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A.D. Ibarra
-Eagle Pass
The last special meeting of Maverick County Commissioner's Court was an interesting one yet not one without drama. At the onset of the meeting, during the visitor's comments, Guadalupe Cardona came forward and, after congratulating Roberto Ruiz on his new appointment as commissioner, and seemingly complimentary on the future of this particular group of commissioners as he was sure that they will work together from here forward, it did not seem as though he would go off on a negative tangent as he read the following prepared statement: "I've come to congratulate Mr. Ruiz for his appointment, there is now no doubt in my mind that you will all work in harmony, for now we have a right-wing Democratic Court. You all think alike now." At this point, he put away his prepared message and addressed Commissioner's Court in Spanish: "<I've known Mr. Ruiz for many years, and even ran against him thirty years ago.
Staff
-Eagle Pass
Ex-Chief of Police Juan Antonio Castañeda, informed The News Gram that he has hired legal counsel to defend him in his case against the City of Eagle Pass. His attorney hails from San Antonio.
Castañeda was released from his position by City Manager Gloria Barrientos.
As he stated on the day after he was released, he has proceeded to prepare to face his ex-employers in a court of law as he disputes the justification behind his release.
He failed to give any more details as to how he will proceed after this.
Castañeda was a few months shy of completing his 20th year as Police Chief when he was given a letter of termination.
Moses Peña, Aldo Escamilla and Alejandro Guedea are presently in charge of the department.
The city has begun the process of seeking a replacement for Castañeda whose release comes at the same time the City of Eagle Pass is seeking a new City Manager and the Mayor finds himself in a race for another term in office.
A.D. Ibarra
-Del Rio, TX
Many of those indicted by US Federal Court Western District of Texas will face The Honorable Alia Moses on April 9th at 9:00 A.M. to either set a court date or plead guilty of charges before them.
Former County Commissioner of Precinct 2 Rodolfo Bainet Heredia, Jose Luis Aguilar and Juan Carlos Moncada were scheduled for hearings on Tuesday, March 12th all of which have been rescheduled and former County Commissioner Eliaz Maldonado and still County Commissioner of Precinct 4, Cesar Flores will both be before Judge Moses on that day as well.
The Western District of Texas will be handling county business in one fell swoop on this day less than a month from today in what has been an unprecedented wave of indictments aimed at Eagle Pass and Maverick County by the FBI which extends as far as last week when Jose Telles, Jr., a local contractor was the last to be formally charged by federal authorities on Friday.
Heredia, who is represented by Scott McCrum, will appear on April 9th for several counts including unlawfully accepting property of another and bribery involving federal programs after being initially charged with conspiracy to smuggle bulk cash into the United States. He, along with Jose Luis Aguilar and David Gelacio have been in federal custody since October of last year.
Maldonado, who faces charges for wire fraud and receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds, was able to post bond and has most recently turned in his letter of resignation prompting the sudden replacement of his interim Javier Libson who was appointed by District Judge Dick Alcala, by Gerardo Morales, now acting County Commissioner of Precinct 1 after Alcala dissolved his appointment at a hearing this week when attorneys for County Judge David Saucedo were informed that a vacancy did not exist at the time Morales was initially sworn in March 4th.
Flores, whose resignation is effective March 15th, will be before Judge Moses for unlawfully accepting property of another and receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.
Also on the docket on April 9th will be Juan Carlos Moncada and Javier Gonzalez. Moncada who is represented by Gregory Torres and James Nowlin is a former employee of the County Auditor's office. Gonzalez, a local contractor, faces charges of paying a bribe to an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.
Jose Luis Aguilar will know his fate earlier as his re-arraignment will be on March 27th. Aguilar is represented by Tracy Lynn Spoor, a court appointed counsel.