Day/date: January 22, 1988
FIELD INCIDENT REPORT
Incident type: Drug Incidents
Log number: 88-10
Date/time of incident: See below Date/time received: 1/22, 7 am
Park: Big Bend, Padre Island Location: As noted
Reported by: Earl Hill, Law Enforcement Specialist, SWRO
Received by: Bill Halainen, Ranger Activities, WASO
Summary:
A number of drug incidents have occurred in Big Bend and Padre Island over the
last two months. Host of these operations were conducted jointly with US
Customs, Border Patrol and/or DEA:
- November 26th - Three Mexican nationals in possession of 17 pounds of
marijuana were arrested by park rangers and Border Patrol officers on Glen
Springs Road in Big Bend. The contraband, valued at $13,600, was turned
over to DEA, and Border Patrol maintained custody over the prisoners.
- December 1st - Another 17 pounds of marijuana was seized from the trunk of
a sedan by Big Bend rangers and Border Patrol officers, this time in the
Castolon area. One person was arrested, and both vehicle and contraband
were placed in the custody of the Border Patrol. Valuation - $13,600.
- December 8th - US Customs asked Padre Island rangers to be on the lookout
for a four-wheel drive pickup thought to be involved with drug trafficking;
the rangers established a check point at the park entrance station, but had
to discontinue the operation due to intense fog which moved onto the island.
Customs, however, made two arrests and seized 300 pounds of marijuana in
the vicinity of Mansfield Channel on the south side of the park.
Valuation - $240,000.
- December 12th - A local oil company called Padre Island rangers early on the
morning of the 12th and reported bales of marijuana on the shore 12 miles
south of Malaquite Beach. Rangers recovered 29 bales totaling 870 pounds.
It appeared that the marijuana was brought ashore in a small boat and
off-loaded. The boat apparently made several trips, and cached some of the
marijuana behind sand dunes at that location. The bales were turned over
to US Customs. Valuation - $696,000.
- December 13th - Big Bend rangers and Border Patrol officers seized 53
pounds of marijuana from a false compartment located in a tool box affixed
to a pickup truck which had been stopped in Rio Grande Village. One person
was arrested. All contraband and the vehicle were placed in the custody
of the Border Patrol. Valuation - $42,000.
- December 15th - Border Patrol officers and rangers recovered 48 pounds
of marijuana and arrested one person at Big Bend's San Vincente Crossing.
Further investigation revealed 3 1/2 pounds of heroin secreted within one
of the bricks of marijuana. Border Patrol again assumed custody of
the contraband. Valuation - $38,000 for the marijuana and $105,000 for
the heroin.
- January 12th - At 1 am on the 12th, Big Bend rangers responded to Route 12
and River Road - a known drug trafficking route - at the request of the
Border Patrol, and took into custody a Mexican pickup truck and its driver.
The truck was taken to the maintenance shop, where a metal plate was
removed from the rear of the truck, revealing a hidden compartment between
the truck's bed and frame. 139 pounds of marijuana were removed from
the compartment. Customs took custody of the truck, and DEA took custody
of the marijuana. Valuation - $111,200.
Persons involved:
Name Address DOB or age
*** Not given ***
FIELD INCIDENT REPORT
Incident type: Poaching Arrests
Log number: 88-11
Date/time of incident: 1/18, am Date/time received: 1/22
Park: Shenandoah Location: Out of park
Reported by: Skip Wissinger, SHEN; Steve Alscher, RAD, MARO
Received by: Bill Halainen, RAD, WASO
Summary:
On January 18th, 56 Federal, state and local law enforcement authorities -
including Shenandoah rangers - arrested a dozen people for poaching and
related violations in and around Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge
Parkway. Three of them - M.Z., H.F.G. and M.S. - were
arrested for violations that took place within the parks.
A Virginia Game Commission undercover agent infiltrated the group several
months ago and developed the case against them. The trio, all of whom were
unemployed, hunted almost every day both inside and outside the parks, selling
the game they killed on the black market. The agent himself purchased nearly
a ton of meat taken in this fashion, almost all of it from the parks. The
three men also engaged in a contest to see who could tally the most points
from poached game. Using a system that awarded one point for a doe and points
for bucks equivalent to the number of points on their racks, each of the men
was able to accumulate 70 to 80 points during their park hunts. One of the
men also engaged in the sale of drugs within Shenandoah.
H.F.G. and M.S. were indicted last Friday for hunting in a national park
(Shenandoah), violation of the Lacey Act and conspiracy; M.Z. was
indicted on those three charges and for selling drugs, carrying a firearm
while selling drugs and hunting in Blue Ridge Parkway.
Persons involved:
Name Address DOB or age
M.Z. Waynesboro, Virginia Not given
H.F.G. Waynesboro, Virginia Not given
M.S. Waynesboro, Virginia Not given