OTHAL BRAND: “Last year we found eight bodies in the river here. Four of them had no heads. None of them drowned." It bothers me when I hear, 'It's the federal government's job,' … We live here."
Texas Insider Report: HIDALGO, Texas
–"The water level varies a lot depending on the time of year. There’s been times when you could walk from that (Mexico) side to this (U.S.) side on the bottom of the riverbed," says Othal Brand Jr.
“We’ve had trafficking … when it first started it was mostly drug trafficking, human trafficking. And then, it turned to children, families.
“Last year we found eight bodies in the
river here. Four of them had no heads. None
of them drowned." says Brand, who is president of the Hidalgo
County Water Improvement District 3, and whose father
was mayor of McAllen, Texas, for 20 years in the heart of the Rio
Grande Valley.Partly thanks to Brand and the Water District's efforts, the District 3 pumping facility may be the most secure section along the 1,896-mile Rio Grande River.
It is the main provider of drinking water for the City of McAllen, and its approximately 135,000 residents. Continue Reading.
