Nation digest 05/28/03

Seventh arrested in deadly smuggling case

HOUSTON -- A seventh person has been arrested for her alleged role in a smuggling operation that led to the deaths of 19 illegal immigrants who had been packed into a sweltering tractor-trailer.

Authorities said Norma Sanchez-Gonzalez arranged for two people to be smuggled into the country, one for $1,900, the other for $1,800. One of those immigrants died in the trailer in South Texas earlier this month.

Sanchez-Gonzalez, a 42-year-old Mexican citizen living in Houston, was arrested Friday and appeared in federal court Tuesday on immigrant smuggling charges. She was ordered held for a bail hearing on Thursday.

Seventeen people were found dead May 14 in and around the trailer at a truck stop in Victoria, about 100 miles southwest of Houston. Two more people died in the hospital.

Six others are also in custody.

Ammonia leak disrupts schools, traffic in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. -- An ammonia leak from a ruptured pipeline blackened acres of trees and forced the closing of two schools Tuesday.

The leak, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Tampa, led school officials to move more than 2,000 children.

Crews shut off the ammonia supply and pumped water into the broken pipeline to try to stop the leak of toxic vapors.

Nearby residents were advised to stay inside and traffic was detoured around the leak, which happened on a main thoroughfare near an upscale development with 1,200 homes.

"We'd rather have people in their homes than out in their vehicles, where they can create more danger to themselves," said sheriff's spokesman Rod Reder.

Protesters attempt to disrupt Exxon Mobil

IRVING, Texas -- Environmental activists blocked the entrance to Exxon Mobil's headquarters Tuesday and climbed onto the roof to protest what they said was the oil company's inaction against global warming.

The environmental group Greenpeace said 32 protesters were arrested. Police did not immediately confirm how many were taken into custody.

The protesters used an extension ladder to reach the roof.

The protest was timed to coincide with preparation for the oil company's shareholder meeting in Dallas today.

Company spokesman Tom Cirigliano said Greenpeace was unfairly targeting Exxon Mobil.

"There is no company in the industry putting more time, effort or money into new technologies that will provide real answers to greenhouse emissions," Cirigliano said.

Nails cause slew of flat tires on Kansas turnpike

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Hundreds of roofing nails were strewn along the Kansas Turnpike, flattening the tires of about 40 vehicles, including a Kansas Highway Patrol car.

The 2-inch nails were found on about an 80-mile stretch of the turnpike Monday on either side of Topeka, in both the north- and southbound lanes, said Lt. John Eichkorn, highway patrol spokesman.

Investigators believe the nails were put on the highway deliberately because they were so spread out.

Investigators had no suspects Tuesday.

Heavy rains burst dams in North Carolina

HOPE MILLS, N.C. -- Two small earthen dams broke under the pressure of rain-swollen lakes in southeastern North Carolina on Tuesday, a day after high water breached a dam in a neighboring county about three miles away.

Pressure on the dams started when 6 to 8 inches of rain fell in the area from early Sunday to early Monday, said Scott Sharp of the National Weather Service. An additional 1 1/4 inches fell through Tuesday morning, when the rain had stopped.

No injuries were reported and flooding appeared minimal.

-- From wire reports