UNITED BROWNSVILLE WORMING ITS WAY IN THE REGION; RUSTEBERG FORGES LINK WITH SERGIO ARGUELLES IN MATA

By Juan Montoya

In an ambitious move to further control the political direction of the region, United Brownsville operatives that included Mayor Tony Martinez, IBC President Fred Rusteberg, congressman Filemon Vlea, and United Brownsville and Uni-Trade representative Carlos Marin held a meeting in a private home in Brownsville with governmental representatives from northern Mexico.

Among those meeting with Martinez, Vela, Rusteberg andf Marin, among others, Leticia Salazar, mayor-elect of Matamoros, Carlos Cantú-Rosas, mayor-elect of Nuevo Laredo, Carlos García, Tamaulipas federal representative, Belén Rosales, congresswoman-elect, Ivett Bermea, alternate mayor-elect of Matamoros, Rubén Bazán, mayor alternate-elect of  Nuevo Laredo, Enrique Rivas, state congressman-elect of Nuevo Laredo, and Luis Biasi, alderman-elect of Matamoros.

The presence of these Mexican officials at a private home discussing the issues that affect both sides of the border should give us room to pause. We know that United Brownsville is not a governing entity and that its funding is provided by at least eight "members" who pay $25,000 in public funds for it to operate.

Rsuteberg, one of three co-chairs of United Brownsville, has just gone before the Brownsville Independent School District to help United Brownsville CEO Mike Gonzalez make a pitch for the bucks. Accompanying them was Port of Brownsville Director Eddie Campirano.

According to a report in a Mexican daily, the meeting was "without precedence where agreements were developed in the search for mutual benefits and synergy based on cooperation, economic development, and principally to stretch the ties and relationship between the regions that make up the border between Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo and their sister cities across the Rio Grande."
Martinez, who has never attended public functions with his counterparts in Matamoros, probably preferred to stay safely on the U.S. side.
When people start throwing around Marin buzzwords like "building synergies," "stretch the bonds," etc., watch your wallet.

Martinez, we assume, was acting on behalf of the city of Brownsville, although there was no official public notice that he would conduct city business. We know what Rusteberg and Marin are after, they make no bones about doing business for themselves. But what Vela was doing representing the U.S. Congress at the affair is more cloudy.

Attending with Martínez, mayor of Brownsville, was Raúl G. Salinas, Mayor of Laredo, Laredo city manager Carlos Villarreal, Vela, U.S. Congressman, Richard Peña Raymond, Texas state representative, Rustenberg, I.B.C President-United Brownsville, Gerardo González, I.B.C., Marín, United Brownsville y Eduardo Garza, of an outfit called Uni-Trade, a new vehicle formed specially for the occasion, we're sure. 

In the florid style of the Mexican press release, it was reported that the themes that pervaded the private meeting "was to stretch the bonds by each of the representatives within their jurisdictions, and responsibly, form common objectives that will last for the duration of their terms with the ends of establishing a significant precedence in the generation of accords that will benefit the regions on both sides of the Rio Grande..."

Those attending the meeting agreed to meet on a monthly basis – next time in both Laredos – in order to give the relationship continuity and continue building the movement.

The reporter (or press release) states that there was enthusiasm about "the unity and building of synergies" which is just what residents of both sides of the border have wanted for many years."
This "synergy" apparently wouldn't be available without the participation of Imagina Matamoros honcho Sergio Arguelles. You know Arguelles. He has been linked in various media accounts to former Tamaulipas governor (and Matamoros mayor before that). Even as Yarrington denies the accusations he profited from drug runners while in office and purchased numerous properties held by straw "prestanombres," at least two of them – in at SPI and another in McAllen – were auctioned as forfeitures by the U.S. Government.
Now Arguelles, who purchased a large chunk of Ranco Viejo is the anchor for United Brownsville on the Mexican side of the river. Go figure.

Will the entities that pay United Brownsville have a say so in what direction this "building of synergies" will require from each of them? Will Rusteberg's shadow government now operate on both sides of the border without having to account to anyone?

And why was the meeting not held at a public building? The city has just spent $500,000 to purchase the Cueto building. That wasn't good enough? Or was it too public? Were any city commissioners told about this meeting? Just what was discussed on our behalf?

We're sure that the Mexican counterparts do not know that they were not dealing with an elected body, but rather a gab-bag of manipulators and money men interested in promoting their own interest who have been allowed a free hand from docile city commissioners and members of the other boards that put up the ante to fund their schemes.
Those giving entities are the City of Brownsville, the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, the Brownsville Navigation District, The University of Texas at Brownsville, Texas Southmost College, the BISD, and the Brownsville Public Utilities Board.
Only Cameron County has refused to fork over the $25,000 "partnership" fees to this bunch.