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DALLAS (AP) —
The husband of an American businesswoman arrested in China on claims she spied and stole state secrets says she's being held in solitary confinement and is interrogated at least once a day.
Jeff Gillis said in a statement that his 55-year-old wife, Phan Phan-Gillis, met Wednesday with an American consulate official.
He says her health has stabilized after suffering from ailments since she was taken into custody in March while traveling with a trade delegation from her hometown of Houston.
Gillis says his wife is not allowed to speak with lawyers about the accusations against her. She has not been charged.
Phan-Gillis was detained for months before being formally arrested last weekend.
She said in comments relayed to her husband that her case is a political one, not criminal.
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS –
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Gateway International Bridge intercepted a load of alleged cocaine valued at approximately $187,000 during a routine examination. CBP officers discovered the alleged cocaine hidden within a 2015 Dodge Ram Adventure.
“I am proud of the outstanding work by our CBP officers in this seizure and arrest,” said Port Director Petra Horne, Brownsville Port of Entry.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, CBP officers working primary at the Gateway International Bridge encountered a gray 2015 Dodge Ram Adventure being driven by a man. A CBP officer conducting primary examinations referred the vehicle, its male driver, identified as a 23-year-old Mexican citizen who resides in Cuernavaca, Mexico, to secondary inspection for further examination. While in secondary and with the assistance of a K9 unit, CBP officers discovered 11 packages within the Dodge Ram Adventure. CBP officers removed the packages from the vehicle which held a total weight of approximately 24.25 pounds of alleged cocaine.
The alleged cocaine from this seizure has an estimated street value of approximately $187,000. CBP officers arrested the driver, seized the narcotics and turned the vehicle and its driver over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) —
Two men charged with murder in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent that revealed the bungled gun-smuggling investigation known as Fast and Furious go on trial Wednesday.
The men were charged in the killing of Brian Terry during the Fast and Furious operation in which federal agents allowed criminals to buy guns with the intention of tracking them.
Instead, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of 1,400 of the 2,000 guns involved in the sting operation, including two weapons found at the scene of Terry's killing.
Two suspects have already pleaded guilty, and two others remain fugitives.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Ivan Soto-Barraza will be the first to face trial.
Terry's family are expected to be present at the trial.
While the case will provide the first trial for suspects in Terry's death, the judge has excluded any information about the failed operation during the case.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza were members of a "rip-off" crew that planned on robbing marijuana smugglers in the Arizona desert when they encountered agents patrolling the area on Dec. 14, 2010.
A gunfight between the crew and the agents ensued. Authorities later discovered that two of the guns found at the scene of the murder had been part of Fast and Furious.
The operation allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them once they made their way into Mexico.
The operation became a major distraction for the Obama administration as Republicans in Congress conducted a series of inquiries into how the Justice Department allowed such an operation to happen.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt after he refused to divulge documents for a congressional investigation into the matter.
Since then, the Justice Department has focused on arresting and trying all suspects involved.
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, one of the men present but likely not the shooter, has been sentenced in the killing. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced in February 2014 to 30 years in prison.
Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez, accused of assembling the armed crew that was supposed to steal marijuana from smugglers when they encountered Terry and other agents, struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors last month that will likely result in a 30-year prison sentence, with credit for time served. He will be sentenced in October. Two other suspects remain fugitives.
Sanchez-Meza and Soto-Barraza face charges of first-degree and second-degree murder, assault on a federal officer, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.