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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1991)
TATE and LOCAL Monday, February 4, 1991 The Battalion | Legislator wants regulation of exchange houses AUSTIN (AP) — A Texas legislator has proposed regulations that would require state licensing for the hundreds of cur rency exchange houses dotting the Mexi can border, where authorities estimate hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal drug profits are laundered. The exchange houses, known as casas de cambio, offer many of the same services as banks, but at cheaper rates. Customers use them to trade foreign currency, cash checks and buy money orders. The exchange houses are unregulated by state or federal government. And law enforcement officials say that has made them a major channel for moving drug profits in and out of the country. “We don’t think every casa de cambio operator is a crook,” Don Morris, a crimi nal investigator for the Internal Revenue Service in Laredo, told the Austin Ameri- can-Statesman. “But based on the volume of money that they move, it’s easy to as sume a portion of that money is drug money.” To help authorities crack down on the illegal drug trade, state Rep. Henry Cuel lar, D-Laredo, has proposed legislation that would regulate the exchange houses. Under Cuellar’s bill, the state comp troller’s office would issue licenses an nually to the cur rency exchanges. Money raised through licensing fees would pay for investigators to monitor the industry. The arrangement would be similar to the Texas Alcoholid Beverage Commission’s regulatory role over the liquor industry. Cuellar’s bill also would prohibit felons from obtaining a license. Morris said he estimates that Texas bor der exchange houses account for billions of dollars in legitimate and illegal cash transactions a year. Although the exchanges have existed for decades, drug traffickers began to use them more in the 1980s to conceal illegal drug profits, Morris said. And increased law enforcement in Florida has forced many drug dealers to shift their operations to the Texas-Mexico border, he said. “This is all about the war on drugs,” Morris said of the proposed legislation. “There’s a saying that if you follow the mules, you’ll get the drugs,” Morris said, referring to drug couriers. “But if you fol low the money, you’ll get the bosses. We want the bosses.” Some exchange house operators say they don’t oppose regulation. U.S. Customs office investigates dealers’ arms sales with Iraq DALLAS (AP) — A Chilean arms dealer who authorities claim has close links to Saddam Hussein is the target of a federal investiga tion that centers on North Texas, officers said. Carlos Cardoen, who operates one of Chile’s largest private weapons manufacturers and fur nished Iraq with cluster bombs during its war with Iran, is the fo cus ofa U.S. Customs Service in vestigation, authorities said Sat urday. Customs officials told The Dal las Morning News they are inves tigating whether the 49-year-old arms merchant modified a com mercial helicopter and brought it to Fort Worth for testing, with plans to sell it to the Iraqi presi dent’s regime. Agents say the helicopter had been reconfigured in Chile so that it could be transformed into a gunship. They said the modifi cation was part of a plan to con struct a low-cost alternative to U.S.-built military attack helicopt ers. The government said the L T .S.- educated Cardoen is also a prime target of a customs service probe in South Florida into possible shipments of munitions, lethal chemicals and military technol ogy to Iraq. After Iraqi troops invaded Ku wait on Aug. 2, the United Na tions imposed an arms embargo against Saddam’s war effort. Through his attorney, Car doen has denied any impropriety. He has not been charged with any crime. Authorities said the Texas in vestigation centers on a modified 206L-II1 LongRanger commer cial helicopter originally built by Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. Bell has no direct involvement in the modification project, offi cials said. “That helicopter is of interest to us,” said Waye Frandsen, assis tant special agent in charge of the customs service’s Dallas office. “We have an ongoing inquiry into it and the individual responsible for bringing it into the country.” May 4 vote disfavored by politicians City council members, mayor appeal court-ordered election DALLAS (AP) — Six Dallas City Council members, including the mayor, say they will appeal a court- order demanding the city hold a May 4 election under the so-called “14-1” district voting plan. Mayor Annette Strauss has been joined by Mayor Pro Tern John Evans, council members Glenn Box, Harriet Miers, Jerry Bartos and Max Wells in the support of an appeal. The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday. On Friday, U.S. District Judge i erry Buchmeyer ordered the city to lold a 14-1 election in May to elect a new council. Under that plan, 14 single-mem ber districts will replace the city’s current 8-3 scheme. Currently, Dal las voters elect eight district rep resentatives and three candidates, including the mayor, at large. A closed-door council meeting will be held Monday to discuss the redistricting case with city attorneys. Buchmeyer’s ruling comes nearly a year after he struck down the city’s 8-3 system, saying it weakens mi nority voting power. The case before Buchmeyer stems from a voting rights lawsuit filed by a Hispanic group and two unsuccess ful council candidates, Marvin Crenshaw and Roy Williams, who are black. Both Crenshaw and Williams say an appeal would be a “racist” and Palmer, “arrogant” try to prolong the contro versy. “The City Council could have re solved this issue some time ago if they were as adamant about healing the wounds in this in this city as they are in keeping them open,” Crenshaw said. In 1989, voters approved the 10- 4-1 system, where 10 members would be elected from districts, four from quadrants and the mayor cho sen at large. However, the U.S. De partment of Justice system never ap proved the system. Four other council members op pose an appeal. They are Deputy Mayor Pro Tern Diane Ragsdale, A1 Lipscomb, Jim Buerger and Lori iln One council member, John Tandy, has not disclosed his stance on the 14-1 appeal. 72-year-old woman shoots intruder HOUSTON (AP) — A 72-year- old Sunday school teacher shot and killed a state prison parolee who had broken into her brother’s home and was fighting with the ailing elderly man, authorities said. Inez Harris McGrew emptied her new .38-caliber pistol, the first fire arm she ever owned, at the intruder as he lunged toward her in the living room of her brother’s northeast Houston home, the woman said. The incident took place about 5:20 a.m. Saturday. Maurice Howard, 34, paroled in September after serving time for forgery and drug-related convic tions, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. McGrew was asleep on a sofa in the home of her brother, Charles McGee, 64, when Howard began breaking in, police said. Voters kick football out of school district plan BROCK (AP) — Brock voters have rejected football as an after school activity for their 390-member student body. About 50 percent of registered voters turned out Saturday to veto the plan 295 to 194. If the proposal had won, a foot ball program would have begun in junior high next fall, followed by a high school program in 1993 or 1994. The school board recently turned down plans for football in a 5-2 vote. But board members agreed to allow' voters to decide. Brock’s football dilemma has been around ever since the town created an independent school district 20 years ago. However, basketball is a going concern. Between 25 and 28 stu dents try out for the high school bas ketball team, which has made the District 21-A playoffs each of the last four years. Brock is about 65 miles west of Dallas. Here's YOUR chance to be in the Aggieland! There are a lot of old Ag stories that are entertaining, but we want to hear what's happened to you or your friends while attending A&M. Just complete the sentence below and return to 230 Reed McDonald by Friday, February 8. Here are the topics we're looking for: Classroom Capers Dorm Pranks Corps Trips Corps Capers Yell Practice Pranks Campus Stunts Off-Campus Stunts Construction Comments Parking Peeves Greatest Moments in Sports Greatest Moments at A&M Other: "I'll never forget the time when*.. M Name: Classification: SS#: Phone #: * The Aggieland reserves the right to edit all quotes. The partners and professional staff of KPMG Peat Marwick are pleased to announce the fol lowing graduates of Texas A&M University, class of 1990-91 will be joining our Firm: Kim Banner Alan Beaton Nancy Cardenas Laura Carey Ray Coufal Lori Davis Stanley Farmer Andrea Freeze Debra Hildebrandt Kristen Johnson Mike Lamb Melanie Musgrove Robert Nieschwietz Gary Peng Penny Penn Jan Remmert Dawn Scherlen Lorita Shepherd Jill Stichler Paige Ulmer Pennee Ward Stefani Wiggins Wes Williams Barbara Willis Gwenda Wilson Jim Wright Welcome to Peat Marwick! Peat Marwick Spring Campus Interview Dates: February 5 (Internship Positions) February 6 (Full-time Positions) Peat Marwick Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/V/H