SandBoxUtah: LA Times "From a Mexican kingpin to an FBI informant"

This is a must read.

A fascinating look at the inside operations of one of the most powerful and deadly Mexican Drug Cartels there is.

I'm not sure how anyone, can read something like this piece and still have any thoughts whatsoever that legalizing drugs has validity or as an officer of law look the other way to illegal drug use.

Thank you to all of our Customs and Border Protection officers including K-9.  All of our DEA, ICE, FBI, every drug task force, every agent, officer and deputy that keeps to the best of their ability and power, these cartels on the outsides of our borders.

Richard A. Serrano:
"WASHINGTON — Police and federal agents pulled the car over in a suburb north of Denver. An FBI agent showed his badge. The driver appeared not startled at all. "My friend," he said, "I have been waiting for you."

And with that, Jesus Audel Miramontes-Varela stepped out of his white 2002 BMW X5 and into the arms of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Over the next several days at his ranch in Colorado and an FBI safe house in Albuquerque, the Mexican cartel chieftain — who had reputedly fed one of his victims to lions in Mexico — was transformed into one of the FBI's top informants on the Southwest border.

Around a dining room table in August 2010, an FBI camera whirring above, the 34-year-old Miramontes-Varela confessed his leadership in the Juarez cartel, according to 75 pages of confidential FBI interview reports obtained by The Times/Tribune Washington Bureau.

He told about marijuana and cocaine routes to California, New York and the Great Lakes. He described the shooting deaths of 30 people at a horse track in Mexico, and a hidden mass grave with 20 bodies, including two U.S. residents....."  (Read more?  You should.  Click title)

(Photo credit: Maggie Ybarra, El Paso Times / November 30, 2010)

SandBoxUtah: The Hill/E2 Wire "House clears highway bill with Keystone pipeline mandate, thwarts Obama"

Ben Geman, Russell Berman and Keith Laing:
"Defying a White House veto threat, the House on Wednesday passed legislation that extends transportation program funding through September and mandates construction of a controversial oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast.

All but 14 Republicans, with support from 69 Democrats, voted 293-127 for legislation that falls far short of Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) earlier plan to move a sweeping five-year, $260 billion package.

But Boehner’s retreat serves two crucial tactical and political purposes for the Speaker. It sets up talks with the Senate on the highway bill and keeps the Keystone pipeline — a centerpiece of GOP attacks on White House energy policy — front and center ahead of the November election.


Republican leaders hailed the bipartisan vote  as a rebuke of President Obama.  Two senior Democrat leaders, Reps. James Clyburn (S.C.) and John Larson (Conn.), approved the measure....."
(Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Washington Times " Battlegrounds established for Hispanic votes"

Stephen Dinan:
"Dream Act students rallied outside Mitt Romney’s campaign speech in North Carolina on Wednesday, accusing him of forsaking Hispanic immigrants and vowing to make him pay in the November election — even as President Obama’s campaign announced its own outreach efforts to try to shore up his support among Hispanic voters.

The Obama campaign also launched its first set of Spanish-language ads, airing in Colorado, Nevada and Florida, that tout his expansion of federal funding for education.

The moves are designed to try to hold on to Hispanic voters, who backed Mr. Obama 67 percent to 31 percent over John McCain in 2008, and whom the president’s campaign deems critical to a repeat win this year. The campaign laid out a plan to get to that point by attacking Mr. Romney on his immigration stances, while highlighting the federal spending the president has directed at programs important to Hispanics.

“President Obama believes that when we prosper, that all of us must prosper and that we recognize all of us are in this together,” said San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a national co-chairman of Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign. “Mitt Romney doesn’t believe that. His words and his actions make that clear.”
At stake is the fastest-growing bloc in American politics...." (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Red State "What is the Cost of EPA Interference? "

Ben Howe:
"I’ve written several posts here about the cost of EPA interference in our lives. Estimates of job losses at the hands of the supposedly well-intentioned Environmental Protection Agency are in the millions. As Lisa Jackson’s EPA continues its unrelenting war against coal, an obvious thing is going to happen: the cost of powering your home and your daily life is going to go up. In fact, it’s going to skyrocket. Don’t take it from me, take it from the man himself...."  (Read more? Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Fox 13 "Son of former Utah governor chosen as running mate"

Aaron Vaughn:
"SALT LAKE CITY — It is a name not seen on a Utah ballot for nearly four decades. A Democrat with Utah family history may provide Democrats with some new firepower on their gubernatorial ticket.


Utah governor’s candidate, and retired military general, Peter Cooke, announced Vince Rampton, the son of former Governor Cal Rampton, as his running mate. The two of them tried to send a message about Utah Democrats on Thursday.

“We have a message that is so important that without a two party system, how do you have a democracy?” asked Cooke.

With that message, Cooke introduced a man whose name recalls a time when Utah elected Democrats. Rampton’s father, Cal, served as governor for three terms. But that was a long time ago.

“For my entire lifetime, the LDS Democrat has lived in kind of a shadow world. It’s this terribly timid ‘I’m one are you one too?’” says Vince Rampton....."  (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Fox 13 "Republican delegate lavished with praise from candidates"

Aaron Vaughn:
"WEST JORDAN — There are 4,000 Utahns getting a lot of attention right now because they are delegates to state party conventions. And with the most contentious set of races in a long time, Republican delegates might be getting more attention than they want.


“My mailbox every day looks like I’ve forgotten to pick up my mail for a week,” says Ann Ford, who is lavished with attention as a Republican delegate...."  (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: The Hill/Ballot Box "Hatch falls just short at Utah GOP convention, will face primary"

Cameron Joseph:
"Sen. Orrin Hatch fell just short of an outright victory at the Utah Republican convention, meaning he will face a primary to secure the GOP nomination for his own Senate seat.
Hatch finished the second round of balloting with 59.1 percent of the vote, tantalizingly close to the 60 percent threshold he needed to lock up his party's nomination at the convention.

He'll face former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist (R) in a primary, a race in which he starts off with a big edge in money and in the polls...."  (Read more? Click title)

SandBoxUtah: ABC News "Orrin Hatch praises Ron Paul and son Rand"

Rachel Rose Hartman:
"SALT LAKE CITY, Utah-- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) raised some third-party hackles this month when he railed against libertarians during an interview with NPR.

"Give me a break. These people are not conservatives. They're not Republicans. They're radical libertarians and I'm doggone offended by it," Hatch said during a discussion in an interview released April 12 of the tea party groups challenging his re-election bid this year.

The former boxer continued: "I despise these people, and I'm not the type of guy you come in and dump on without getting punched in the mouth."

Those comments quickly blew up the libertarian blogosphere, especially after the conservative website  Daily Caller picked up on the interview.

But at a delegate open house here Thursday night, Yahoo News caught Hatch, who would benefit from libertarian support at Saturday's GOP convention, singing praises for libertarian-turned-Republican Rep. Ron Paul, a Texas congressman running for president.

Hatch was asked Thursday to comment on the current monetary system versus the one outlined by our "Founding Fathers." And without any additional prompting, Hatch issued his opinion of Paul. "I think that Ron Paul has some good ideas in that area and I do think that the Federal Reserve should be audited," Hatch said. The senator then defended Fed chairman Ben Bernanke as someone "sincere," "dedicated," "smart," and who makes himself available to Hatch, ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee..." (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Talk Radio "INTERVIEW: Sean Reyes - Candidate For Attorney General"

Listen to this good interview of candidate for Utah AG Sean Reyes?  Click title.

SandBoxUtah: Salt Lake Tribune "Utah: A beehive of corruption"

Pat Shea:

"I have served on the Governor’s Council of Balanced Resources since its creation in 2009, but no longer.

Here’s why:

At our last meeting, legislation by the Utah Legislature purporting to reclaim federal land for the state of Utah was discussed, though the main proponent of the idea, Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, was absent.

When lawmakers were considering the legislation, Bob Abbey, director of the federal Bureau of Land Management, told The Salt Lake Tribune that "it’s too bad we can’t focus on our shared values, instead of litigating and spending money."

In keeping with that spirit of shared values, during the meeting I drafted a letter from the Balanced Resources Council to the BLM director, asking for his view of our shared values. I read the letter to the council and everyone agreed it was a good idea.

Alan Matheson Jr., the governor’s chief environmental adviser and staff person for the council, asked that Gov. Gary Herbert be given a chance to review the letter. Two weeks later, I received a phone message that the governor was not willing to have his council send such a letter.

Matheson said that if Abbey wanted to write a letter on his own describing his perception of our "shared values," the letter could be reviewed by the council. Disgusted, I resigned from the council on April 13.

SandBoxUtah: KSL Utah "Busted Spice operation may be part of nationwide drug ring"

(See related stories here and here)

 

Interesting to read some of the avatar comments around the State of Utah  on this bust.  There seems to be about the same ratio of pro-law enforcement to the legalize all drugs crowd to just nonsense trolls talking just to hear themselves.

 

Which is roughly what we have on the Western Slope of Colorado in commentary.  I would be curious to see what some of you who follow SandBox could do out there in trying to get a true dialogue going on one of their forums.  just sayin. 

 

Thank you to all the agencies, officers and agents who participated in this major bust. You're appreciated in both Utah and Colorado. 

 

Alex Cabrero:

"St. George — Police recovered more than $1 million worth of Spice and bath salts from a St. George warehouse earlier this week. Now investigators say the southern Utah operation could be a big part of a nationwide supply chain.

 
"This distribution center that was here in southern Utah was supplying Spice and bath salts throughout the U.S.," said Lt. David Moss, Commander of the Washington County Area Drug and Gang Task Force.
"That's just what they call it," Moss continued. "Spice is not spice you put on your food, and bath salts (are) not something you put in your bath."
 
They're really illegal drugs. Spice has a similar effect on the body as marijuana, Moss said, and bath salts act a lot like methamphetamine.
 
The warehouse was full the drug, made and distributed from inside. This week, police made five arrests on drug charges and took evidence from smoke shops in Washington and St. George.
 
KSL News left messages with the owners of those shops to get their side of the story, but they did not return our calls.
 
A worker at the Earrings and More smoke shop claims everything police took was legal.
 
"The people we arrested were the ones that were manufacturing and distributing, and are the ones that were supplying it to some of these businesses," Moss said.

Both drugs have become a big problem in southern Utah, Moss said, but part of the reason might be because the State Legislature made the drugs illegal about a year ago."

SandBoxUtah: Salt Lake Tribune "Utah wage growth outpaced U.S. in 2011 "

Paul Beebe:

"The latest details about Utah wages add fresh evidence that the state’s economy is healing faster than the rest of the nation — albeit modestly.

The median wage for all Utah occupations was $32,050 in 2011 — up a moderate 2.4 percent from the previous year, according to Department of Workforce Services figures.

The U.S. median wage grew at a slower pace. It rose just 1.8 percent between 2010 and last year, according to the department’s figures.

"That may be a little bit of an indicator that Utah’s economy is perking up a little bit faster than the nation’s," John Mathews, a department economist, said Thursday.

Utah’s latest median wage managed to reverse several years of declining growth. In 2007, the median in the state was 3.9 percent higher than in 2006. But as the recession settled in, growth slowed. Subsequent increases in each of the succeeding years were progressively smaller before finally bottoming out in 2010 at 1.7 percent....." (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Denver Post "Energy Fuels to buy Utah's White Mesa uranium mill"

"GRAND JUNCTION — A company trying to build the nation's first new uranium mill in more than 30 years has agreed to buy the United States' only existing conventional uranium mill.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported Monday that Energy Fuels Inc. plans to buy Denison Mines Corp.'s White Mesa Mill, near Blanding, Utah, as well as its mines along the Colorado-Utah border, and elsewhere in Utah and Arizona. Energy Fuels will exchange about 425.4 million shares for the properties, valued at about $107.1 million

Energy Fuels wants to build a uranium mill in Colorado's Montrose County and owns potential mining properties in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming and New Mexico....."

SandBoxUtah: Deseret News "Utah's largest oil producer will invest $500 million in Utah this year"

Geoff Liesik:
"Houston-based Newfield has accounted for roughly one-third of the oil produced in Utah in each of the past three years, according to the state Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, which makes it a major contributor to state coffers.

Utah receives more than $10 million in state royalty payments and severance taxes annually from Newfield, and between 2005 and 2010, the state received more than $50 million in ad valorem and production taxes from the company.

Duchesne and Uintah counties derive more than $5 million annually in tax revenues from Newfield as well."

SandBoxUtah: Sacramento Bee "Utah Valley Announces 2012 Festivals and Events Schedule"

The full list with specifics on all 2012 festivals and events.  Click title.

Utah Valley and Conventions Bureau: 
"PROVO, Utah, April 18, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (UVCVB) has announced its 2012 event lineup for festivals and recreational activities. With many new and returning events, spring and summer of 2012 in Utah Valley are packed with a wide variety of attractions for those living in or visiting Utah Valley.

"2012 marks another exciting year for the Utah Valley tourism industry, and we are pleased to welcome The Beach Boys to the Stadium of Fire in July," said Joel Racker, President and CEO of UVCVB. "Spring marks the beginning of our festival & events season throughout Utah Valley and we invite everyone to plan a visit and enjoy all that Utah Valley has to offer during this year's exciting festival season."

Upcoming events include the annual Strawberry Days & Rodeo in Pleasant Grove, Scottish Festival at Thanksgiving Point, the Bluebird Cafe Series at Robert Redford's Sundance Resort, Princess Festival, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and more....."