Missouri City man convicted of illegal possession of bald eagle

  VICTORIA, TX (KTRK) -- Sam Mathew, 53, of Missouri City, has been convicted of illegally possessing a bald eagle, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced. Mathew was indicted in May of this year for one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).

Prosecutors say there was an active bald eagle nest located on Mathew's property and he had been planning to capture a young eagle for the purposed of training it in falconry. Mathew testified in his defense and claimed the bird was out of its nest and on a tree limb, and that he had instructed two ranch hands to remove it.

However, testimony indicated the bird was actually still in its nest when they were about to capture it. The eagle apparently got scared and fell out of the tree at that time and Mathew and one of the ranch hands caught it.

US Fish and Wildlife Service officials learned of the eagle and that the nest housing it had apparently been disturbed and went to the residence. Upon arrival, they noticed there were fresh tire tracks around the tree and several broken branches as well as a set of tree climbing gear with ropes.

The MBTA does allow the possession of nongame birds, but only if they are injured, sick or orphaned and if they are immediately transported to be rehabilitated. Mathew claimed he thought the bird was injured and was rescuing it to take it to a rehabilitator. The jury disagreed and found him guilty as charged. The jury returned its verdict late Tuesday after two days of trial and approximately an hour of deliberations.

Mathew was permitted to remain on bond pending his sentencing hearing to be held in February 2013. At that time, he faces up to six months in federal prison and a maximum $15,000 fine.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Neighborhood on lockdown in search for illegal immigrants

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A neighborhood in north Houston is on lockdown as police search for illegal immigrants.

Police tell us they were looking for a vehicle involved in a robbery when they spotted an a pickup truck driving suspiciously around East Tidwell near Bauman.

Officers ran the plates and say the truck came back as stolen. Investigators say when they tried to pull the pickup over several people got out and started running away.

Authorities say they are not sure exactly how many were inside but tell us they do have 11 suspects in custody.

We are gathering more information and we will update you on Eyewitness News and abc13.com as additional details become available.

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Suspected illegal immigrants in custody following chase

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A chase in Fort Bend County has landed almost a dozen suspected illegal immigrants in custody.

Deputies have taken 11 suspected illegal immigrants into custody after a chase that ended near Stafford at about 10:30am. We're told deputies were acting on a tip by a driver who said he saw people stacked in the bed of a pickup truck.

After getting the truck to stop, five or six of the people reported escaped on foot. Immigration officials are now taking over the investigation.

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Fifth Ward residents upset about illegal dumping

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Some neighbors in the Fifth Ward are complaining about illegal dumping and it's not just all the trash they're concerned about. It's also the fact that they say the city of Houston was doing nothing about it.

Neighbors say they're tired of it. We found out the city has been monitoring this site for some time. But the big problem is that as soon as crews clean up the mess, the illegal dumpers are back in action.

In the 3000 block of Amboy, neighbors like Earline Goffney say the mess is the eyesore they've been stuck dealing with for weeks.

"Now they just dumped this stuff out here. I don't know where this come from," Goffney said. "Next thing you know, it's a pile out there."

It's a huge pile of illegally dumped old furniture, dead tree limbs and other smelly garbage that's spilling into the street in front of an old abandoned and neglected house.

"You see over there, over there, over there. I don't know," said neighbor Manuel Trevino.

Frustrated neighbors say they don't know who's behind all of this dumping.

"The city can come out here and clean up the lot, by the time they are through with the lot, it'd be a truck come by from out of nowhere and be dumping it," Goffney said.

One neighbor claims he's called the city several times to report this nasty nuisance problem. When Eyewitness News checked, we found out the most recent complaint to 311 came in last Thursday.

After our calls Monday, a neighborhood protection inspector was sent out to look at the mess. A few minutes later, a solid waste inspector also showed up.

We've learned the city's inspections and public service division is scheduled to handle the weeds on this lot. And we're told the contractors will also handle the illegal dumping at that time.

Now homeowners like Goffney say they're just glad this garbage will soon be gone.

The inspectors took photos of the mess here and told us the site is under legal review. Solid waste workers showed up Monday afternoon and started removing the trash pile.

We heard from neighbors about a similar situation on Houston's south side back in February.

They told us they were fed up with people using their neighborhood as a dumping ground. They told us the trash had been piling up for months, and their calls to 3-1-1 had been ignored. We started asking questions and by the end of the day, the city was out cleaning up the trash.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Airport security cracks down on illegal imports, exports

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's video you wont see anywhere else -- the most shocking and bizarre things seized at Houston's big airport. We have an inside look at how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is cracking down on illegal imports and exports, some of which has actually been smuggled into the country.

They come from every corner of the world to Bush Intercontinental Airport's international terminal. And for many passengers, the long trip means lots of luggage. But what may seem like a regular bag sometimes holds a shocking and illegal secret.

"When I started this job, I never thought I'd see some of the things I've seen," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector Bead Wendt said.

Things brought or smuggled into the country by passengers who don't have the proper permits. That's where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service comes in.

"To try and help the United States protect its wildlife," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector Demarion McKinney said.

Inspectors and agents, along with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers, are constantly checking, searching and scanning baggage.

"We are most concerned with the endangered species, the most threatened species globally," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector Agent Hampton said.

And often, they find and seize it before it ends up on the black market.

But not even that could prepare us for what we were about to see. Several shelves of some of the most bizarre things, including a llama fetus, have been seized at the airport.

The llama fetus was found wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in a passenger's purse.

"A newlywed couple brought that in and they were going to bury it under their front door for good luck. It wasn't lucky for the llama," Customs Chief Jerry Akin said.

And Akin had another surprise for us.

"It's packed with camel dung, feces," Akin said.

It doesn't matter how it's disguised, feces can carry disease, and the Department of Agriculture tells us, it could affect our livestock.

"We are serious about protecting the U.S. and its resources," McKinney said.

So when the plane lands, the hunt is on, and for those caught smuggling, Houston Intercontinental Airport may not be their final destination.

"If it's smuggling, then we are going to investigate it fully and thoroughly," Hampton said. "Absolutely, we will seek prison sentences."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires passengers to declare all imported and exported items and in some cases present a permit as well.

Those caught smuggling for the illegal commercial trade could face numerous felony charges and up to 10 years in prison.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Four arrested over possible illegal gun in vehicle

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Four people were arrested after an officer spotted what looked like an illegal firearm in their vehicle.

It happened around 2:30am near the Westpark shopping center. The officer called for backup after seeing what he described as an Uzi in the car. The suspects were arrested.

No word if the gun was confiscated.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Illegal immigrant gets prison in ransom case

  HOUSTON -- Prosecutors in Houston say an illegal immigrant who led a smuggling ring that held people for ransom has been sentenced to more than 24 years in prison.

A federal judge on Monday sentenced 26-year-old Heriberto Perez-Pinon, who had been living in Houston.

Perez-Pinon in 2010 pleaded guilty to hostage taking. Authorities say smuggled immigrants were held until family or friends paid a release fee.

The investigation began in 2009 when two people escaped from a group being hauled to a Houston stash house. A concerned citizen contacted police on behalf of the pair.

Five co-defendants earlier pleaded guilty to hostage taking or conspiracy to commit hostage taking and have been sentenced to prison.

Further details on the home country of Perez-Pinon, who faces deportation after prison, were not immediately available.

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Woman faces 10 years in illegal immigrant case

  JACKSON, MI -- A woman convicted in Mississippi for harboring illegal immigrants from China, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India and Mexico faces up to 10 years in prison when she's sentenced July 12.

Court records said Sheren Nguyen was transporting nine illegal immigrants in a Chevy Suburban when it was pulled over on Interstate 55 in Pike County on Dec. 15, 2010.

Nguyen told authorities she is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Vietnam. She had a Houston, Texas, driver's license and was apparently bound for Atlanta with the illegal immigrants.

She pleaded guilty March 31. She faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Managers accused of hiring illegal workers

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Five managers who work or worked at a Houston seafood restaurant chain have been indicted on allegations of employing illegal workers and falsifying their documents.

Joel Moreno, 36, Alfredo Aguilar Gonzalez, 43, and Alejandro Aguilar Gonzalez, aka Eduardo Martinez, 27, Victor Batz, 49, and Romelia Lopez, 26, are charged with conspiracy to encourage and induce aliens to illegally reside in the United States and to harbor the aliens beginning in April 2009 to the present, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement. Each suspect is also charged with one count each of making false statements on employment documents during the existence of the conspiracy. All five suspects managed or currently manage Connie's Seafood Kitchen Inc., which also has the assumed name of Mambo Seafood, according to the statement. Authorities allege the managers knowingly sought to employ illegal immigrants and hired many of them by accepting fraudulently completed I-9 forms and allowing their employees to use several Social Security numbers and identities during their employment. Moreno, Alfredo Gonzalez and Batz were arrested Tuesday, while Lopez was arrested Wednesday. A warrant for the arrest of Alejandro Gonzalez remains outstanding. Authorities also allege that Alejandro Gonzalez himself is illegally in the United States. Lopez is expected to make her initial court appearance by Friday. The court has ordered Moreno, Gonzalez and Batz released on bond pending trial, which has been set for Aug. 9, 2011. If convicted on all the charges, each suspect faces up to 15 years in prison and fines worth up to $1.25 million. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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