KRGV Local News

Several Arrested for Credit Card Fraud Ring

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:05:21 GMT

EDINBURG - Suspects in a credit card fraud ring will face a judge this afternoon.

Investigators in Edinburg say they arrested several people and seized evidence. The suspects are believed to be from Cuba.

Police are expected to release new details this afternoon. We’ll bring you the very latest details as soon as they’re available.

Delay Expected for Mission CISD Students Taking Bus

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:04:09 GMT

MISSION - Mission CISD officials say students taking the bus home could be as much as an hour late.

The district says they have a shortage of buses due to a larger than usual amount of UIL events. Twenty of the district’s 72 available buses are being used for those events.

The bus shortage is expected to impact the junior highs and high schools the most. However, we’re told a number of elementary school routes will likely be impacted as well.

District officials say no charter buses in the area were available to alleviate the problem.

They’re asking parents to be patient.

Man Wanted on Child Porn Charges Caught

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:50:01 GMT

BROWNSVILLE - CBP officers caught a fugitive at the Veterans’ International Bridge in Brownsville.

John Christopher Hargrove arrived at the port of entry in a white 1999 GMC Jimmy. A check on the CBP database showed the 58-year-old Tennessee resident had an outstanding warrant.

The FBI in Memphis issued the warrant on November 6. Pending charges against Hargrove are possession of child pornography, sexual exploitation of a minor, and transportation of pornographic materials.

CBP officers arrested Hargrove and turned him over to the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office.

He’ll be transported to the county jail and is pending extradition to Memphis.

Half-Ton Pot Bust in Mission

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:07:00 GMT

MISSION - Mission police seized about half a ton of pot. The load filled up a 15-passenger van.

Officials say the driver of the van refused to stop when police tried to pull him over for running a stop sign. What should have been a traffic stop turned in to a pursuit down South Bryan Road.

The driver eventually bailed out in a field and left the van behind. Officers soon discovered the drugs.

They don't know yet where the marijuana came from or where it was headed. Sgt. Jody Tittle with the Mission Police Department says, "There's no burlap - nothing to indicate it just came off the river. It could have been going from house to house or city to city, but it ended up passing through the city of Mission."

The drug smuggler got away from officers in a wooded area. The bust totaled 900 to 1,000 pounds.

Four Arrested in Harlingen Drug Ring

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:06:12 GMT

HARLINGEN - There's more evidence of people smuggling drugs out of the Valley through the mail system.

U.S. postal inspectors are traveling from Houston to the Valley to fight the crime. Local police departments are also trying to deter the mailing of drugs out of the Valley.

The Harlingen Police Department made four arrests just yesterday.

Sgt. Mike Garcia says four men were arrested after random undercover surveillance.

The men arrested were Juan Garcia of Elsa, Alejandro Zuniga of Elsa, Evelio Garcia of Elsa, and Juan Quiroz out of La Blanca.

Harlingen police say criminals aren't just using the post office to mail drugs out of the Valley. Garcia said, "We try to educate some of the mom and pop places or even the bigger places. We talk to them about giving us a call it they think a package has narcotics, so we're more than willing to work with these people."

Police say criminals try to mail drug packages, because it seems safer than trying to transport them by vehicle.

"They're going to get caught if they're going through the checkpoint. Here they're taking a chance it could be intercepted or intercepted through the mail," explains Garcia.

Only two packages with a total of 11 pounds of pot were found in this drug mailing bust. But Harlingen police say they find packages of up to 25 pounds trying to be mailed out of a variety of shipping outlets in the Valley.

Overcrowded Cameron County Jails

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:03:38 GMT

CAMERON COUNTY - Cameron County officials are working to prevent overcrowding in their jails. The county is considering moving out local inmates in order to make room for federal prisoners.

Cameron County jails is required not to go over 90 percent capacity. Judge Carlos Cascos says they're getting dangerously close.

The county has a contract to house federal prisoners, which includes having 300 available beds for those inmates.

"In order to comply with that contract, we need to basically ship approximately 90 to 100 inmates out," says Cascos.

They are planning on sending them to a private detention center in Brooks County. We called Sheriff Omar Lucio for more information, but he was not available.

Judge Cascos says another reason for the potential overcrowding is the local judicial system. He says, "There are people that have been sitting there for months. They are still there. They have not been processed."

Construction on a new jail is expected to relieve some of the problem, but the additions won't be complete until late next year. Cascos says the county can't wait that long.

"I don't think we have a choice, because we're going to violate something. Either we're going to violate the Texas Commission of Jail Standards by overcrowding, or we're going to violate the contract with the U.S. marshal's, " says the county judge.

For now, the county will have to pay to house their prisoners somewhere else. There is a special Commissioners' Court meeting Friday at 10 a.m. That's when commissioners will consider approving the contract with the detention center in Brooks County.

We'll keep you updated.