NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

INCIDENTS

Amistad NRA

Drug Cartel Member Sentenced

On February 15th, E.P. of Roma, Texas, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for his role in a cartel drug smuggling operation through Amistad NRA. Rangers began investigating this case in 2006 and were soon joined by other federal and state agencies. E.P. admitted by pleading guilty that he was a key player in the cartel drug trafficking operation that imported over 10,000 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico across Lake Amistad between 2006 and 2008. The drugs were smuggled in boats through the park and then stored in a warehouse in nearby Del Rio. The drugs were then transported in false compartments in flatbed trailers of 18-wheeler trucks and taken to Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, and North Carolina. The cartel transported back to Mexico over $60 million in drug proceeds. [Regina Klein Dissler, Chief Ranger]

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/):

Office of Communications - In the hours before sunset on Sunday, May 20th, a solar eclipse will pass from the coast of the Pacific Ocean east and south to Texas. About 30 national parks will provide prime viewing locations, but visitors in another 125 parks in 22 states will also have great views of the eclipse.

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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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