DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES: WHO ARE WE TO BELIEVE?

By Juan Montoya
One of the reasons the investigation into the $21-million heist at the Port of Brownsville got nowhere was because one of the main witnesses – the late Port of Brownsville Director Raul Besteiro – suddenly passed away before investigators could get at the bottom of the matter.
Likewise, before the Cameron County District Attorney's Office could file charges against those responsible for the pilferage of $80,000 in fines that were stolen from the Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace office of Tony Torres, he also died and the charges against the obvious perps were dismissed.
Now we have Gilbert Benavides, a nephew of the late Cameron County Pct. 1 Pete Benavides, on the stand telling a federal judge that his uncle had arranged for his stepson – the witness' cousin – to falsify testimony for money.
Coupled with Benavides' testimony is that of those paragons of morality and convicted former 404th District Judge Abel Limas and former State Rep. Jim Solis.
This trio of winners say that the late Pete Benavides convinced his stepson to become an eyewitness for Austin attorney Marc Rosenthal in an accident case. The local daily reported that Rosenthal wired the late Benavides money in return for the favor of using his stepson to bear false witness.
Now, we're sure that the money wired, if any was, wouldn't have a convenient message saying: "Thanks for having your stepson bear false witness in this case."
There's also mention of Rosernthal forging a plan– with the willing participation of Solis and Limas– to somehow besmirch the reputation of Elia Cornejo Lopez by raising an issue that would remove her from her position and have Limas remain on the bench.
Elia, also not a paragon of goodness and virtue, was mentioned by Limas before on the stand against Marchan as being one of the district judges who would "play for pay." Now Solis is saying that she was a target of a Rosenthal-inspired plot to remove her for beating Limas at the polls?
Who raises people like Gilbert Benavides who would blame a dead uncle and a living cousin to get off the federal hook?
Who raises people like Limas who – as a cop and a judge – demanded the respect of others only to betray the public trust and the respect his family had commanded along this border?
And who raises people like Solis who has cast a shadow of suspicion on the entire Cameron County legal and governmental service community trying to save his neck?
This trial is not about corrupt judges and lawyers. This trial is about convicting the entire culture and population in Cameron County and South Texas.
The feds can't have it both ways. They have ascertained that Limas and Solis are liars, cheats and not above committing vile fraud upon the public trust. Now they want us to believe they are telling the truth and not trying to save their own necks.
Here comes that darn Diogenes the Cynic looking for an honest man. Good luck.