TSTC Drafting and Design alumna Mari Cruz Montoya now works for Cruz-Hogan Consultants, a civil engineering consulting firm. (Photo courtesy of TSTC.)
Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, Texas – Mari Cruz Montoya was captivated by drawing, painting and sculpting at a young age.
Little did she know that her creativity would lead to a degree from Texas State Technical College’s Drafting and Design program and eventually to a job at Cruz-Hogan Consultants, a civil engineering consulting firm.
“In middle school, I was part of a GEAR UP program that is designed to increase college awareness,” she said. “Before my seventh-grade year began, my mother told me that same program was offering summer activities at TSTC such as a basic drafting class. I decided to try it out because it was similar to art.”
After high school, Montoya enrolled at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, where she earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology in 2015.
Two months after she graduated from TSTC, she accepted a full-time job as a graphic technician with the city of Edinburg’s Engineering Department. A year after that, a new job opportunity arose with the city’s Planning and Zoning Department.
“I was hired as a full-time geographic information systems technician where I addressed residential and commercial buildings in the city limits,” Montoya said. “I created aerial, sight and zoning maps … for monthly city council presentations.”
In 2022 she relocated to Weslaco to work as a computer-aided design drafter with Cruz-Hogan Consultants.
“At Cruz-Hogan Consultants, I have designed multiple aerial and study maps for the region,” she said. “I have also created major lift-station layouts and water and wastewater plans for various improvement projects.”
Marcus Cruz, project manager for Cruz-Hogan Consultants, said Montoya is a quick learner who is attentive to detail.
“Mari Cruz has great organizational skills that keep our projects moving despite a busy timeline,” he said.
Montoya credits her success to the training she received at TSTC.
“The Drafting and Design program felt like a family because we genuinely cared about each other,” she said. “My former instructors did a phenomenal job to ensure we understood the work.”
Samuel Pizano, a TSTC Drafting and Design instructor in Harlingen, said Montoya displayed great leadership, patience and understanding when she worked with fellow classmates.
“Mari Cruz demonstrated a high level of professionalism, worked well in team projects, and was a hard worker who met her project deadlines,” he said. “She proved to be a self-motivated individual who possessed a positive attitude during her time in our program.”
Montoya hopes to continue on a career path at Cruz-Hogan Consultants.
“I am enjoying the professionalism at my place of employment,” she said. “We help improve each other’s skills, and it’s a collaborative environment.”
Her future plans include helping her community by serving others.
“I believe people are given talents to make their community better,” she said. “I would like to contribute my passion for drafting to building homes or a shelter for people who need it.”
In Drafting and Design, TSTC offers Associate of Applied Science degrees in Architectural/Civil Drafting Technology, Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology and Engineering Graphics and Design Technology, as well as several certificates of completion and occupational skills achievement awards. For a complete list, visit tstc.edu/programs/draftingdesign.
Packages containing 833 pounds of methamphetamine seized by CBP officers at Pharr International Bridge. USCBP Image
Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility intercepted $7,400,000 worth of alleged methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of charcoal.
“This massive amount of methamphetamine was intercepted thanks to our CBP officers who used all of our available tools and resources to stop this smuggling attempt,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
On March 24, 2023, CBP officers assigned to the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor trailer arriving from Mexico. A CBP officer referred the vehicle for further inspection which included utilizing non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment and screening by a (canine team). Physical inspection of the tractor trailer resulted in officers extracting 362 packages weighing a total of 833.34 pounds (378 kg) of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the tractor trailer.CBP OFO seized the narcotics and tractor trailer and special agents with Ho
EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers working at the Ysleta Port of Entry intercepted 15.65 pounds of cocaine on two separate unrelated incidents last week.
“Every illicit narcotics shipment that CBP officers intercept is significant,” said Port Director Arnoldo Gomez. “CBP officers continue to step up and address this threat on a daily basis, therefore making our communities safer.”
On March 20, shortly after 6 a.m., CBP officers intercepted 5.05 pounds of cocaine. Following a CBP canine and non-intrusive inspection of a vehicle, multiple bundles were located concealed within the bumper. The driver was a 22-year-old male U.S. citizen.
On March 22, shortly after 6 a.m., CBP officers intercepted 10.6 pounds of cocaine. Following a CBP canine and non-intrusive inspection of a vehicle, several bundles were discovered within the radiator. The driver was a 33-year-old male Mexican citizen.The subjects arrested by CBP officers were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for prosecution
First Lady Cecilia Abbott today celebrated the critical role women business leaders and entrepreneurs play in Texas’ economic success. Photo: Office of the Governor
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AUSTIN, Texas – First Lady Cecilia Abbott today celebrated the critical role women business leaders and entrepreneurs play in Texas’ economic success at the Round Rock Chamber’s inaugural “Women Who Mean Business” luncheon. Addressing more than 150 business and community leaders, the First Lady highlighted Texas’ 1.25 million women-owned businesses as a driving force of the state’s economy and encouraged women to invest in themselves, their businesses, and communities to inspire the next generation of Texas women.
“I am delighted to be a part of this inaugural luncheon hosted by the Round Rock Chamber in celebration of Women’s History Month,” said First Lady Abbott. “As women, there is always someone we can look to for inspiration and there is always another trail we can blaze. In Texas, we believe in the unlimited potential of women. We know the work women are doing today will impact tomorrow. In the recipe of success in life, it is women who lead, and I thank you all here today for being a part of that success.”
The Round Rock Chamber’s inaugural “Women Who Mean Business” luncheon celebrates Women’s History Month by highlighting female founders, business leaders, and changemakers to ignite, inspire, and engage the growing community.
Today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) condemned U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for refusing to take accountability for the Biden administration’s failed policies, which have led to the trafficking of illegal drugs at our southern border. Image for illustration purposes. Cornyn: United States Senate, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Mayorkas; Source: Zachary Hupp/U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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WASHINGTON, DC – In the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) condemned U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for refusing to take accountability for the Biden administration’s failed policies, which have led to the trafficking of illegal drugs at our southern border. Excerpts are below, and video can be found here as well as below.
“Mr. Secretary, would you like to take the opportunity here today to apologize to these parents who lost their children because of fentanyl poisoning, because of the policies of your Department and the Biden administration? Would you like to apologize to them?”
Senator Cornyn
CORNYN: “Last month, I went to Hays Consolidated Independent School District in Kyle, Texas, and I met Shannon and Darren McConville and Brandon Dunn and Janel Rodriguez. The McConvilles lost their 17-year-old son Kevin to fentanyl poisoning.”
“Brandon Dunn and Janel Rodriguez’s 15-year-old son Noah… took a pill laced with fentanyl and died of fentanyl poisoning.”
“Mr. Secretary, would you like to take the opportunity here today to apologize to these parents who lost their children because of fentanyl poisoning, because of the policies of your Department and the Biden administration? Would you like to apologize to them?”
MAYORKAS: “Senator, my heart is with the family of every victim of a drug overdose death.”
CORNYN: “Is that an apology?”
MAYORKAS: “My heart is with the family and the loved ones and the friends.”
CORNYN: “So why don’t you do something about it?”
“Attorney General Garland said this is part of a comprehensive strategy by the cartels to flood these drugs into the United States by overwhelming Border Patrol. You’re clearly losing that battle, and you won’t even apologize to these parents, like so many other parents who have lost their teenage children to counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl.”
“You won’t answer our questions, and you won’t acknowledge responsibility. My constituents are saying, ‘Who’s accountable? Who’s paying a price? Who got fired?’ Well, you haven’t been fired. You should be fired, but you haven’t been fired because you were carrying out the policies of the Biden administration, and we’ve seen nothing but death and destruction as a result.”
“You and the Biden administration’s policies are contributing to what is happening on the border, and according to Mrs. McConville, she credited the Biden broken border policies with contributing to the death of her son, and you won’t even have the common decency to apologize.”
Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Harvey Herber, born in Tacoma, WA, who died during the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, was buried in Peaceful Gardens Cemetery, Lubbock, TX on March 24, 2023. Pictured above is the U.S.S. Oklahoma before the attack on Pearl Harbor (Photo credit Naval History and Heritage Command)
Texas Border Business
Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Harvey Herber, born in Tacoma, WA, who died during the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, was buried at 2 p.m., Peaceful Gardens Cemetery, Lubbock, TX on March 24, 2023.
USS OKLAHOMA
Harvey Christopher Herber
Birthplace: Tacoma, WA Date: Nov. 21, 1907 Hometown:Tacoma, WA
Rank/Rating: Electrician’s Mate 1st Class (EM1c)
Description: Members of the Artificer Branch, Electrician’s Mates used electrical tools, repaired electrical equipment and telephone circuits, charged storage batteries, stood watch on the ship’s main switchboard, main gyro compass, and in main control room. They maintained and repaired electrical circuits and electrical equipment. In January 1944 the Electrician’s Mate rating was moved to the Engine Room Force.
Loss Date: Dec. 7, 1941
Duty Station:
USS Oklahoma (BB 37)
Awards and Decorations*Purple Heart Medal Combat Action Ribbon Good Conduct Medal
American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet Clasp) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with Bronze Star) American Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
*This list reflects only those awards and citations present in the service member’s Official Military Personnel File and listed in the Navy Department Awards Web Service site and may not be complete.
FrequentlyAskedQuestions:
**The following answers can be attributed to Capt. Robert McMahon, Director, Navy Casualty Office.
How many Sailors have been identified from the USS Oklahoma disinterment?
Prior to the 2015 disinterment, which marked the beginning of Project Oklahoma, 388 service members were unaccounted for. Since then, 355 have been individually identified.
Who makes identifications, and how?
Scientists at Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) labs in Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam, Hawaii, and Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska, identify past-conflict Sailors. Remains are identified using DNA reference samples from USS Oklahoma families; DoD now has more than 361 of required samples to support DNA analysis on Oklahomaremains as well as many medical and dental records from the Oklahoma service members.
What is the basic identification process?
The DNA profiling process begins with a sample of an individual’s DNA, typically called a
“reference sample.” During Project Oklahoma, The Navy reached out to families via letters and phone calls requesting their participation in the Family Reference Sample Program in efforts to possibly make a positive match, and identify their loved one lost on the USSOklahoma.
What is the Navy’s policy concerning family notification?
It is the policy of the Navy to notify the primary next of kin whenever there is a decision that impacts the remains of their family members.
What is the Navy’s notification process?
Once DPAA identifies a Sailor, the Navy Casualty Office makes the official notification to the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD). Following the notification a Navy Casualty case worker is assigned to the family to coordinate a formal briefing to discuss the identification, their wishes for disposition options. A Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) and Navy Casualty case worker conduct a Family visit/briefing with the family via various methods (Virtual,telephonically or in-person) and explain all entitlements, processes and assist with the finaldisposition of the remains.
How are CACOs assigned?
CACOs are assigned regionally, according to the location of the PADD.
How does the Navy support the fallen Sailors’ families?
Following the family visit/briefing, it is the CACO’s responsibility to assist the family with burial coordination.The family is given the choice to either have the Sailor re-interred at NMCP, or
choose an alternate location, such as a veterans’, private family site, or Arlington National Cemetery. Navy Mortuary, a branch within Navy Casualty, will coordinate the movement ofremains, which typically arrive a couple days prior to the burial.
What expenses does the Navy pay for?
The Navy pays for funeral expenses, family travel and lodging for up to three blood family members to the Service member. All funding/entitlements are handled and processed by the Navy Casualty office. Entitlements include casket, remains transportation, funeral home expenses and cemetery expenses. The Navy provides full Funeral honors (rifle salute, burial team and TAPS) details.
How can media get in touch with family members?
The Navy respects family wishes in regards to privacy. Each family contacted is asked to fill out a media release form, indicating whether or not media contact is desired. If a positiveresponse is given, the Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs Office will provide the requestingmedia
outlet’s information to the family member designated as the point of contact. Media will not be given family contact information.
Although it has been almost 80 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, why do you believe it is important to identify the remains of these fallen heroes who lost their lives?
Briefing Families, I often hear, “we did not believe he was dead”, “probably he was not onboardthe ship”, “maybe one day he would walk through the door”. Being able to recover and identifythe remains of Sailors aid in closure for the Families and it is especially important to the Navy to Honor these Sailors who paid the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives for our Country
What does it mean to the families to finally have this closure and bring their loved onehome?
Most often the notification and identification briefing is emotional, overwhelming and relieving allat the same time for the Families. Most Families cannot believe their loved ones were recoveredafter so many years, they prayed or hoped to have closure someday.
What can you tell me about the recent reinterment of Sailors in Hawaii?
Dec. 7, 2021: In a ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), the 33 Sailors who could not be identified by DNA were laid to rest with full military honors.
In attendance were families of both unidentified and identified Sailors, as well as HawaiiGovernor Ige, USS Oklahoma survivor David Russell, and Navy and DPAA leadership.Presiding over the ceremony was the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy.
U.S.S OKLAHOMA FACT SHEET
In 1911, Congress authorized the building of two battleships. These two battleships were the Nevada and the Oklahoma. They were to be a modern symbol of the power of the United States. The New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, N.J., laid the keel for the U.S.S. Oklahoma in October 1912.
These two battleships would be the first to burn oil as fuel instead of coal.
The U.S.S. Oklahoma was commissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 2, 1916, with Capt. Roger Welles commanding. The commissioning statement of the Oklahoma stated “That it was hoped that the Oklahoma might never become a mere instrument ofdestruction nor of strife, but a minister of peace and a guardian of rights and interests ofmankind, protecting the weak against the strong.”
Attending the commissioning was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt. As president, Roosevelt would declare war on Japan in 1941 after the attack at PearlHarbor.
The 1914 launching of the USS Oklahoma. She would be commissioned two years later. (US Navy Photo)
Milestones in the U.S.S. Oklahoma’s career:
August 13, 1918: Sailed with her sister ship, the USS Nevada, to protect and escort allied convoys in European waters in World War I until the war was over.
December 1918: Participated as an escort to President Woodrow Wilson traveling to France to negotiate the Versailles Treaty. In June 1919, returned to France to escort the presidenthome.
1919-1926: Part of the Atlantic Fleet for two years and then the Pacific Fleet for six years. Participated in the Peruvian Centennial and the unveiling of the San Martin Monument.
USS Oklahoma became one of the first ships to have bunks instead of hammocks. (US Navy Photo)
1927 – 1929: Modernized at Philadelphia, then rejoined the Scouting Fleet.
July 1929: Maneuvers were reduced during the Depression due to the lack of fuel oil.
1933: An earthquake hit Long Beach, California while the Oklahoma was docked there. Her crew deployed ashore to help maintain order.
1933: She participated in a civil defense drill in Tacoma, Washington, using the ship’s generators to provide all electrical power to the city for 24 hours.
Crewmen clean the 14-inch guns of the USS Oklahoma’s forward turret. (US NavyPhoto)
July 1936: Sailed to Spain to rescue American citizens and refugees of the Spanish Civil War. While enroute to France, a woman gave birth, the first time a baby was born aboard an Americanbattleship.
December 6, 1940: Based at Pearl Harbor for patrol and exercises. December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor attacked by the Japanese.
December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor attacked by the Japanese.
Sailors of USSOklahoma pose for a group photo. (USNavy Photo)
December 7, 1941
In this photo taken from a Japanese aircraft, torpedo hits on battleships moored at Ford Island can be seen. The USS Oklahoma was among the first ships to be struck. US Navy Photo
The USS Oklahoma was among almost half of the U.S. Pacific Fleet — consisting of 150vessels — lay at anchor at Naval Base Pearl Harbor Hawaii that Sunday morning when attacked byair forces of the Japanese Empire. Moored in Battleship Row beside the USS Maryland, the Oklahoma was among the first vessels hit.
The ship, under the command of Capt. Howard D. Bode, was actually supposed to be out to sea patrolling the Hawaiian Islands, but along with the other eight battleships at Pearl Harbor, the Oklahoma crew was advised there was to be an admiral’s inspection Monday.
When the attack began just before 8 a.m. Sunday morning, many of the crew were sleeping in their racks below decks and never made it up to the main deck.
At approximately 7:55 a.m. the first wave of Japanese aircraft struck the Oklahoma with three aerialtorpedoes.
The U.S.S. Oklahoma began capsizing as the Japanese planes strafed the deck with machinegun fire. After being struck by six more torpedoes, the Oklahoma’s port side was torn open and within 15 minutes of the fist torpedo strike, she had rolled completely over, trapping those crewmembers not fortunate enough to escape within her hull.
Amidst the chaos, several Sailors displayed their courage and comradeship, saving the lives of their shipmates at the cost of their own. For their efforts in saving their fellow Sailors, From left, Ensign Francis C. Flaherty and Seaman 1st Class James R. Ward would receive the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for valor. Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin, who perishedsaving his shipmates’ lives, would be awarded the Navy Cross. Lieutenant Commander Hugh
Alexander, the ship’s dental officer, died helping Sailors to safety. Lieutenant Junior Grade (Chaplain) Aloysius Schmitt, far left, was conducting church call when battle stations sounded. His assigned position was below decks at a medical station where he could tend towounded sailors. He could have made it to safety, but he was assisting junior Sailors scrambling to safety when the ship capsized. Alexander and Schmitt would receive Navy and Marine Corps Medals, eventually upgraded to Silver Stars.
Men trapped inside started banging on thebulkhead trying to get the attention ofpassing small boats. On the December 8and 9, after cutting holes in the exposedbottom of the ship, 32 men were pulled outalive. Banging continued through Dec. 10, but nothing could be done. The sound wascoming from below the water line and thehelpless Sailors standing watch over theOklahoma could only wait and listen untilthe banging stopped. In total, 429 U.S.S.Oklahoma Sailors lost their lives The U.S.S. Oklahoma would receive one battle star for her service in World War II.
The Lost 429
When the ship was righted in 1944, 429 Sailors’ remains would be recovered. Of these, only 35 were able to be identified. The remains of 388 unidentified Sailors and Marines were first
interred as “unknowns” in two cemeteries. All were disinterred in 1947, in an unsuccessfulattempt to identify more personnel.
In 1950, all unidentified remains from Oklahoma were buried in 61 caskets in 45 graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as “Punchbowl.”
In April 2015, the Department of Defense, as part of a policy change that established threshold criteria for disinterment of unknowns, announced that the unidentified remains of the crewmembers of Oklahoma would be exhumed for DNA analysis, with the goal of returning identified remains to their families.
Left, Navy Casualty and DPAA representatives discuss identification with a USS Oklahoma family during a DPAA Family Member Update event. (NPC Public Affairs Photo)
The process began in June 2015, when four graves (two individual andtwo group graves) were disinterred. Identifications have been made byscientists of the Defense POW/MIAAccounting Agency. Once identifications are made, the Navy Casualty Office, located at NavyPersonnel Command in Millington,
Tennessee takes control of the process, notifying and visiting with the families, coordinating thereturn of their loved ones and providing escorts and honors details for the reinternments.
December 2017: 100 Sailors had been identified.
February 26, 2019: The 200th Unknown Oklahoma Sailor was identified.
January 28, 2021: The 300th unknown (a member of the US Marine detachment) was identified.
December 7, 2021: On the 80th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the final 33 Sailors unidentified by DNA were reinterred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
A specially designed wench system was used to turn the capsized USS Oklahoma over. The ship was then put into dry dock and made watertight. She was deemed unsalvageable, stripped of useable parts and eventually lost while being towed to a California scrapyard. (US Navy Photo)
Salvage and Final Voyage of the USS Oklahoma
Salvage efforts at Pearl Harbor concentrated on the least damaged ships first, the Oklahoma and Utah were the last ships to receive serious attention.
Salvage of the U.S.S. Oklahoma began in March 1943. She was the most difficult and largest of the Pearl Harbor salvage jobs. Preparations for righting the hull took eight months tocomplete.
During the Oklahoma salvage, divers made 1,848 dives involving 10,279 man hours under pressure.
Air was pumped into interior chambers and improvised airlocks built into the ship, forcing 20,000tons of water out of the ship through the torpedo holes.
Four thousand, five hundred tons of soil were deposited in front of her bow to prevent sliding andtwo barges were posted on either end of the ship to control the ship’s rising.
Twenty-one derricks were attached to the upturned hull; each carried high-tensile steel cablesthat were connected to hydraulic winching machines ashore. The operation began on March 8, and was completed by June 16,1943.
Teams of naval specialists then entered the ship to remove any additional human remains.
Cofferdams were then placed around the hull to allow basic repairs so the ship could be refloated. The Oklahoma was eventually floated using 20 10,000 gallon-per-minute pumps during an 11-hour period on November 3, 1943.
December 28, 1943: Oklahoma towed into dry dock, repaired enough to make her watertight.
USS Oklahoma was decommissioned in September 1944 and sold to Moore Drydock Co. of Oakland, Ca., for $46,127. In May 1947, two tugs, Hercules and Monarch, began towing the Oklahoma to California.
May 17, 1944: The tugs entered a storm more than 500 miles from Hawaii. Hercules put her searchlight on the former battleship, revealing that she had begun listing heavily. After radioing PearlHarbor, both tugs were instructed to turn around and head back to port. Without warning, Hercules was pulled back past Monarch, which was being dragged backwards at 15 knots (17 mph). Oklahomahad begun to sink straight down, causing water to swamp the sterns of both tugs. To savethemselves, the crews released her and let her.
The Oklahoma’s plunge to the bottom of the Pacific was recorded at 1:40 a.m., but her exact location is unknown.
The ship’s wheel and a section of her deck are now on display at the Oklahoma Historical Society Museum. The anchor is located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Inscribed on its base: “Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty.”
The USS Oklahoma (BB 37) before the attack on Pearl Harbor (US Navy Photo)
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Cesar Soto-Bolanos, of Edinburg, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List. Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to his arrest. Texas DPS Photo
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AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Cesar Soto-Bolanos, of Edinburg, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List. Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to his arrest. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.
Cesar Soto-Bolanos, 27, has been wanted since September 2021, when the Pharr Police Department issued warrants for his arrest for two counts of sexual assault. Additionally, in October 2021, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office issued warrants for Soto-Bolanos’ arrest for motion to revoke (indecency with a child by exposure), failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements, failure to identify and possession of marijuana.
In 2019, Soto-Bolanos was convicted of indecency with a child by exposure after an incident involving a 13-year-old girl. He was subsequently sentenced to ten years of probation.
Soto-Bolanos is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. For more information or updates in the event of his arrest, view Soto-Bolanos’ wanted bulletin.
Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives or Sex Offenders. So far in 2023, DPS and other agencies have arrested nine Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders. In addition, $11,000 in rewards has been paid for tips that yielded arrests.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture.
Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders Lists. You can find the current lists — with photos — on the DPS website.
Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Javaid Anwar to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a term set to expire on August 31, 2027. Image Source: https://www.highered.texas.gov/about/board-commissioner/s-javaid-anwar/
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AUSTIN,Texas – Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Javaid Anwar to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a term set to expire on August 31, 2027. The Board provides leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system.
Javaid Anwar of Midland is owner and president of Midland Energy, Inc., Petroplex Energy, Inc., and Western T. Corporation. He is a lifetime member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and member of the George W. Bush Childhood Home Board of Directors and Texas Lieutenant Governor’s Energy Council. He has received the Golden Hammer Award from Midland Habitat for Humanity, Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Permian Basin Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Businessman of the Year Award from the South Asian Chamber of Commerce in Houston, and humanitarian awards from the Pakistan Citizens Foundation and the Human Development Foundation. Anwar received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wyoming.
This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Manoranjan “Mano” Mahadeva to the Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners for a term set to expire February 1, 2025. Image Source: LinkedIN for illustration purposes
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AUSTIN, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Manoranjan “Mano” Mahadeva to the Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners for a term set to expire February 1, 2025. The Council is charged with protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Texas by supporting the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners and the Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, as they license and regulate qualified practitioners of physical therapy and occupational therapy and register facilities in which those services are provided.
Manoranjan “Mano” Mahadeva of Frisco is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Additionally, he is a member and past president of the Plano Metro Rotary Club. Mahadeva received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from The University of Texas at Dallas and a Master of Business Administration in Management from Texas A&M University – Commerce.
This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector Border Patrol agents locate a missing juvenile and seize $64,000. USCPB Image for illustration purposes
Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector Border Patrol agents locate a missing juvenile and seize $64,000.
On March 24, Kingsville agents seized over $64,000 in bulk cash after a driver attempted to circumvent the Javier Vega Jr. Immigration Checkpoint. Agents conducted a vehicle stop on the SUV and escorted the driver and occupant, both U.S. citizens, back to the checkpoint. Further investigation of the subjects revealed the occupant was a missing juvenile registered in the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children database. Kenedy County Sheriff’s deputies took custody of the subjects, bulk cash, and the vehicle. The missing juvenile was turned over to the Texas Juvenile Probation Office by deputies.
“Very proud of our Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents, who through their diligent work encountered a missing juvenile, further avoiding risk to her life and safety,” said Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez.
