Laredo Morning Times, Thursday, July 29, 2010: During a news conference at the Webb County Sheriff’s Office, Laredo Police Department and sheriff’s officials reassured the public that rumors of Zetas commandeering ranches near Colombia International Bridge were not true.
“We want to let the public know that none of this information has been confirmed,” said Pete Arredondo, assistant chief at the sheriff’s office. “The information that we received is just that — rumors. It was not confirmed at all.”
According to officials, the phones were “swamped” the day the rumor went viral on the Internet.
Investigator Jose E. Baeza, LPD spokesman, said the watch commander on duty Saturday received more than 100 calls from across the country. At the Webb County’s Sheriff’s Office, one official reported Saturday that the department was having difficulty even functioning because of the high volume of calls.
“(It) was just off the charts,” Baeza said.
Although it has nearly been a week since the story spread like wildfire over social networking sites, officials continue to receive phone calls asking about the ranches.
While some callers have accepted answers from authorities that the story is a rumor, Baeza said some media outlets have accused officials of “just (being) part of a conspiracy.”
Law enforcement agencies continue to monitor ongoing violence across the river, the officials said. They also meet weekly with federal authorities to share information.
“The purpose of these meetings is to share intelligence and information on what’s going on, not only in Laredo, but along the border, including Nuevo Laredo,” said Gabriel Martinez, LPD deputy chief.
Based on those meetings, officials have developed contingency plans for how to respond if an international incident were to occur, Martinez said.
Arredondo said the intelligence meetings do more than just monitor the situation across the border.
“We are able to solve some more crimes. We’ve been able to recover stolen property. We’ve been able to serve search warrants, recover narcotics and weapons,” Arredondo said.
Officials are also concerned with the calls placed by residents living near the river reporting shots fired in the Sister City.
“We do receive 911 calls. We do dispatch officers to the areas to monitor and make sure nothing is happening in our community,” Martinez said. “You need to be extra careful if you hear gunfire — stay (indoors) and take the normal precautions one would take.”
Arredondo said if people living close to the riverbanks face any kind of threat, they should contact either the sheriff’s department 523-4500 or LPD 795-2800.
