Courtesy Joe Baeza, 
Chief Maldonado requests Congressional funding to support community safety efforts
 Washington, D.C. – Chief Carlos R. Maldonado of the Laredo Police Department was invited to the White House, where he provided insight on how the Administration’s recently-released Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States can be implemented locally. Chief Maldonado joined more than 35 senior and front line law enforcement officials in giving feedback, talking about how the federal government can best support efforts to implement the strategy in local …

Courtesy Richard Pauza, 
LAREDO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at the Laredo Port of Entry recently intercepted a significant amount of possible cattle fever ticks found on an imported trophy deer hide.
 On Jan. 8, 2012 a CBP officer at Colombia-Solidarity Bridge referred a driver of a Chevy pickup truck to secondary examination after he declared a trophy deer hide originating from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. A CBP agriculture specialist conducted an examination and discovered 23 live ticks on the hide.
 A U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist identified the …

(Laredo, Tx)-  City of Laredo Mayor Raul G. Salinas will travel to Washington, D.C. the week of January 16th to attend the 80th Winter Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM).  The focus of the meeting is on jobs and ensuring that local government issues are not lost in this presidential election year.  While in Washington, Mayor Salinas will meet with President Obama as part of a delegation of mayors.  He will also chair the Conference of Mayors’ Immigration Task Force. A full copy of the agenda of …

(Laredo, Tx)_City of Laredo Mayor Raul. G. Salinas received his annual flu shot, in an effort to encourage the community to inoculate themselves with this simple vaccine, available at the City of Laredo Health Department.
 “I want people to know that it is relatively painless, but so important and easy to protect themselves from getting the flu, and any possible complications that the flu brings,” said Salinas.  “The City of Laredo Health Department is here to protect our community.  Get your shot!”
 Blanca E. Gonzalez, City of Laredo Health Department RN Supervisor …

Courtesy Angela Dodge,
 LAREDO, Texas – Ruben Ibarra, 37, of Laredo, Texas, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today for illegally possessing a firearm, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today along with Laredo Police Department Chief Carlos R. Maldonado. The conviction and sentence stems from an altercation at the Coyote Creek Bar and Grill restaurant during the early morning hours of Feb. 28, 2011, involving Ibarra and Fernando Perez, 28, also of Laredo. 

 A federal jury found Ibarra guilty on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, following a one-day-trial and …

(Laredo, Tx)-Magaly’s Imported Art located at 3004 San Bernardo has great prices on hand crafted home furniture and patio fixtures imported from Mexico.  From complete bar sets to end tables Magaly’s has it all under one roof.  Outside fixtures include iron benches, iron and wood decorations for your walls, clay pots and much more.  Magaly’s is open Monday thru Friday from 8a.m. to 5p.m. and they are open on Saturday from 9a.m. to 2p.m.   Magaly’s Imported Arts accepts Visa and Mastercard for your purchases.  Stop by today and see their vast selection of inventory …

Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
 Laredo, Texas – The Import Specialist Enforcement Team (ISET) at U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Laredo Port of Entry targeted and seized 18,000 items, including digital camcorders with memory cards and car radios and parts that infringed on the Secure Digital or “SD” registered trademark valued at over $782,000 in two separate trademark enforcement actions. 
In the first enforcement action, CBP import specialists from the Laredo ISET team targeted a manifested shipment of 15,000 items, including digital camcorders with memory cards, for an enforcement examination. CBP …

Courtesy Monica Garcia,
 The Office of District Attorney Isidro R. Alaniz reports that three individuals have been arrested due to having written hot checks in Webb County. 
 On Friday, January 6, 2012, investigators with the District Attorney’s Office arrested Rafael Jimenez, Jr. at his home.  Jimenez is charged with having purchased advertising in a local circular and having paid for the ad with a check from a closed account.  The advertisement promoted weatherization services by Jimenez Refrigeration.  Mr. Jimenez is charged with having paid with a check totaling $2,052.02 from an account …

Courtesy Richard Pauza,
 WASHINGTON – Theft of American intellectual property is a serious crime, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that their vigorous, ongoing efforts to protect America from the trade in counterfeit and pirated goods during fiscal year (FY) 2011 resulted in 24,792 seizures, a 24 percent increase over 2010.
 Many fake goods seriously threaten the health and safety of American consumers and our national security.  With this in mind, CBP and ICE continued to step up enforcement against these dangerous …

Courtesy Xochitl Mora,
Laredo, TX—The City of Laredo Health Department (CLHD) would like to inform the public that there is a new change in immunization requirements for college entry students. It is now required by state statute that all college students get vaccinated against meningococcal disease, more commonly known as bacterial meningitis. This disease can cause serious illness, such as neurological complications.   In order to ensure that college students are protected and in compliance, the CLHD is working with local colleges and universities and will be hosting a Saturday Clinic to …