu.be/ZyjENuhxK0E

No Bond For Manuela Rodríguez Who Cut Her 7-month-old Granddaughter's Throat

Granddaughter was beaten with a metal wrench, her mouth stuffed with a sock and then had her throat cut with circular saw, the criminal complaint says.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 11, 2015

Chicago, Illinois - On Wednesday, a Cook County judge decided for Manuela Rodríguez, 52, a Mexican national to be held without bond and was charged with first-degree homicide for Monday's murder of her granddaughter 7-month-old Rose Herrera. The criminal complaint states, that Rodríguez killed her granddaughter because she wouldn't stop crying. An autopsy report confirmed that Herrera died from blunt force trauma to the head and suffocation as a contributing factor. 

Police say, that Rodríguez had confessed and admitted to hitting Herrera with a metal wrench in the head multiple times and then placed a sock in her mouth to stop her from crying. Afterwards, Rodríguez used a circular saw and cut Herrera's throat and shoulder. Herrera was already dead before Rodríguez cut her throat, according to the autopsy report.

Rodríguez attempted suicide by cutting herself in the upper chest, but a family member stopped her in time. 

Herrera was pronounced death at the scene. Rodríguez took care of her granddaughter while her parents worked. Family members say, Rodríguez suffered from depression and had sought help, but had not shown any signs of hurting her grandchildren when she took care of them.

Suspects Connected To 11 Milwaukee Southside Armed Robberies Arrested By Police

Eleven suspects including six women arrested for more than a dozen armed robberies in the tri-county area, most were committed in Milwaukee's Southside, according to police.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 11, 2015

Milwaukee, WI -  On Wednesday, a Southeastern law enforcement task force including the Milwaukee Police and the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office confirmed that 11 suspects including 6 females were arrested for a series of armed robberies in the tri-county area. Eleven of those armed robberies were committed in Milwaukee's Southside between December 2014 and January 2015, Police 2nd District Station Captain Alfonso Morales reported during a press conference on Wednesday.

Ten of the suspects were taken into custody in the City of Milwaukee and one suspect in Waukesha County. The suspects are in their late teens to early 20's and are associated with members of the Spanish Cobras who were imprisoned in 2013.

Milwaukee Southside robberies reported by police.

● December 3, 2014 at Taqueria El Cabrito at 1100 S. 11th Street

● December 13, 2014 at Advance Auto Parts at 1331 W. Burnham Street

● December 18, 2014 at Advance Auto Parts at 1920 W. National Avenue

● December 22, 2014 at Family Dollar 3045 S. 13th Street

● December 23, 2014 at Brew City tap at 3105 W. Forest Home Avenue

● December 25, 2014 at One Stop Outlet at 809 S. Cesar Chavez Drive

● December 26, 2014 at El Local Restaurant at 1801 S. 11th Street

● January 9, 2015 at Mimas Food Mart at 2420 S. 6th Street

● January 10, 2015 at Taqueria Arandas Restaurant at 1531 W. Lincoln Avenue

● January 20, 2015 at Fiesta Garibaldi at 821 W. Lincoln Avenue

● January 23, 2015 at Puerto Escondido Restaurant at 1116 W. Historic Mitchell Street