Rancher working with cartel punished

[Ranger99]

A rancher based in Texas
( a cuban national) has been
sentenced to 38 years in prison for
coordinating with mexican drug cartels
for using his ranch as an avenue for
smuggling dope and border jumpers
and other contraband into the United States.
Gilberto Morales forfeited his 160 acre ranch,
$157,000.00 in cash, 2 trucks, a horse trailer,
numerous firearms and assorted ammunition,
( which he could not legally possess as he
was a convicted felon) and was fined $520,000.00
It is estimated that he was instrumental in
smuggling a ton and a half of marijuana per
week through his ranch, not counting other
drugs and contraband and illegal aliens
and running a safe house for the illegally
smuggled goods and people.



But. . . They only come here to
provide for their families

[ironglow]

So long as the charges were legit and proven, he got what he deserved.  Drug smugglers are destroying     people's lives..

  Personally, I think any politician who allows such an open border, is doing the same thing, without getting his/her hands dirty...    ..But their souls are sure filthy.

[Dee]

160 acres ain't much of a ranch.

[oldandslow]

160 acres ain't much of a ranch.

Right. Even LBJ had a section that he called a ranch. Four times as big the cartel helper's but still not a real ranch. Depending on where he is on the border he might have to feed a cow and calf with only that many acres.

[Dee]

Yep! In west Texas you need between 50, and 100 acres PER COW.

[oldandslow]

That's lush country. Directly west of me over on the Rio Grande in Sierrra County it takes five sections per cow.

[Ranger99]

Yeah,  they called it a ranch for
legal purposes I'm sure
Plenty big enough for dope and
people smuggling though

[ironglow]

160 acres ain't much of a ranch.

  Yep..that is a quarter of a section, isn't it?  It sounds like he bought just enough land to make him a legit resident, for some reason or another.
   Land use..  I recall way back from Ag class..around here, they figure 1 acre per cow, but that is for a dairy cow, producing several gallons of milk per day.

[Dee]

A section of land is 640 acres.