Boston Marathon Temporarily Suspended After Several Bombs Exploded Near Finish Line

Photos: Social Media

23 people injured, 2 reported killed while watching runners crossing the finish line, many of the injured lost limbs.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 15, 2013

Boston, MA - On Monday, several bombs exploded about four hours after the first Boston Marathon runner crossed the finish line. At least 23 people were reported injured, including 6 in critical condition, two people confirmed dead and many people missing limbs, according to police. One nearby hospital reported having 19 patients. About 86 patients, including children have been treated for injuries in the area.

The explosions occured seconds from each other near the finish line at 2:50 p.m. Boston East Coast time. Police discovered two other unexploded improvised explosive devices.

A third bomb was found and a controlled explosion was detonated by police, according to Edward Davis, Boston Police Commissioner. Davis said, all backpacks and small packages left behind by runners and people will be inspected by police. He asked for possible witnesses who left the crime scene or people who took video and pictures to contact police to provide possible evidence of who was responsible. People and tourists should not gather in large numbers and stay inside their homes and hotel rooms until the area is secure, Davis said.
Federal authorities confirmed, the bombings were being investigated as a "terrorist act."
There were about 27,000 runners participating in Monday's 26.2 mile run marathon.

No one has come forward to take credit for the bombings. 

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Criminals Filed Defamation Complaint Against La 72 Refuge Shelter Activists In Tabasco

Tomás González Castillo and Ruben Figueroa

Suspected members of local criminal organization affiliated with Los Zetas filed a defamation and moral character damage complaint against La 72 Immigrant Refuge shelter operator and human rights activist.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 15, 2013

Tenosique, Tabasco, Mexico - The Tabasco state Attorney General Justice's Office (PGJET) confirmed that a complaint for defamation and moral character damage was filed on April 10 against Franciscan Priest Tomás González Castilla, 39, operator of La 72 Immigrant Refuge Shelter and Ruben Figueroa, from the Mesoamerican Migrant Movement organization. The plaintiffs, José Alberto González and Jorge Alberto Alvarado, both from Honduras and José Osmaro Cruz Gálvez from El Salvador are claiming that Castillo and Figueroa falsely accused them of making threats to behead the defendants and making death threats to staff members and volunteers at the shelter, including the extortion of undocumented immigrants from South and Central America and being members of a criminal organization that charge quotas to immigrants between $100 to $300 dollars to board a freight train known as La bestia (Beast) in the Tenosique, Tabasco to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz train route. The multi-million quota charging operation has become very profitable for local criminals that target transient immigrants who don't file criminal violations with local and state authorities. Some corrupt authorities are suspected of working with criminal organizations to extort immigrants.

The PGJET has launched an investigation into the allegations against Figueroa and Castillo.

Federal Police and the Mexican military on March 17, arrested González, Alvarado and Gálvez for extortion and making threats against Figueroa and Castillo and other undocumented immigrants. Figueroa, Castillo and several immigrants filed a complaint with the PGJET against the three suspects for extorting immigrants and making death threats against staff and volunteers of La 72 shelter. 

When taken into custody, González, Alvarado and Gálvez confessed and admitted to authorities that they extorted immigrants by forcing them to pay a $100 quota to ride a freight train out of Tenosique. On April 9, the three suspects were released from custody and on Friday, one of the suspects was seen applying for a humanitarian visa from the National Institute of Migration to remain in Mexico. Figueroa in a Facebook post wrote, "it's very clear, the complicity the federal authorities have with known criminals and how they are protected" in regards to authorities releasing the suspects and one of them applying for a Mexico visa.

Figueroa and Castillo have been instrumental in exposing, providing evidence and helping victims to come forward to file complaints with the PGJET and the federal government of criminal acts perpetuated against undocumented immigrants traveling through Tenosique on their way to the U.S. border. 

In the last six year, an estimated 70,000 of undocumented immigrants have disappeared and only 80 have been found alive, according to Figueroa. About 140,000 of South and Central American immigrants, including women and children make their way through Mexico with destination to the U.S. border every year.

A majority of them become victims of extortion, rape, forced into criminal organizations (CO) and prostitution, kidnappings and are killed to remove body parts for the profitable underground body part black market operated by CO's and drug cartels.

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Chicago Couple Charged For Smothering 5-month-old Daughter Causing Brain Death

Angela Petrov and Rigoberto "Rico" Rodriguez

5-month-old girl declared brain dead and remains in life support.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 14, 2013

Chicago, Illinois - On Saturday, Angela Petrov, 21, and Rigoberto "Rico" Rodriguez, 29, both of Chicago were charged for aggravated battery to a child after their daughter was smothered by Rodriguez on Thursday causing severe brain damage. The criminal complaint states, that Rodriguez who resides at the 2500 block of West Fitch Ave. had been drinking alcohol with Petrov. Rodriguez is accused of putting his hand on his 5-month-old daughter multiple times to stop her from crying, but finally smothered her while Petrov watched. 

Petrov on Friday around 11:00 a.m. noticed that her daughter wasn't breathing and attempted resuscitate her. She then called 911.

Rodriguez's daughter suffered s swelling of the brain and a blown pupil caused by a lack of oxygen, according to the medical report. She was declared brain and remains in a life support. 

Petrov has two other children and they have been removed from the home and place under the care of a relative, according to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS). Petrov and Rodriguez have been investigated by child services for a prior complaint of child abuse and neglect involving another child on late January, according to IDCFS.

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Valor por Tamaulipas Facebook Page To Remain, But Less Active

The administrator for Valor de Tamaulipas Facebook page decided to keep posting criminal activity by criminal organizations and drug cartels, but will post less regularly.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 14, 2013

Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico - On Sunday, the administrator for Valor por Tamaulipas (VxT) Facebook page posted that he decided to keep VxT live online, but will be less active or won't be posting risk situations at a regular basis. The VxT Facebook page was scheduled to go off-line or deleted on Sunday.

Many followers have noticed that the writing style of the current administrator posting on VxT is considerably different than the original administrator who was writing posts before the VxT page disappeared on April 1. The VxT page once again appeared on April 7 and continued to publish since then.

Many VxT followers had believed that the administrator had been killed after he went off-line, without warning leaving many users who depended on his daily postings about risk conditions in the region in the dark. 

When he returned, he also warned that the recently cloned VxT Facebook accounts are just copies. Those accounts should not be trusted and people posting information on them should use generic accounts, so they can't be traced by criminal organizations or drug cartels operating those accounts.

The official VxT Facebook and Twitter accounts served to expose the daily criminal activities by corrupt Mexican government officials, criminal organizations and feuding drug cartels, including murders, road blocks, bombings, kidnappings, drive-by shootings and disappearances of victims.

In February, the VxT administrator was forced to move his family to the U.S. after a drug cartel offered $47k dollars ($600k pesos) for information leading to his identity, so they could eliminate him. 

Currently, numerous clones of VxT have been active on the Internet, but the official VxT warned followers that those clone websites were run by criminal organizations or people trying to provide false information and attempting to imitate him.

VxT is considered one of the main reliable sources of information for people residing in the Reynosa region, since it began to post criminal activity in the area on January 1, 2012. 

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Legal Status For Nearly 11 Million Illegal Aliens In U.S. Expected By End Of Summer 2013

Photos: HNG/HNNUSA

U.S. House and Senate aligned to approve a comprehensive immigration reform bill with a path to citizenship for nearly 11 million of illegal aliens by the end of Summer 2013.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 14, 2013

Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday, multiple U.S. House Representatives and U.S. Senators speaking at the April 10th National Immigration Reform rally that drew more than 100,000 participants indicated that both the House and Senate are expected to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill with a path to citizenship for nearly 11 million of "illegal aliens" (term used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)) by the end of this Summer. The recent resurgence immigration reform movement at the national level is adding pressure from all segments and levels of society, including immigrant rights groups and organizations, political, religious clergy, labor unions, multi-million social network developers and business leaders in the country for federal legislators to finally present and propose two similar bills that will include three key immigration reform provisions, according to a Senate aide. The key provisions focus on, border security for the Southern part of the U.S. border, before allowing to begin documenting immigrants seeking legal status to remain in the country, eliminate the voluntary use of E-Verify by employers and replacing it by a mandatory nationwide use of the system by employers to verify the legal status of employees to work in the U.S. and create a tracking system of issued Visas to foreigners and making sure they don't overstay their Visas authority.

The "Gang of Eight" that includes Sen. Michael Bennet, R-Colorado; Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina; Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona; Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona; Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey; Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois; and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York will introduce a 1,500 page immigration reform bill by Tuesday that will include a ten year waiting period for those undocumented immigrants who become legalized under the bill to apply for citizenship. The Senate bill will also include a cutoff date of December 31, 2011 and anyone after that date won't qualify to be legalized. The House similar bill version, which is expected later will include a January 31, 2011 cutoff date preventing more than 200,000 undocumented immigrants from legalizing.
The Senate immigration plan will make it more difficult for illegal aliens to get legal status than the current immigration laws. Illegal aliens will have to wait at least 10 years to get a green card (permanent residency). Under the current law, illegal aliens have to leave the country for ten years and then they could apply for a green card. Under the proposed Senate plan, illegal aliens would have to pay an upfront fine. They won't quality for federal benefits, food stamps, welfare or Obamacare, according to Sen. Rubio. Rubio believes, that the federal government should make it more difficult for illegal aliens to obtain legal status with the reform plan, than with the current laws and process to obtain legal status.

A one day hearing session of the bill will take place on Wednesday and apparently Janet Napolitano, Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security is scheduled to speak on the immigration issue, according to senate sources.

Both pro-immigrant and anti-immigrant foes have launched national call in campaigns to federal legislators in favor or against an immigration reform bill since last Tuesday. But, a bipartisan immigration reform bill will most likely be introduced this week and approved by the end of Summer. 

Anti-immigrant groups don't approve of any kind of immigration reform bill (amnesty) that would provide legalization status for more than 11 million of undocumented taxpaying immigrants in the country, except to enforce current immigration laws leading to massive deportations. Some of those extreme conservative groups have engaged in fear to exploit and get funding to help them continue the fight for those who still believe they can actually stop cold today's immigration reform movement. 

The November 2012 Presidential election proved one influential fact, that the majority of the Hispanic vote was the determining vote to electing President Barack H. Obama (D-IL) for a second term and other state and federal legislators. For the GOP or a majority of Republicans to dismiss and ignore that fact would be a detrimental setback for the party in the upcoming elections and in 2016. 

Today, a majority of Republican legislators in Congress and the Senate are determine to work with Democrats in a bipartisan immigration reform bill, despite anti-immigrant sentiment. The approval of a just reform bill in the country will generate billions of economic wealth for the nation. America's gradual economic recovery will no doubt be sparked by a prosperous job and wealth producing immigrant nation.

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Ten Lemon Picking Workers Dead, 17 Injured After Leaving Labor Rally In Michoacan

Lemon picking labor workers massacre in the outskirts of Girasoles.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 13, 2013

Los Girasoles, Michoacan, Mexico - On Wednesday, a commando of armed gunmen opened fire at a group of lemon picking workers, killing 10 men and wounding at least 17, including women and children, both Agencia Esquema and Mexico Rojo dot com reported. Mexico Rojo dot com identified the gunmen as members of the Caballeros Templarios.

In a video report by Agencia Esquema, residents of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, also known as "La Rueda" in Michoacan said, the military disarmed their community self-defense security group and the community was left unarmed. The military has patrolled the area to provide security in the community, but when they leave, the defenseless community becomes the target of criminal organizations like the Caballeros Templarios.

Wednesday's massacre resulted after the lemon labor workers joined a labor workers rally at Zatapa Act in the Four Cross Roads around noon to request that lemon packaging companies reopen in the municipality of Buenavista and La Rueda. The workers were returning home at 4:00 p.m. when they were ambush in Los Girasoles in the municipality of Apatzingán. The gunmen fired AK-47's at the workers and tossed grenades killing the victims and injuring others.

The criminal organizations in the area control the price set for the lemon market forcing residents to work for less and pay higher quotas for the produce.

An estimated 500 labor workers attended a rally and met with state and local officials demanding that several lemon packaging companies reopen to provide much needed jobs in the area.

Family members of the victims say, those massacre weren't even armed and were slaughtered like animals by the Caballeros Templarios. The Templarios has not taken credit for the massacre and the state and federal government hasn't confirmed or identified the gunmen or criminal organization invloved in the mass cold blooded murder.

The Mexican military and Federal Police who responded to the massacre were able to escort the surviving victims back to the localities. The reported injured were transported to local medical facilities in the area.

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32-year-old Brookfield Police Officer Suffered Fatal Heart Attack While Investigating Burglary Call

Donald Bishop

Officer Bishop died early Saturday while responding to a burglary call.

By H. Nelson Goodson

April 13, 2013

Town of Brookfield, WI - On early Saturday, Brookfield Police Officer Donald Bishop , 32, suffered a sudden heart attack and passed away while "responding to a burglary in progress", the Brookfield Police Department reported. Bishop became a full time officer for the Town of Brookfield on August 2011.

He worked as a part-time officer for the Village of Eagle Police Department. Bishop also had worked as a dispatcher for both the Waukesha County and the City of Oconomowoc Communication Centers. He was also a reserve officer for the Village of Mukwonago Police Department. 

Bishop was a graduate from Mukwonago High School and Waukesha Technical College. 

"Officer Bishop was a very dedicated police officer and public safety professional serving the citizens of the Town of Brookfield and the residents of Waukesha County for more than 10 years. He will be truly missed as a member of our team," the Brookfield Police Department wrote in a released statement. Brookfield Police Chief Chris Perket and Rick Czopp, the Town of Brookfield Administrator will hold a press conference later today to discuss Officer Bishop's untimely death.

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