Free Republic

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former high-ranking members of his administration won't be criminally charged in a yearlong federal investigation into pay-to-play allegations involving one of the Democratic governor's large political donors, someone familiar with the case said.

The U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is warning Americans to be aware of a “new spike in cartel-related violence” around the border state of Chihuahua and recommended travelers avoid the northwestern portion in particular. “Drug cartels and associated criminal elements have retaliated violently against individuals who speak out against them or who they otherwise view to be a threat to their organization, regardless of the individuals' citizenship. The U.S. Consulate General urges all Americans to exercise a high degree of caution when traveling to Ciudad Juarez and within the state Chihuahua,” read the text of the message issued July...

BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) - The former Marine who contends he acted in self-defense when he killed a burglary suspect was just trying to do the right thing, his wife told News 13 Monday. Heather Sanchez said she was in shock when she heard about the July 4 shooting. Her husband, Luke Sanchez, was arrested on an open count of murder and has since bonded out of jail. The shooting ignited a public debate over whether Sanchez was acting as a vigilante or as a good citizen who defended himself when one of the burglars attacked him. "I have received so...

The man who fled the scene after the fatal shooting of a fellow burglary suspect in Belen turned himself in Wednesday and has been charged with burglary. Rudy Sisneros, 22, was with his uncle, Gary Gabaldon, when Gabaldon was shot, and later died, late Saturday by 38-year-old Luke Sanchez, who followed them after he believed they had burglarized a Belen business. Sanchez's lawyer said the case "looks very much like self-defense," but the Valencia County District Attorney's Office has charged him with an open count of murder. Sheriff Rene Rivera said deputies were interviewing Sisneros on Wednesday evening, but he...

The link is to an audo clip of the 911 call. It is pretty graphic. I could not hear the shot, it probably went beyond the capability of the cell phone mike, and just was blanked out.

BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) - The debate engulfing Belen since Luke Sanchez was arrested for killing a suspected burglar Saturday is whether he was protecting the community or acting as a vigilante. Sanchez, 38, was arrest after a confrontation outside Enchantment Propane business led to the shooting death of Gary Gabaldón Saturday night. Gabaldón has a history of violent crimes, and Sanchez told police he acting in self-defense. Sanchez said he was out buying fireworks when he saw Gabaldón and another man looking suspicious outside the business. While on the phone with 911 he said Gabaldón attacked him leaving him no...

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Former Marine charged in shooting death Julia M. Dendinger News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jdendinger@news-bulletin.com Luke Sanchez of Belen pleads not guilty to single count, magistrate sets bond at $100,000 Former Marine Luke Sanchez pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of murder after he fatally shot a burglary suspect Saturday night. His lawyer, Ray Twohig said it "looks very much like self-defense." The District Attorney's office said: "Regardless of how the defense sees the case, a man is still dead — shot by the defendant." Sanchez, 38, of Belen was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly shot...

Luke Sanchez in court Monday911 tapes in a deadly shooting that has sparked a huge debate over self-defense shed more light on what happened the night Luke Sanchez shot Gary Gabaldon. Supporters, who are trying to get the murder charge against Sanchez dropped, say he was defending himself against a man who attacked with a weapon—and that he was just following the dispatcher's orders to get a license plate number. But was that the case? On the tapes, you can hear a frantic Luke Sanchez tell the 911 operator he had just shot a suspected burglar. He goes on to...

A Belen man is charged with murder after investigators say he admitted to shooting a burglary suspect. He claims he acted in self-defense. Luke Sanchez, 38, was allegedly driving by a business near his home Saturday night, when he saw two men robbing the place. That's when Sanchez said he decided to take matters into his own hands to protect the community and help law enforcement, but that help left Sanchez facing a murder charge. Valencia County Sheriff Rene Rivera said Luke Sanchez has been frustrated after being robbed several times in recent months. "Sometimes you have to know the...

A bizarre shooting in Belen leaves a former corrections officer dead, and a former Marine in jail charged with his murder. The shooting is once again raising debate over what's considered self defense. The brother of the person who was shot and the suspect's friend each have very different opinions about what happened. The incident happened around 10:15 Saturday night at Enchantment Propane. Evidence of a break-in was still visible on Sunday. The murder that happened in the midst of the burglary is likely going to extend a long-standing debate for years to come. Louie Gabaldon still has a lot...

BELEN, N.M. -- A Belen man is facing murder charges after deputies said he chased down two burglary suspects and then shot and killed one of them. The incident happened near Highway 314 and Gabaldon Road at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Authorities said 38-year-old Luke Sanchez somehow knew a business was getting robbed and took matters into his own hands. "As you can see, they had a good time," said Gerald Schell, manager of Enchanted Propane. When Schell showed up to his place of business Sunday morning, he said he found the place ransacked. Sheriff's deputies said two men are...

SNIPPET: "Police were nearby and took one suspect into custody while another was arrested after a getaway car was followed to a nearby trailer park."

The posters are ready. The Web site is getting heavy traffic. And a local organizer involved with a budding national political movement symbolized by tea bags — think Boston Tea Party — says the tea leaves are pointing to a big turnout for an Albuquerque rally next week. The rally is scheduled for Wednesday, the deadline for filing income tax returns, and will focus on what organizers see as frightening fiscal folly in Washington, D.C. -SNIP- Dozens of tax-day rallies are being planned from coast to coast on Wednesday, according to the Web site www.taxdayteaparty.com .The Web site describes the...

see link below Rattner tied to Richardson

I attened the Tea Party here in Albuquerque today, I would say there was at least 2000 people in attendance while I was there and plenty of people driving by showing their support. Organizers say that by the end on the party which ran from 4 to 7 PM over 7000 people had registered. The crowd was polite festive and orderly. There where people of all races ages and economic classes and everyone of them were 100% AMERICAN and MAD AS HELL about spending and pork! Pictures on my flickr account at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24180181@N04/ Oh by the way they are all...

Energy: The governor wants to carpet the desert with solar panels. The senator says it will destroy the ecosystem. The battle between environmentalists and conservationists is one of alternative energy's big drawbacks.We have commented frequently on how our energy needs have been thwarted repeatedly by the not-in-my-back-yard (Nimby) crowd and the new Banana (build-absolutely-nothing-anywhere-near-anybody) phenomenon. Environmentalists and conservationists have long fanned local fears to block oil and gas exploration from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the Outer Continental Shelf. Even nonpolluting and carbon-free nuclear power plants have been stopped dead in their tracks. So it's delicious irony to watch...

The New Mexico Medicaid program is funded by $800 million of New Mexico taxpayers' money. -SNIP- As enrollment in Medicaid began plummeting in 2004, toward the biggest disruption to health care among low-income New Mexicans in history, community groups and the Legislature began seeking performance data to evaluate the administration of the program. The department responded by significantly limiting information. The information it did provide was often unclear, inadequate and of little use for the purposes of oversight. The department claimed it was the best it could do. Officials variously blamed their computer system, the former administration, being short-handed, or...

GREEN LLC wanted move toward nonproliferation Federal nuclear weapons officials have rejected a bid by disarmament and renewable energy activists to manage Lawrence Livermore weapons design lab, saying the "green team" didn't fit federal plans. The team, calling itself GREEN LLC, was led by two weapons-lab watchdog groups, Livermore-based Tri-Valley CAREs and Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, who never really expected to run the sprawling bomb lab. But they were offended that the National Nuclear Security Administration said the team's proposal ran afoul of federal law and "did not demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of the solicitation where it...

  Poor accounting of how federal money was spent by then-Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron's office has left state-hired auditors unable to say whether the current Secretary of State's Office is financially stable.     State Auditor Hector Balderas, who on Tuesday released an audit on the finances of the agency, said the problems amounted to "severe mismanagement of federal funds."   -SNIP-   Lingering questions involving the expenditure of nearly $6.3 million for a voter education campaign by Vigil-Giron in 2004 and 2006 continues to impact the current administration, the state audit found.     "I'm still extremely concerned," Balderas told...

SNIPPET: "Authorities say 30-year-old Sheri A. Zulpo of Edgewood, N.M., was booked into the Coconino County jail on charges of terrorism, attempted first-degree murder and endangerment and possible federal charges may also be filed."