Five members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas. United States District Court Senior Judge Ewing Werlein Jr today sentenced Zechariah Aaron Johnston, 31, aka “Oz,” to 84 months in prison; Stephen Kyle Knebel, 33, aka “Lil Evil,” to 24 months in prison; Robert Lynn Sheats, 33, aka “Dirty,” to 36 months in prison; and Johnny Ray Nichols, 35, aka “Nick,” to 18 months in prison.  On March 23, 2012, Senior Judge Werlein sentenced Rusty Dwayne Plante, 34, aka “Rusty,” to 36 months in prison. All five defendants pleaded guilty for their role in the aggravated assault of an ABT prospect member.  Johnston, Knebel and Nichols each pleaded guilty to racketeering aggravated assault.  Plante and Sheats pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering aggravated assault.  All five defendants are from the greater Houston area. According to court documents, the defendants were members of the ABT, a powerful race-based, state-wide organization that operated inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout the United States.  The ABT was established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system.  The gang modeled itself after and adopted many of the precepts and writings of the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang that was formed in the California prison system during the 1960s.  According to court documents, previously, the ABT was primarily concerned with the protection of white inmates and white supremacy/separatism.  Over time, the ABT has expanded its criminal enterprise to include illegal activities for profit. According to court documents, the ABT enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise.  Members, and oftentimes associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as “direct orders.” According to court documents, Johnston, Knebel, Plante, Nichols and Sheats, along with seven fellow ABT gang members, participated in the beating of an ABT prospect member at the home of another ABT gang leader, Steven Walter Cooke, 48, aka “Stainless,” in Tomball, on September 22, 2008.  The ABT prospect, who sustained serious bodily injury, was beaten by ABT gang members because he violated ABT rules of conduct.  Eleven of the 12 co-defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in the assault.  The 12th ABT gang member, David Harlow, 43, aka, “Bam Bam,” was found guilty by Senior Judge Werlein on March 21, 2012, at trial in the Southern District of Texas. This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; the United States Marshals Service; the Texas Ranger Division – Texas Department of Public Safety; the Walker County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; the Montgomery County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department; the Houston Police Department-Gang Division; the Tomball Police Department; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Inspector General; and the Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hileman of the Southern District of Texas.

The war on drugs is going to the classified sections of Mexican newspapers. Smugglers have long advertised work as security guards, housecleaners and cashiers, telling applicants they must drive company cars to the United States. They aren't told the cars are loaded with drugs. Starting this week, U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement began buying ad space in Tijuana newspapers to warn jobseekers they might be unwitting pawns. "Why don't we do the same thing that (cartels are) doing? It's successful for them. Why wouldn't it be successful for us?" Lester Hayes, a group supervisor for ICE in San Diego, recalls his agents telling him. There have been 39 arrests since February 2011 at San Diego's two border crossings tied to the ads for seemingly legitimate jobs, according to ICE, which hadn't seen such significant numbers before. Those arrests have yielded 3,400 pounds of marijuana, 75 pounds of cocaine and 100 pounds of methamphetamine — a tiny fraction of total seizures but enough to convince U.S. authorities that smugglers are increasingly turning to the recruitment technique. Drug smugglers always look to exploit weak links along the 1,954-mile border, even if the window of opportunity is brief. In the past several years, they have turned to makeshift boats on the Pacific Ocean and ultralight aircraft in the deserts of California and Arizona. In the San Diego area, there has been a spike in teenagers strapping drugs to their bodies to walk across the border from Tijuana. Some suddenly popular techniques are limited to particular pockets of the border. ICE has not spotted significant spikes in newspaper ads outside of San Diego. Ads that authorities connect to drug smugglers appear innocuous. They offer work in the United States — an invitation that only people who can cross the border legally need apply — with a phone number and sometimes a location to apply in person. New hires are told to drive company cars across the border, typically to a fast-food restaurant or shopping center in San Diego, according to ICE. When they arrive, they are often told there will be no work after all that day and must leave the car and walk back to Mexico after being paid a small amount. The drivers are typically paid $50 to $200 a trip — much less than the $1,500 to $5,000 that seasoned smugglers are typically paid for such trips, Hayes said. For drug traffickers, the tactic lowers expenses and, they hope, makes drivers appear less nervous when questioned by border inspectors, said Millie Jones, an assistant special agent in charge of investigations for ICE in San Diego. The drugs are stashed in the usual ways. Fifteen pounds of methamphetamine were found in a pickup truck's phony exhaust pipe in November. More than 250 pounds of marijuana were discovered in a van's overhead compartment last April. More than 200 pounds of marijuana were found in vacuum-sealed plastic bags smothered in grease. Drugs are typically mixed with mustard, ketchup and fabric fresheners to defuse odors and ward off dogs used by authorities. For years, U.S. authorities have bought newspaper space and broadcast airtime south of the border to deter illegal border crossings. The Border Patrol has a long-running media campaign in Mexico and Central America that includes musical "corridos," short documentaries and public service announcements. The ICE ads that began appearing Sunday in classified sections of Tijuana's Frontera and El Mexicano are nothing fancy. Bold black letters say, "Warning! Drug traffickers are announcing jobs for drivers to go to the United States. Don't fall victim to this trap." Mexican newspapers have faced online competitors but the papers' classified sections are relatively robust compared to U.S. publications. Victor Clark, director of Tijuana's Binational Center for Human Rights, doubts the ads will work without specific instructions on how to confirm whether a company is legitimate, such as calling an ICE telephone number. "It's very difficult for someone who is unemployed to know whether it's a trap," Clark said. "I don't think many people are inclined to investigate if they are desperate for work." The cases can be challenging for prosecutors because drivers may not know they are smuggling drugs. Debra Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in San Diego, declined to say how many cases have been prosecuted or cite any examples. Rachel Cano, assistant chief of the San Diego County district attorney's southern branch, said each case is different. "Just like any other case, a theft case, we look at all of the facts and if there are sufficient facts that meet the elements of a crime and we can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, then we file charges," Cano said. Guadalupe Valencia, a San Diego defense attorney, said the ads by U.S. authorities might inadvertently help defendants. Attorneys will argue it is an acknowledgement that people are often tricked. "It has always been my opinion that there are many unknowing couriers," he said. "The challenge for the prosecution is you always have to prove knowledge."

WITNESS in the Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll murder trial today told how she feared she was caught up in "another Dunblane massacre" when the gangster was shot dead in a supermarket car park. Witness Emma Busby, 32, a chef in a care home, said she was aware of a baby crying near her as she saw a hooded man jump out of the front passenger seat of a car holding a gun in his left hand. She was giving evidence at the trial of Ross Monaghan, 30, who denies repeatedly shooting and murdering the gangland figure while acting with others, outside an Asda store in Robroyston, Glasgow on January 13, 2010. He has launched a special defence of incrimination, blaming a man who cannot be named for legal reasons and seven others. At the High Court in Glasgow today, Mrs Busby said she was shopping with her mother and was making her way to her car when a dark-coloured vehicle pulled up, blocking in a black car. She said she saw a man get out with a silver "Clint Eastwood" or "cowboy" style gun and she retreated with her trolley back towards the supermarket where her mother was still inside buying cigarettes. Mrs Busby told the court she heard two different types of gunshots, one making a "bang" sound while the other was more of a "crackle". She said: "My first thought was that someone had just come to shoot up the general public. I thought it might be another Dunblane massacre." Mrs Busby agreed with advocate depute Iain McSporran that she believed "anyone and everyone" could have been shot. Jason McConnell, 22, told the court he had been watching out for his friend Steven Glen from the Asda cafe. The jury previously heard Mr Glen had a meeting with Carroll in the car park moments before he was shot dead. Mr McConnell denied being a "spotter" for the shooting and said he was only there to let Mr Glen's parents know if something happened to him. He said his friend was "nervous" about meeting Carroll because of things he might have heard. The court heard a suggestion that people who had been taken away by Carroll sometimes referred to it as "an alien abduction". Monaghan's defence QC, Derek Ogg, put it to the witness there were stories of people who had been taken away by Carroll who were found in an "extremely distressed or damaged state". He asked if he thought his friend had thought it could be something like that. Mr McConnell replied: "Maybe." Mr Ogg asked: "He was terrified wasn't he?" The witness said: "Yes." The court also heard from Allan Johnston, 30, who said Mr Glen had phoned him from the scene of the shooting to say: "Your pal's dead." He was asked by Mr McSporran if he knew of anyone who might have an interest in having Carroll killed, to which he agreed. Mr Ogg asked: "More than one name?" Mr Johnston said: "Yes, probably." Monaghan is also alleged to have attempted to defeat the ends of justice by concealing a revolver, a pistol and ammunition under bricks and undergrowth in Academy Street, Coatbridge and setting fire to a car. He is further charged with possessing guns and ammunition without a proper certificate. Monaghan denies all the charges against him.

On 22 March 2012, Jorge Domene, security spokesman in the state of Nuevo León, confirmed the capture of 11 members of the “Cartel del Golfo” and “Los Zetas”. Eight of those arrested are accused of involvement in homicides, kidnappings and extortions against the inhabitants of the southern regions of Nuevo León. The remaining three are accused of carrying out nine homicides in Monterrey and leaving “narcomanta” threatening messages across the city.