Former El Paso Independent School District Trustee Sal Mena Jr. was arrested by the FBI on Friday. He has long been associated with the ongoing El Paso corruption investigation undertaken by the FBI. An eight-count indictment was released; gory details at the link.

Mena Junior is the first person indicted for corruption in the case; others have pled guilty.

Naturally, according to the El Paso Times, Mena Junior could not be reached for comment: his cell and home phones were reportedly disconnected (and no Times reporters know where he lives to get out and do some door-knocking, I guess).

Mena’s indictment reads like a laundry list of all you ever suspected about El Paso honchos and what they’re involved in: conspiracy, deprivation of honest services, bribery, and false statements to obtain credit. I’ve had contractors come to my house conspiring to obtain credit by way of outrageous down payments, and lying through their teeth about their competence, licenses, insurance and the time of day they’d show up for work.

The “alleged co-conspirators” in this case, and others whose names will no doubt come to light (by flashing police car lights, that is), make po-dunk contractors, who try to screw their own companies by offering jobs “on the side, for cheaper,” look like amateurs.

And so here we go with an updated version of the El Paso corruption link chart. It’s getting so complicated even I’m not sure if it’s accurate anymore. If anyone knows of any El Paso politician/judge/trustee/board member who is not under suspicion, let me know. It might be easier to make a link chart of El Paso honchos who are clean.

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