Nation briefs 8/11/2015

Drug seizures up off Pacific coast

SAN DIEGO -- The U.S. Coast Guard says cocaine seizures off Latin America's Pacific coast have soared in 2015 to their highest levels in five years. Federal officials held a news conference to laud the efforts of the Coast Guard aided by the Navy, federal law enforcement agencies and the navies of allied nations that have resulted in the seizure of 119,000 pounds of cocaine worth about $1.8 billion over the past 10 months. Authorities say that's more than the total amount of cocaine seized in fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014 combined. Traffickers increasingly have turned to the high seas to get their loads to U.S. markets and skirt tightened security on land at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Woman texted plea before shootings

HOUSTON -- A Houston woman being held captive by a man she had once been in a relationship with sent a text to her mother saying she was being threatened with a gun and pleading for help before the man fatally shot her, six children and her husband. "My heart goes out to the mother who received the text from her daughter that she was in trouble, and the mother was many states away but of course did what any mother would do and called 911," District Attorney Devon Anderson said Monday. Deputies forced their way into the home where a man with a violent criminal history, David Conley, had held the family captive Saturday but retreated when Conley fired on them. Hours later, Conley gave himself up, allowing deputies to enter the home and make the discovery of the bodies. All had been shot in the head.

Stabbing suspects stay in adult court

WAUKESHA, Wis. -- A Wisconsin judge ruled Monday two 13-year-old girls accused of stabbing a classmate to please the online horror character Slender Man will stay in adult court, where they could face decades in prison. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said he was worried the girls would stop receiving mental-health treatment and be released into the community with no supervision when they exited the juvenile system at age 18. Keeping them in the adult system would protect people longer, the judge said. Each girl faces a charge of attempted first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the May 2014 attack on a classmate, Payton Leutner. According to a criminal complaint, the girls lured Payton into woods after a sleepover and attacked her with a knife. Payton was stabbed 19 times but survived.

Athlete's brother not angry at police

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The brother of a college football player killed by police at a car dealership questioned Monday whether deadly force was needed in the confrontation, which can't be seen on video because there were no cameras inside the showroom. Joshua Taylor, 23, said he's not angry with police but thinks "things could have been handled differently." He's perplexed by security footage showing his brother, Christian Taylor, breaking into a car in the dealership lot and crashing his vehicle into the glass showroom before police arrived. "It's pretty much their story against somebody who's not here anymore," he said.

-- From wire reports