Big drug arrest on Caribbean cruise ship

By BEN FOX
The Associated Press
Monday, November 22, 2010; 3:42 PM
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A suburban body shop owner accused of helping to run one of the largest drug smuggling organizations in the Caribbean was arrested Monday as he took a family vacation on a cruise ship.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had been tracking Jorge Luis Figueroa Agosto as part of an investigation into the organization allegedly led by his older brother, Jose Figueroa Agosto, the so-called "Pablo Escobar of the Caribbean," who was captured in July in Puerto Rico after an intensive manhunt.

Federal agents fanned out across Puerto Rico on Monday seeking to arrest 17 alleged members of the organization. But Luis Figueroa had boarded the Caribbean Princess with his wife, two children and in-laws before the operation began.

Agents waiting on board the ship arrested him without incident before the ship reached its first port-of-call in the U.S. Virgin Islands, said John Morton, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Authorities simultaneously arrested 11 others sought in a federal indictment and the rest were being sought.

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Juan Manuel Lopez featherweight title champion

Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico retained his WBO featherweight title after challenger Rafael Marquez retired with a shoulder injury at the end of the eighth round on Saturday.
The undefeated Lopez, 30-0 (27 KOs) dominated much of the bout against Mexico’s Marquez (39-6, 35 KOs), a former bantamweight and super bantamweight champion bidding to win a title in his third weight class.
However, the 35-year-old veteran staged a powerful rally in rounds four and five in an attempt to turn the tide, rocking Lopez with a right hand in the fourth and following up with a furious rally.

Juan Manuel "Juanma" López Rivera (born June 30, 1983) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur, Lopez represented Puerto Rico at numerous international tournaments including the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games, 2003 Pan American Games and the 2004 Summer Olympics. López's professional career began in 2005. As a professional he won his first nine fights by knockout before winning his first decision. On September 30, 2006 he defeated Jose Alonso to win the WBO Latino super bantamweight Championship, a regional championship sanctioned by the World Boxing Organization. On June 7, 2008, Lopez defeated Daniel Ponce de León by technical knockout to win the WBO super bantamweight championship. He held the title until January 23, 2009, vacating it after defeating Steven Luevano for the organization's featherweight championship.

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Juan Manuel López

OPERATION GUARD SHACK Historic Takedown in Puerto Rico

Early this morning the FBI launched a massive public corruption takedown in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as our agents fanned out across the island to begin arresting 133 subjects—the majority of them police officers.

In what is likely the largest police corruption case in the FBI’s history, nearly 1,000 Bureau personnel from 50 of our 56 field offices were in San Juan for the takedown.

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http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct10/sanjuan_100610.html

White House task force hears Puerto Rico grievances

SAN JUAN (Reuters) - Puerto Ricans told a White House task force on Wednesday that persistent wrangling over the U.S. Caribbean territory's political status was hampering solutions to its worsening social and economic problems.
For more on status, unemployment and crime...
read original article from Reuters

House Votes Bill For Puerto Rico To Decide Status

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10— The House of Representatives today passed a bill calling for a referendum next year under which the people of Puerto Rico, governed for nearly a century by the United States, could choose statehood, independence or a continuation of their commonwealth status.
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Paul McCartney tour coming to Puerto Rico

The concert calendar for Paul McCartney's latest tour of the nation is still growing. The world-famous performer now has five engagements booked for his spring 2010 Up and Coming Tour.

The only Florida performance for the upcoming tour will take place April 3 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. Macca will also leave the mainland behind for his first-ever concert in Puerto Rico on April 5 at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in the capital city of San Juan.

The fresh dates are joined by the addition of a second concert at the historical Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, CA. McCartney was originally slated for a single night in the open-air venue on March 30, but presale demand for tickets led to the unveiling of a second show on March 31.

Ticketing details are still forthcoming for the event in Puerto Rico, but public onsales in Miami are slated for March 8. As previously announced, general ticket sales begin February 28 for both nights at the Hollywood Bowl and March 1 for the tour's opening night in Arizona.

http://www.macca-central.com/default.php

Each market on the itinerary will feature ticket prices that begin at an affordable $50 and increase to more moderately expensive levels. However, current presales in the Phoenix- and Los Angeles-area markets include much pricier options for exclusive "Front Row Packages."

The VIP ticket packages run up to $2,000 for McCartney's March 28 concert or $1,850 for either of his Hollywood Bowl shows on March 30-31. The highest-priced packages include one ticket for front-row seating, as well as special add-ons like valet parking, an invitation to soundcheck and a complimentary pre-concert dinner.

The Up and Coming Tour is a follow-up to the Summer Live 2009 Tour, which featured just 10 concert dates in the United States and Canada. Additional bookings are expected for Sir Paul's 2010 venture, but it remains to be seen whether the musician will exceed last year's tally.

Paul McCartney itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)

March 28 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena
March 30 - 31 Hollywood, CA Hollywood Bowl
April 3 Miami, FL Sun Life Stadium
April 5 San Juan, PR Coliseo de Puerto Rico - José Miguel Agrelot

HUD director in Puerto Rico indicted on corruption charges

Washington (CNN) -- The director of the Puerto Rico office for the federal housing agency has been indicted on 40 counts of corruption, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
He is accused of spending his time shopping and running errands for his family restaurant instead of working, they said.
Michael Colón, director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development office based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was supposed to have been supervising 79 employees in the Caribbean, including the Virgin Islands, according to the U.S. attorney's office for Puerto Rico.
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36 Hours in Vieques

THE mascot of Vieques seems to be the coquí, a tiny frog whose image adorns everything from T-shirts to hot sauce bottles. Yet, given the island’s rapid metamorphosis from Navy testing ground to upscale beach resort, perhaps a tropical butterfly would be better suited. Since the United States Navy ceased military operations in 2003, this small island just off the east coast of mainland Puerto Rico has seen a boom in restaurants, galleries and hotels, including a new W resort expected next month. It’s a testament to the island’s natural beauty, with its white-sand beaches, coral reefs and bioluminescent bay.

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