MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 | The Monitor, www.themonitor.com 3A VALLEY & STATE

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BY FRANCISCO GUAJARDO not like that, and she did other strikers, the growers SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR not like the fact there were looked to bring in replace- no bathrooms available to ment workers from Mexico. Daría Vera, a lifelong resi- women working in the fi elds, When a bus with Mexican dent of Rio Grande City, died nor was there running water, workers made its way across Aug. 6 at 5:05 p.m. at the Bap- or access to other basic la- the international suspension tist Medical Center in San An- she said. “It was very sad be- borer necessities. bridge between Miguel Ale- tonio. At 73, she succumbed cause we could only commu- The United Farm Workers man, Tamaulipas, and Roma, to complications resulting nicate with her through the organization, led by Dolores Daría laid down on the bridge from COVID-19. computer.” Huerta and Cesar Chavez, to block the oncoming bus Daría’s daughter, Maricela Daría was born on Nov. 18, was just gaining strength fi lled with replacement work- Olvera, bore 1946, in Rio Grande City. She across the country, and it ers. A photograph of Daría close wit- attended school up to the came to Daría’s community and another striker became ness to her third grade and at a young to gauge interest in a strike the subject of national news. mother’s life age began to work in agri- to protest low wages and According to historian and tells that cultural fi elds in South Texas unacceptable working con- Maritza de la Trinidad, who the hospital and even followed the crops Courtesy photo ditions. Daría threw herself conducted an oral history in Rio Grande to the fi elds of West Texas. Daria Vera is seen in this 1966 photo lying on the ground to into the organizing effort, as- with Daría in 2016, “Daría City had sim- Her lack of formal education block a bus with Mexican workers that tried to make its way suming a leadership role in loved that picture. She was so ply run out of Vera did not defi ne her, however. across the international suspension bridge between Miguel the famous Melon Strike of proud of her role in the strike, space to treat Maricela describes her moth- Aleman, Tamaulipas, and Roma. 1966 in Rio Grande City. This and adamant that she should COVID-19 victims. er as a spark plug, a capable historic event pitted melon be involved. She was such a “So they fl ew my mother woman whose enormous tal- When Daría was 19, she pick cantaloupes, a wage growers against the workers formidable woman.” to the Baptist hospital in San ent was matched only by her worked as a melon picker, much lower than what other who picked the melons. Antonio, and she died there,” immense passion. earning 40 cents an hour to laborers earned. Daría did To combat Daría and See VERA | 4A Case closed in political retaliation lawsuit Staying festive filed against DA STAFF REPORT it is ordered, adjudged and With ‘Carnaval de decreed that Plaintiffs Dora A lawsuit fi led by former Salia Maldonado, Dora L. Mu- Calaveras’, H-E-B Hidalgo County District At- noz, Rogelio Cazares Jr., Jorge torney’s Offi ce employees A Salazar, Palmira Munoz, Park hosts first who alleged they were fi red Chris Yates, and Santos Leal for political retaliation has take nothing by reason of this large event since been settled. suit and that Hidalgo County The litigation, fi led by and Ricardo Rodriguez Jr., pandemic Doria Salia individually and in his of- Maldonado, fi cial capacity, are hereby BY MATT WILSON Dora L. Mu- discharged from any and all STAFF WRITER ñoz, Rogelio liability from the allegations Cazares Jr., in the complaint made basis EDINBURG — H-E-B Park Jorse A. Sala- of this suit,” the order states. hosted its fi rst festival since zar, Palmira The details of the settle- the pandemic began Satur- Muñoz, Chris ment are not contained in the day evening, making it the Yates and Rodriguez court record. only large event center to Santos Leal “On this day came to be host a traditional in-person against District Attorney Ri- heard the above entitled and event in Hidalgo County in cardo Rodriguez Jr. and Hi- numbered cause whereby all the last eight months. dalgo County was scheduled parties, by and through their H-E-B Park and Bert Og- for jury selection Tuesday. attorneys of record, expressly den Arena, just down the However, on Sept. 29, court stated to the Court that each road, have hardly been inac- records indicate the case was party waived the right to a tri- tive during the pandemic. closed. al by jury; that all claims and Much of the response to “Now, therefore, in ac- causes of action that were or the crises that have faced cordance with the parties’ South Texas have played out compromise and settlement See CASE | 4A in the parking lots of the fa- cilities: blood drives, large scale coronavirus testing efforts, hurricane recovery initiatives. Woman charged in More recently, the RGV Toros began playing in the stadium again, starting with connection with human no fans and traditioning into socially distanced spectat- ing. Last week the facility smuggling attempt held a drive-in concert. Still, spokesperson Shali- “The vehicle stopped mar Madrigal said, Satur- Claimed man without incident and agents day’s Carnaval de Calaveras: threatened her identifi ed the driver as Ruby Dia de los Muertos Festival Jo Davila, a United States was an important step back Monitor photo with gun citizen. The three passengers toward the sort of events A Dia de los Muertos altar was among the features available at Saturday evening’s Carnaval de located in the rear passenger that are H-E-B Park’s bread Calaveras: Dia de los Muertos Festival at H-E-B Park in Edinburg. BY LORENZO ZAZUETA-CASTRO seat of the sedan were deter- and butter. STAFF WRITER mined to be illegally present “It’s a beautiful fresh eve- that we have this huge facil- “It took us several months turned perpendicular to the in the (U.S.),” the court record ning, so it’s wonderful for ity, it’s an awesome outdoor for us to fi gure out the seat- sidewalk instead of parallel. A Pharr woman claimed shows. this,” she said Saturday. facility with a capacity of ing chart, but we sell in Whenever a kid asked for a man threatened her with a Davila, after her arrest, A steady stream of festi- 10,000, so since we made it groups of two, three, four or a bag of candy, one of the gun to transport two women told agents she was in Roma val goers trickled through socially distanced, we can six, and we also have a few facility’s employees slid it who were later determined because a relative had pur- the doors after they opened offer that to people to come single seats,” she said. We down the 6-foot table with a to be in the country without chased a home in the area. at 7 p.m., stopping to have enjoy as a family in a safe did that so we can ensure stick grabber, like someone legal authorization, records She claimed that a (man) their temperatures taken way.” enough distance, in front, might use to hand out prizes show. walked out to her car with a before going inside to enjoy The steps taken to pro- behind and to the sides in at an old timey carnival. Ruby Jo Davila faces federal gun and demanded a ride, or themselves. vide safety stood out, but the stands.” One booth had some sort smuggling charges in connec- give up her car. Inside, there was a Dia de according to Madrigal, will There was more seating of infl atable blue couches tion with her Oct. 22 arrest in Davila stated the man got los Muertos altar, a pumpkin likely become the norm at down on the turf, where for sale. The couches were Starr County after authorities in her car and told her to patch set up to take Hallow- in-person events for the near 10-by-15-feet squares had meant to be used down on found her transporting peo- wait for two women — she een pictures in, candy skulls, future. been outlined in white paint. the fi eld in those square ple who did not have author- claimed that she cooperated pan de muerto and roasted “We’re talking to several Families sat in those squares pods. At least two had been ity to be in the country legally, because the man had a gun. corn being peddled at the promoters, other events that picnic style, 6 feet away from bought by eight, their new according to the federal com- Agents searched the pas- concession stand. are looking to do something, each other, watching “Coco” owners lounging on them plaint against her. sengers, a man from Hon- In short, everything you so we’re showing them all on the jumbotron. Later, down on the fi eld. U.S. Border Patrol agents duras, and two women from would expect at a Rio Grande the possibilities that can be people would watch from The demand for people to pulled over 29-year-old Davi- Guatemala, but found no Valley festival on any Oct. 31. done here at our facility,” she those “pods” and from the go somewhere and do some- la, a U.S. citizen, shortly after weapons. “It’s such a cultural thing said. stands as Grupo Solido took thing is evident, Madrigal agents observed three peo- All three foreign nationals for us to get together and The most signifi cant was the stage. said, even with all the pan- ple, a male and two females, were interviewed and gave celebrate, any holiday re- the capacity of the venue. There were other pan- demic measures in place. board a gray sedan on a street similar statements, in which ally, but especially Hallow- Madrigal says it was slashed demic precautions on dis- “People want to get located less than three blocks they stated Davila told them een and Dia de los Muertos,” by about a third, from 10,000 play. A table with goody from the river in Roma, the Madrigal said. “We realize to a little over 3,000. bags, for example, was See CARNAVAL | 4A complaint states. See SMUGGLING | 4A 4A The Monitor, www.themonitor.com | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 Trip to closed Walmart for San Juan man faces conspiracy, baby wipes ends in arrests drug smuggling charges BY MARK REAGAN working cash register, one “As I transported Ni- Sentencing set for he did not have any pro- partment of Justice 2018 STAFF WRITER of the men became upset, eto he was making claims hibited items in his ve- National Drug Threat saying, “Y’all (expletive) that he was inappropri- early next year hicle. Assessment study, the With a bottle of liquor need to let me buy baby ately touched in his geni- Soto told offi cers he had southwest border is the on ice in their vehicle, a wipes the door open so it tal area by another offi cer, BY LORENZO ZAZUETA-CASTRO been in Mexico for three main entry point for a ma- late-night trip to a closed means the store is open then redirected the same STAFF WRITER days and was heading to jority of the meth that is McAllen Walmart for baby for (expletive) business!” allegations toward me,” “City, Texas,” for work. brought into the country. wipes landed two men in police say in the probable the affi davit states. A Rio Grande Valley During the secondary “CBP reported that 97 jail on charges of resisting cause affi davit. Police say they had to man headed to Houston inspection, offi cers used percent of methamphet- arrest. The offi cers tried to drag him to booking from from Mexico faces drug a K-9 unit to determine if amine seizures occur at or The disturbance hap- make contact with the the patrol car and used conspiracy charges after anything illegal was inside near the southwest border pened outside of the man, who became bellig- force in the booking area authorities found more the vehicle. and that meth seizures Walmart at 2800 W. Nolana erant, telling the offi cer in when Nieto allegedly spit than 35 kilos of metham- “A subsequent X-ray continue to increase along on Oct. 26 when employ- slurred speech, “You have on two offi cers after see- phetamine inside a vehi- scan of the vehicle re- that corridor,” the study ees there called police be- no (expletive) business ing the woman being es- cle he was driving, records vealed anomalies in stated. cause two people entered being here, we didn’t call corted in to booking as show. the vehicle’s rear quar- Months after his arrest, the store, which was closed, you! We don’t have to tell she “was screaming and In March, Roberto Soto ter panels. A probe of Soto retained McAllen- demanding you (expletive)!,” the affi - calling out to Nieto, and pleaded not guilty to four the rear quarter panels based Crispin “CJ” Quin- to buy baby davit states. that set off Nieto again. counts against him — two revealed a crystal-like tanilla as his attorney in wipes, au- Police say they tried to Nieto then spit multiple conspiracy charges, and substance which field- April. thorities say. get identifi cation from times.” one distribution, and one tested positive for the In September, Quinta- McAl- the men, but both were Authorities say he later drug possession charge, in properties of metham- nilla fi led a motion advis- len police uncooperative and ap- apologized for spitting. connection with his Feb- phetamine,” the court ing the court of his clients’ charged peared to be intoxicated. “(The woman) was also ruary arrest at a port of record shows. “A total of desire to plead guilty in 27-year- When authorities hand- escorted to the holding entry. 119 packages of crystal the case. old Pharr Nieto cuffed one of the men, cell for incarceration in According to the federal methamphetamine with But court notes show resident police say the other man the cell beside Nieto as complaint fi led against a total weight of 36.74 ki- Soto, who fi led that motion Jacob Joel Nieto with two charged at them. she continued to scream Soto in February, Soto lograms were extracted Sept. 25, had not made an counts of A woman also showed calling out ‘Jacob!’ as Ni- attempted to enter the from the vehicle.” appearance before the harassment up at the Walmart who eto began to bang on the United States from Mexi- During an interview, court until Wednesday of a public was with the men and jail cell door. Then both co through the Anzalduas Soto told federal agents when he pleaded guilty to servant and she began to scream at continued to scream and port of entry. he knew he had narcotics one count of importing a a count of the store’s entrance, po- bang on the doors there- During his attempt to inside his vehicle. He said controlled substance. resisting ar- lice say. She was taken to fore we completed the enter the country, U.S. he was headed to Houston Soto is scheduled for his rest. Junior jail but online jail records booking sheets by obtain- Customs and Border Pro- from Mexico and was to sentencing Jan. 6, records Ivon Solis, a don’t list her as being ing limited information tection offi cers referred be paid roughly $5,000 for show. 32-year-old Solis charged. from the system from Soto for a secondary in- his role in transporting the McAllen Police say they found prior arrests,” the affi da- spection after the 30-year- meth to its destination. lzazueta@ resident, is charged with an open bottle of liqour vit states. old San Juan man stated According to a U.S. De- themonitor.com resisting arrest. on ice in the front right When told the store was passenger fl oorboard of mreagan@ closed and there was no the vehicle the trio was in. themonitor.com Trump decries FBI probe of supporters surrounding Biden bus BY MICHAEL BALSAMO retweeted a screenshot of himself. The president has THE ASSOCIATED PRESS the FBI statement, adding: also told people around him “In my opinion, these pa- that he is frustrated with WASHINGTON — Presi- triots did nothing wrong. Wray over the FBI director’s dent Donald Trump on Instead, the FBI & Justice public statements on issues Sunday suggested the FBI should be investigating the like voting fraud, Russian should stop investigating terrorists, anarchists, and election interference and an incident agitators of ANTIFA, who antifa, and has discussed in which his run around burning down the possibility of removing supporters our Democrat run cities Wray if he wins reelection. were seen and hurting our people!” In videos posted on surround- An FBI spokesperson said Twitter, a group of cars ing a Biden the bureau had no com- and pickup trucks — many campaign ment about the president’s adorned with large Trump bus in Texas, tweet. fl ags — can be seen riding which led Trump Trump’s tweet come as alongside the campaign Democrats tensions remained high be- bus on Friday, and at times to cancel an event there. tween the president and FBI boxing it in, as it traveled The president’s tweet Director Christopher Wray, from San Antonio to Aus- came hours after the FBI and as Trump has pressed tin. At one point, one of confi rmed that it was the Justice Department and the pickup trucks can be “aware of the incident and FBI to act against his rivals, seen colliding with an SUV investigating.” including Democratic presi- that was driving behind On Sunday night, Trump dential candidate Joe Biden the bus.

VERA she settled into a modest life. she also became one of the Maricela said that her moth- people who would launch From Page 3A er basically lived in poverty. the civil rights movement in After the strike, Daría and She said, “Her house was South Texas.” others led a march from Rio almost unlivable, but Pastor Que en paz descanse Daría Grande City to the State Cap- Martinez from the church in Vera. Rest in peace. itol in Austin, to announce Kenedy, a town they visited their protest before the state on the 1966 march, came just Francisco Guajardo, chief government. Along the way, a few years ago. With others executive offi cer for the they stopped in small towns from their church, they built Museum of South Texas that dotted the South Texas my mother a new house.” History at 200 N. Clos- landscape. Kenedy, Texas, Unfortunately, COVID-19 ner Blvd. in Edinburg, was one of those towns, and took Daría, but not before authored this story as the strikers apparently made she cemented her legacy as part of an ongoing series an impression on one of a woman of historical im- entitled Bearing Witness. churches in town. portance. Professor de la The museum’s effort aims For a half century after Trinidad, who bore witness to document some of the the strike, Daría continued to Daría’s life through the Rio Grande Valley lives lost to work in the fi elds, she oral history process said, to COVID-19. For more raised a family, and lived a “Daría saw herself as the information about the proud life. But material suc- mother of the community, museum, visit MOSTHis- cess never came to her, as and through her activism tory.org.

CASE taxed against the party in- election bid. curring the same,” the or- Guerra served as district From Page 3A der states. attorney from 1982 to 2014, could have been asserted The plaintiffs had al- when Rodriguez defeated by and between said par- leged Rodriguez fi red him in the election. He ties have been compro- them for posting signs on took offi ce in January 2015. mised and settled; that their front lawns, for wear- Rodriguez denied the al- Plaintiffs shall take noth- ing T-shirts, for displaying legations in previous state- ing against Defendants; bumper stickers and for ments to the newspaper. and that all court costs and soliciting support for for- The case was offi cially attorneys’ fees should be mer DA Rene Guerra’s re- closed on Sept. 29.

SMUGGLING No gun was found, according the standard bond restric- to the complaint. tions, including travel, court From Page 3A On Tuesday, during a notes show. to say she was merely giving morning bond and detention If convicted, the woman the trio a ride. hearing, after the govern- faces between fi ve and 10 Davila, who was identifi ed ment stated it did not op- years in prison. as the driver of the sedan by pose a bond for Davila, the all three passengers, told of- court agreed to grant Davila a lzazueta@ fi cers that the man had a gun. $35,000 unsecured bond with themonitor.com

CARNAVAL was dressed as Jessie from scary movies. Toy Story 2; her daughter and “There’s no trick or treat- From Page 3A signifi cant other rounded out ing door to door, so it’s really The -ONITOR PUZZLES YOUR MOST together, they want to cel- the cast as Bo Peep and Buzz nice H-E-B Park is doing this WEEKLY COMPLETE ebrate,” she said. Lightyear, respectively. for the kids,” she said. “That’s TV Entertainment Guide & GAMES LOCAL TV One of those people cel- Quintanilla said if they why we brought our daughter Get your copy in Sunday’s edition of ebrating Saturday evening hadn’t been invited to the out.” For Your Subscription Call 956-683-4300 or & CABLE was Melissa Quintanilla, who festival, they likely would’ve Advertising Information Call 956-683-4147 LISTINGS attended with her family. She stayed home watching [email protected]