$1 million hit put on Sheriff Joe by cartel
Mexican Drug Cartel Allegedly Puts a Price on Arizona Sheriff's Head
$1M offered for Arpaio, $1K to join cartel
Updated: Thursday, 29 Jul 2010, 6:48 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 29 Jul 2010, 6:48 PM MDT
PHOENIX - He's been at the center of the discussions and controversies surrounding illegal immigration enforcement in Arizona for quite a while.
On the day parts of Arizona's immigration law, SB 1070, went into effect, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is in the news for another reason: there's a price on his head - allegedly offered by a Mexican drug cartel.
The audio message in Spanish is a bit garbled, but the text is clear.
"It's offering a million dollars for Sheriff Joe Arpaio's head and offering a thousand dollars for anyone who wants to join the Mexican cartel."
A man who wants to remain anonymous says his wife received the text message Tuesday evening. It also included an international phone number and instructions to pass the message along.
"She showed it to me..I was kind of disgusted..I reported it to the Sheriff's department yesterday..they said they were going to direct the threat squad on it."
Lisa Allen of the Sheriff's office says they believe the message originated in Mexico.
Although the Sheriff has received numerous death threats in the past, they believe this threat is credible because of its timing.
"Arpaio gets threats pretty routinely, but obviously with this heightened awareness of his role in the immigration issue we've got to take this one a little bit more seriously with a million dollar contract out on him," said Allen.
But she says what really concerns investigators is how quickly the message may have been spread. "It's going so many different places that our folks are looking at it and thinking well at any given point in time it could land in front of some crazy person who thinks I can do that."
As for Arpaio's reaction to the threat, "It's a little bit like water off a duck's back for him, but you never know if it's that sense of false bravado with him..you just can't read it, I'm sure he's concerned, I'm sure he's concerned for his family more than anything else," said Allen.
The Sheriff's office says investigators are trying to trace exactly where the text message came from, but because it did originate from an international number, that will be difficult too.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/im ... o-07292010
Mexican drug cartel offers $1M price for Arpaio
Mexican drug cartel offers $1M price for Arpaio
Dallas Political Buzz Examiner Devonia Smith
VIDEO ON THIS PAGE: http://www.examiner.com/x-35532-Dallas- ... paio-video
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A chilling audio tape with text, circulating by e-mail, has been reported that puts a million dollar price on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's head. Is it a coincidence that this was reported on the same day that Arizona's immigration law, SB 1070, became effective?
Though the SB 1070 law that has gone into effect is a gutted version of the real bill, yesterday was also the day that Governor Brewer filed an expedited appeal, vowing to fight all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. Yesterday was also the day that busloads of imported protesters from California chained themselves outside Sheriff Arpaio's jail.
Still, there are those who think the real solution isn't immigration reform or securing the border. Some feel certain the fact that Arizona is trying to block the drug highway from Mexico, thus cutting off the drug cartel's route to supply drugs to the United States is the primary reason that the drug cartel is allegedly out to eliminate Sheriff Joe. Therefore, they think the solution is to legalize drugs.
In the message, $1M reward is placed on Arpaio's head, and for mafia cartel recruiting purposes, another $1K to join the cartel.
The information about the tape was provided by a man, frightened enought to request anonymity, who was disgusted when his wife showed him the tape and followed up by reporting it to the sheriff's office. Death threats aren't uncommon for law enforcement officers who battle the lawlessness of border states,woefully overwhelmed and understaffed, and Sheriff Joe has had more than a few. This threat is considered real and credible, especially because of its timing.
It is believed this message originated in Mexico. The tape provides an international phone number and investigators are trying to trace the text message.
Ms. Allen from the Sheriff's office is "sure he's concerned... for his family more than anything else."
DALLAS -- At last, "Undocumented", a film about illegal immigration "levels the ground" for all involved. Premiered at the Texas Film Fest, May 17th at the Angelika Film Fest in Dallas. See this trailer of the powerful documetary filmed by Dallas director and fim maker, Justin Malone.
