NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

INCIDENTS

Organ Pipe Cactus NM

Three Smugglers Sentenced To Prison Terms

While on helicopter patrol last January 3rd, rangers saw several people attempting to avoid detection in the Alamo Canyon area and noted that some of them were wearing what appeared to be large burlap covered backpacks consistent with those used in the area by smugglers to carry large loads of contraband and provisions. The rangers landed and moved to intercept them. Several fled, but they were able to capture three of them - I.A.-F., F.L.-V., and J.C.-G. - and seize 147 pound of processed marijuana. A special agent from the NPS Investigative Services Branch interviewed the three men, who told him that they'd been paid between $1500 and $1800 to run the drugs across the border. All three pled guilty in federal court over the course of this past summer. I.A.-F. was sentenced to 15 months in prison and the other two men each received sentences of 13 months in jail. Upon release, they'll be transferred to immigration officials for removal proceedings. [Robert W. Mullikin, Special Agent in Charge, Investigative Services Branch - Central]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Gateway NRA - Park staff and the nearly 150 volunteers participating in the Sandy Hook BioBlitz on September 16th located nearly 450 species in a 24-hour period.

Wilderness Stewardship - President Obama has declared September as National Wilderness Month to "honor this land that we love, and commit to ensuring our wilderness remains a place where all can experience the spirit that has shaped America." Photo.

Denver Service Center - A new organization called the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council, recently chartered by the NPS, USFS, BLM, and the USFWS, has been established to provide consistent guidance on visitor use management for those agencies. Photo.

North Cascades NP - Gerry Cook, North Cascades National Park's longest-serving employee, will retire in November. He began his 44-year career in 1967. Photo.

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The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced with the support of the Office of the Assistant Director for Information Resources and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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