I am a border reporter in southern Arizona working for KJZZ, Arizona public radio. I specialize in covering the Sinaloa Cartel and the peripheral but burgeoning crime syndicates that operate along the borders of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. I also investigate corruption and government malfeasance. I’m a digger and I’m stubborn and I like to get to the heart of a story.

With BorderReporter.com, I embrace New Media, using vetted citizen experts to talk about the issues of the day, video, photography and documents and I take advantage of the immediacy that social media broadcasting offers. But the core of my profession, news you won’t hear about anywhere else, I do the old-fashioned way – a notebook and a pen, a deep understanding of public records laws and hundreds of unofficial sources from both sides of the line. Between the two, not only do I get the story first, but I get it better.

The result? A news web site that’s existed since 2005 and that nearly 4,000 people a day visit to learn what’s happened along the border and to talk about it.

I am available for freelance work and broadcast production.

RESUME

October 2010 – present

KJZZ, Arizona public radio

Tucson | Border Reporter

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December 2005 – present

BorderReporter.com

Freelance Journalist

International Broadcast News Producer

• In 2009, I tracked down the killer of a photojournalist, a case I had worked on since 2006. The killer was an associate of the Sinaloa Cartel.

• In 2010, I co-authored an investigation into arms trafficking that illuminated the number of weapons entering Mexico from the U.S. The book, “Shared Responsibility” explores every aspect of organized crime and the border.

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April 2003 – December 2005:

Arizona Daily Star

Border Reporter

• In 2005, my reporting brought the Government Accountability Office to Arizona to investigate how illegal immigrant deaths were under-reported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

• In 2004, my series on child smuggling prompted changes along the Sonora border in how deported children were managed by the local and federal governments.

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July 2002 – April 2003

Arizona Daily Sun

Cops Reporter

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January 2001 – July 2002

Alpine Sun

City Editor

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EQUIPMENT SKILLS

Editing software: Final Cut Express and Adobe Audition for video and audio. Adobe Photoshop for photography

Production gear: SLR camera, HD video gear, Marantz audio systems

Basic software: Mapping programs, spreadsheet and database software, all word processing systems

Honors
Special Report: “Corridor of Killing”
• Arizona Newspapers Association 2007
Special Report: “Smuggling Children”
• Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism 2005 Casey Journalism Center 2nd Place
• Best of the West, Words, Editing and Design, 2nd Place 2004
• Lee President’s Awards for News and Innovation 2005
• Beat Reporting, Arizona Press Club 2004
• Sustained Reporting, Arizona Press Club 2004
• Enterprise Reporting, Associated Press Managing Editors 2004
Special Report: “24 Hours on the Border” team reporting
• Best of the West Words, Editing and Design 2003
• Unity Awards in Media for Public Affairs and Social Issues 2003
Past Awards
• Deadline Reporting, Associated Press Managing Editors 2003
• Health Reporting, Associated Press Managing Editors 2002
Languages
Fluent in Spanish

Education
1999-2001
San Diego State University
Bachelor’s Degree in English