and just in the last hour, yanira maldonado and her husband, gary, joined us by phone. here's what the just-freed grandmother had to say us. >> yanira, let me just ask you right off the bat, how you doing? >> i'm doing fine. i'm here with my husband and my in-laws. >> when are you going to go home? you want to go home soon, i hope. you want to see your kids? when will you be leaving the country? >> yes, we are hopefully going today to see the kids. >> so at this point in the interview, the call actually dropped out. we're going to try to get the maldonados back live in the 8:00 hour here on "starting point." >> all right, we're joined now from philadelphia by noted criminal defense attorney, danny savalos. so why was she released? that video evidence, pressure coming from her family, or the fact that this was an international impairment at some point? >> well, first, let's start with family. family, probably not. foreigners get arrested every day in mexico. americans and otherwise. and family petitions go really unnoticed and mexican government doesn't have to respond to

y que soy inocente"...8:34 ---ella y su esposo, gary maldonado, dijeron que estaban regresando en un autobus a arizona del funeral de una ta de yanira mexico cuando en un reten militar los pasajeros fueron obligados a bajar... --- mientras los soldados inspeccionaban el interior de la unidad aseguraron que debajo del asiento de maldonado encontraron casi seis kilos de marihuana... ---gary maldonado fue considerado inicialmente sospechoso de contrabando, pero luego fue liberado y yanira fue detenida... take sot dustin jones, abogado de la familia 7:46..."hicieron declaraciones de que nomas subieron al camion con dos sabanas y su bolsa y no habia como ella habria llevado el paquete al camion" ---el esposo seÑal que las autoridades exigieron inicialmente 5mil dlares por su liberacin, pero despues ya no quisieron aceptar el dinero... take sot 9:48... "esto es algo que no tiene nombre, los responsables tienen que caer, no gente inocente como yo" 9:57 ---el abogado de maldonado, jos francisco bentez paz, pidi a los fiscales que proporcionen grabacin de video de seguridad de los pasajeros que abordaron el autobs en los mochis, sinaloa, par

la familia de yanira maldonado se moviliza para su liberaciÓn. reacciona al caso.stado el alguacil joe arpaio apelarÁ a una decisiÓn de un juez, y culpa a las autoridades federales por el mal entrenamiento de sus agentes. los republicanos de la cÁmara baja que negocian una reforma migratoria estÁn preocupados sobre la carga econÓmica que significa un inmigrante con estatus previsional. y hablaremos de los Ángeles mensajes de ciudad juÁrez y la causa que los motiva. comenzamos. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> este es su "noticiero univisiÓn" con jorge ramos y marÍa elena salinas. ♪ ♪ >>> aportan o quitan? comenzamos con la guerra de los nÚmeros sobre los inmigrantes indocumentados, y saliÓ un estudio, los inmigrantes contribuyeron miles de millones de dÓlares a los programas de salud, y tomaron de ellos mucho menos, es la conclusiÓn de un estudio de la universidad de harva harvard, lourdes nos dice por quÉ los nÚmeros hoy importan. ♪ >>> los republicanos de la cÁmara de representantes que negociar una reforma migratoria insisten que los que tengan un estatus previsional no sean una carga

>> she was very emotional, christine, because we were essentially the first outsiders to yanira maldonado. she says she's been surviving by reading scriptures and praying constantly. >> i'm not a criminal. this is a mistake. we weren't doing that work. it's not right. i need to be with my family. i need to be out of here.

. >>> hay nueva información del caso de yanira maldonado, al ciudadana estadounidense que es acusadaió la prueba clave en que están puestas las esperanzas de esta madre estadounidense, yanira maldonado, es el video qua cómo tomaron el autobús ruta a arizona, cuando el vehículo de transporte fue detenido en un retén militar, se encontraron 12 libras de marihuana. >>> las pruebas van encaminadas para acreditar que ella en ningún momento tuvo contacto con el camión ni esa droga. >>>s e ve a yanira y su esposo subiendo con artículos personales. >>> el video muestra a yanira y su esposo cargando una botella pequeña y su esposo dos cobijas. >>> mañana el fiscal general de méxico decidirá si la lleva a juicio o la deja en libertad. >>> quiero que se termine esta pesadilla, que se aregle esto pronto y que se aclare que me ayuden a salir de aquí . >>> el juez federal de nogales méxico pidió el video de la situación, y se presentó hoy, el abogado de yanira confia que la prueba sea decisiva. >>> muchas gracias, vilma. >>> buenas noches. >>> continuamos en el tema porque el ex presidente mexican

estadounidense que fue arrestada después de encontrarle droga debajo del asiento que viajaba. >>> yanira maldonadoestadounidense detenida en el centro de readaptación social en méxico, supuestamente por narcotráfico, habló por primera vez desde la cárcel en españa, yanira había viajado al funeral de una tía, cuando regresaba a estados unidos el autobús de pasajeros donde viajaba fue detenido para una requisa, supuestamente encontraron paquetes de marihuana debajo de la silla donde iba dsentada, y desde ahí que está detenida. >>> esto ha sido una prueba muy fuerte para mí y algo positivo vamos a sacar a de esto. >>> dice que su proceso ha estado plagado de irregularidades. >>> las cámaras de seguridad en los mochis la central camionera, no verificaron las huellas no me permitieron ver a mi abogado. >>> al incluirla en el centro de adaptación la tomaron para interrogarla. >>> me levantaron para hacer la declaración y fueron varias horas y terminó en la madrugada y siempre venía la licenciada a decirme ahora tenemos que ir a descansar, vámonos a descanar, para mí no tenían tiempo. >>> confiesa que es

the marijuana stash that the police say yanira maldonado was trying to bring across the border was morehan 12-pounds hidden under the seat on the bus she was traveling in. the family says there is no way it was hers. >> reporter: yanira maldonado's family was hoping she would be released. but the mormon mother of seven will remain in a mexican jail at least another day t. family insists she has no involvement in drugs and is being framed. >> whoever was the cause of that, that's who i'm angry at. the people that hurt my mom and put her in prison without having evidence. >> reporter: maldonado was arrested last week after mexican authorities said they found 12-pound of marijuana under the seat of a commercial bus she was riding home in from the funeral with her husband, gary. gary maldonado said he was asked to pay a $5,000 bribe for his wife's freedom. as he tried raise the money, she was shipped off to jail. the family was happy about the evidence presented in court so far. in mexico, there has been a struggle to modernize the corrupt judicial system. >> the judicial system there is ev

acusada de transportar marihuana >> su autobus fue detenido en sonora despuÉs de la revision yanira maldonadorestada porque debajo de su asiento habia marihuana >> no es cierto , yo conozco a mi mamÁ y es una buena mujer >> su esposo dijo que trataron de inculparlo a el pero como era estadounidense lo dejaron >> les dijeron que era tarde cuando quisieron pagar >> con tanta confusion y que pidieron dinero y los hechos como fueron no hay confianza >> ana esta molesta que a su madre le hagan esto en el paÍs donde nacio >> el suegro dice que la familia esta molesta por la situaciÓn >> senador monitorea la situacion >> yanira maldonado fue detenida pasada >> ella es cristiana , es una injusticia >> detenida el miercoles y hoy se realizÓ primera audiencia en donde se presentaron testigos para ver si espera el juicio conoceremos la suerte de esta mujer que nacio en mÉxico. >> en estados unidos se registro el aumetno de precios de las viviendas , hay muchos compradores desconfiados y algunos creen que el mercado se puede volver a desplomar >> las viviendas se venden como pan caliente pero ha terminad

para liberar a la cliente, dulce adelante. >>> asÍ ese, nos acompaÑa el abogado defensor de yanira maldonado desde nogales. ahora vamos a hablar de lo siguiente. 2 millones de mexicanos que viven en estados unidos perderÍan la oportunidad de legalizar el estatus por una eventual reforma migratoria, todo porque carecen de una partida de nacimiento para decirnos de este tema, y cÓmo podrÍan obtener una estÁ en vivo oscar ortiz, director de la organizaciÓn no gubernamental (nombre en inglÉs). buenos dÍas oscar, cuentenemos por quÉ no tienen el documento algunos mexicanos que viven aqÍi en estados unidos. >>> sÍ, buenos dias, muchas gracias por este espacio. de hecho, son varias las causas que reflejan el problema en su registro de nacimientos en mÉxico, causas de carÁcter econÓmico, geogrÁfico, polÍtico, administrativo, burocratico, legislativo, y muchas personas viven en zonas rurales o indÍgenas, muy apartadas, donde tienen impedimentos para registrar a las personas en su nacimiento de forma inmediata. >>> oscar. >>> para el caso que nos ocupa, sÍ? >>> entonces hay alguna manera que puedan ob

in a tearful interview, yanira maldonado repeatedly insists she is innocent and her nightmare is all mistake. >> reporter: yanira maldonado was emotional from the moment she saw us, escorted into the administrator's office to be interviewed. >> i'm not a criminal. i'm here by mistake because people are not doing their work. this is not right. i need to be back with my family. i need to be out of here. i need help. >> reporter: maldonado and her husband were returning by bus from the funeral of her aunt when mexican soldiers stopped the vehicle at this checkpoint. passengers were taken off and the bus searched. the soldiers said they found several packages of marijuana unher seat, 5.7 kilos, more than 12-pound. she says asked her to pay $5,000. >> it's a lie what they are saying. they say they found something under my seat. i never saw anything. they didn't show me anything. it was just amazing all that what they did. >> reporter: maldonado says authorities did not make it clear at first she was a suspect, but she knew she was in trouble when federal agents started questioning her hus

. >>> los se debate el futuro de yanira maldonado de 42 aÑos de edad fue detenida por autoridades mexicanasar en el estado de sonora. cuando viajaba en un autobÚs procedente de los mo shes sinaloa, con destino a arizona. donde puestas le encontraron drogas en su asiento. hoy es acusada de narcotrÁfico. >>> ellos estÁn encarcelados ahorita lo acusan de trafico de drogas. y yo conozco a ya neura. sÉ que es una persona de bien. es increÍble que la acusen, que ahorita la tengan encarcelada. >>> yanira es madre de 7 aÑos y su hijo de 18 aÑos de edad la espera fuerza del juzgado. >>> me siento muy.... me duele, ver ver a mi mamÁ en la carcel, por esta situaciÓn. >>> la familia de maldonado teme encontrarse culpable puede pasar 10 aÑos de su vida tras las rejas en una cÁrcel mexicana. >>> mi prima venÍa de... saliÓ de culiacÁn, llegÓ a los moy moshes. se subieron al camiÓn y ahora sabemos que son... ya venÍan colgando. >>> las autoridades mexicanas informaron a univisiÓn, que maldonado estÁ bajo investigaciÓn en calidad de presento da y en lo que resta de las 72 horas de su presentaciÓn. se defini

yanira maldonado and her husband gary had big plans to celebrate the occasion.s. yanira maldonado was emotional from the moment she saw us. >> i'm not a criminal. i am here by mistake, because people are not doing their work. this is not right. i need to be back with my family. i need to be out of here. i need to go home. >> reporter: maldonado and her husband, returning by bus from the funeral of her aunt when mexican soldiers stopped the vehicle at this checkpoint. passengers taken off, and the bus surged. the soldier said that they found several packages of marijuana under her seat. more than 12 pounds and they asked her to pay $5,000. >> it's a lie what they are saying. and they say they found something under my seat, but i never saw anything, they didn't show me anything. it was -- it's amazing, all the -- what they did. >> reporter: maldonado said authorities didn't make it clear that she was a suspect. but she knew she was in trouble when federal agents started questioning her husband and her. >> i was in shock that they said it was me. at first they said

yanira maldonado and her husband, gary, join us right now. being with us. yanira, let me ask you right off the bat, how you doing? >> i'm doing fine. i'm here with my husband and my in-laws. >> when are you going to go home? you want to go home soon, i hope, you want to see your kids? when will you be leaving the country? >> yes, we are hopefully going today to see the kids. >> yanira, i've been listening to you all morning speaking about your release. you say you screamed in excitement when you found out you were finally getting out of jail and you handled this with such poise and such grace, but i have to ask, were you just enraged and infuriated over the last week. i cannot imagine being put in jail for something like this when there's simply no connection to reality. >> yeah, i was very, i was -- >> we've got to go, sorry. >> i think we have lost gary and yanira on the phone right now. but it is nice to hear she's doing well. even nice to hear her answer to your question. >> i don't think you've breathed a final sigh of relief until you'r

. >> reporter: yanira maldonado's nightmare began last wednesday when she and her husband gary boardedbus in los mochis, mexico, heading home to phoenix from her aunt's funeral. but on the way they were stopped at a checkpoint near hermosillo, mexico. mexican soldiers boarded the bus and that's when, police say, they found 12 pounds of marijuana strapped under yanira's maldonado's seat. yanira was arrested. gary says he tried to bribe the judge with $5,000 -- that the soldiers told him that's how it works in mexico. but today this church-going mormon mom was in court. >> at this time, i don't have anger. i just feel like i have to get my wife out. >> reporter: yanira spoke with our affiliate from jail. >> they put the cuffs on my feet and on my hands. it was horrible. >> reporter: back in the neat phoenix suburb, where yanira lives and works with troubled kids, her daughter is desperate. >> i want my mom home, please. i just want her home. >> reporter: what are her rights right now? she's in mexico. >> she has no u.s. rights right now. so the most the u.s. can do is engage in diplomati

that was enough for him to drop the drug smuggling charges against yanira maldonado, a u.s. soldiers, mexican soldiers accused her of sneaking 12 pounds of marijuana under her bus seat as she took this trip returning from a funeral back into the states. >> i'm free. i yelled i'm free, i'm free. i was innocent. so i was very, very happy to be out. >> maldmaldonado's family belie the soldiers were seeking some sort of bribe. even a mexican official who didn't want his name agreed saying it looked like she was indeed framed. and if you want proof that this can happen in mexico, you have to hear my next guest, the attorney for a mexican man convicted in the u.s. of drug smuggling last year, actually, didn't have a clue who was doing it as he traveled back and forth daily through a checkpoint in el paso, texas, where he was going to school. the cartels had managed to get a key to his car, and regularly were putting drugs inside this car, all the while this guy had no idea this was happening. so this is his attorney, luis lopez. this attorney for this framed man. luis, on your cli

. >> yanira maldonado was released from jail after the case against her started falling apart. abc's gio benitez is in nogales, arizona, and joins us live on the phone. gio, what's the latest? >> reporter: hey, john, diana, talk about some late breaking news, right, this was just midnight local time when we find out that she is being released from jail, released from prison really because here in mexico when you're there and you're arrested, you're put into a prison. she was side by side with criminals like convicted murderers, and so she was released from jail, and this all came about after we saw this surveillance video yesterday, and the surveillance video showed both of them boarding this bus without any large packages. she just had a purse on her shoulder, carrying two bottles of water, and he had two blankets with him, and that really seems to set this all in motion. >> now, gio, the question on everyone's mind now that we see her walking out of that prison finally headed home with her husband, gary, what's next? >> reporter: you know, that's the big question. we're told

yanira maldonado walked out of jail late last night this happened. and authorities arrested her last week, as you might recall, on charges of smuggling marijuana. well, maldonado tells reporters how she reacted when she learned that finally she was going to be let go. >> i'm free. out of jail. like i'm free, i'm free, i'm free. i was innocent. so i was very, very happy to be out. >> what was your life like in the jail? what did you do for all these days? >> well, first i was very sad because it was i couldn't think that i was there because i was innocent. and i was told that i would be, you know, sent to another prison, a federal prison. and that really scared me. but it really got my faith and reading the scriptures. i found a book of mormon and i was reading with some of the inmates. >> so what happens next for maldonado? casey wian is in goodyear, arizona, where she lives. casey, the family all along said from the very beginning that she was innocent. i imagine that they're going to have a little party for her, yeah? >> they sure have a right to a

. >> yanira maldonado lucha por su libertad tienen como pruena ddo boletos de pasajeros que no la conocian serÁn testifgos. >> para mi mÉxico ... esta bien orgullosa de mi pais>> paÍs (llanto). >> de fe mormona y madre de 7 jhijos no puede creer la forma e en que la detuvieron. >> me dijeron que mi esposo se tenÍa que quedar y yo te tenÍa q que ir. >> pero si es no haballa espaÑo bueno entonces se quedan los dos dijeron y me dijeron que me a acusaban a mi. >> un video que se uso como ev evidencia mÁs que perjudicar l a ayuda puyees los paquetes era d unos 10 centÍmetros de alto por 40 de ancho y eran facÁciles e ver. >> serÁ declarada antes de las 6 de la tarde nnmaÑana viernes c a culpaculp culpable o inocente. en sonora m mÉxico telemundo. >> el juez no acepto los test o testimonios de miliatetares ho p pue3s debian hacerlo ayer. >> el antro cerraba a las 10 ad la maÑana y las vÍctimas fueron a punta de metralleta sacados e del lugar y subidos en camion a camionetas. >> asÍ manifestaron los famili r familiares de 11 desaparecidos. >> los sacaron golpeadoron y y raptyarrapt raptaron. >> l

yanira maldonado's family helped she would be released on at a court hearing on tuesday.ther of seven will remain in a mexican jail at least another day. the family insists she has no involvement in drugs and is being framed. >> whoever was the cause of this, that's who i am angry at. the people that put my mom in prison. without any evidence. >> reporter: maldonado arrested last week after mexican authorities said they found 12 pounds of marijuana your honor the seat of a commercial bus she was riding home in from a funeral with her husband gary. gary maldonado was asked to pay a $5,000 bribe for his wife's freedom. as he tried to raise the money, he was shipped off to jail. the family is encouraged by the evidence presented in court so far. this case is not unusual in mexico. where there has been a struggle to modernize its notoriously corrupt judicial system says mexican expert george grayson. >> the judicial system there is even more corrupt than the police. and when you are brought into a judicial proceeding, you don't get to face your accuser, you don't have an auto

la familia de yanira maldonado se moviliza para su liberaciÓn. reacciona al caso.e sus agentes. los republicanos de la cÁmara baja que negocian una reforma migratoria estÁn preocupados sobre la carga econÓmica que significa un inmigrante con estatus previsional. y hablaremos de los Ángeles mensajes de ciudad juÁrez y la causa que los motiva.

en cuestiÓn de horas vence el plazo para qune un tribunal decida si mantiene encarcelada a yanira maldonadosportar m a marihua marihuana. nuestra reportera continÚa ahÍ. >>> estuve a punto que me manden a nayarit. le pido a las personas que estÁn encargadas que por favor me ayuden. >>> desde el cerezo maldonado pide justicia, tras ser acusada de narcotrÁfico, el ministerio pÚblico dice haberle encontrado marihuana en su asiento. >>> vine a un funeral y terminÉ aquÍ sin llegar a casa. >>> maldonado es madre de 7 hijos que la esperan en estados unidos. pero su esposo jerry que permanece en mÉxico acudiÓ a los juzgados donde se mostraron pruebas. donde presenta los boletos de autobÚs donde comprueba en que asi asientos estaban los testigos. >>> para acreditar que tomaron el autobÚs en los mochis. >>> y tambiÉn se agregÓ el video de la central de autobÚs, y esÁa en manos del juzgado sexto. una fuente de univisiÓn obtuvo informaciÓn del contenido del video que muestra a yanira fuera del camiÓn con su bolsa. yanira le pasa una cobija y sube al camiÓn con una bolsa, y se ve a su esposo cargando do

her name is yanira maldonado.juana was found packed under her bus seat. she and

yanira maldonado screamed, you heard her, when she was told. >> i'm free. i'm free, i'm free. i was innocent. so i was very, very happy. so to be out. >> we're covering all of the anners. rafael romo is in nogales, and we also have a reporter in good year, where the family is from, awaiting her return. what was it like in securing her freedom? >> it was a very important piece of evidence that the defense attorney introduced into evidence. a video showing the couple, gary and his wife boarding the bus, getting into the bus, only carrying a couple of blankets, a couple of bottles of water and her purse, and you couldn't see any other packages, you couldn't see them carrying anything else. when the judge saw that, that's when the prosecution's case began to crumble, and the defense attorney says that was the piece of evidence that we needed to conclude sil show the judge that yanira is innocent and that eventually that was going to help us set her free. very happy family back on american soil. >> why didn't mexican police look at the security video before they threw her into jail

juzgados de distrito el juez tiene hasta el 31 de mayo para resolver la situaciÓn legal, de yanira maldonadoa niÑos la jueza de la corte superior del condado de los angeles, dijo que el mes de septiembre serÁ la fecha lÍmite para que las Órdenes religiosas entreguen estos documentos. >>> la iglesia catÓlica de venezuela, dijo que la practica de dar la comuniÓn en las misas, estÁ amenazada por la escasez de vinos extra mental y la arena, utilizada para hacer las hostias. el padre juan carlos silva de la capital de caracas. la iglesia se afecta por escasez de consumo diario de ese paÍs, detergentes, papel higiÉnico, are harina de trigo y maÍz. >>> un brote del virus a h 1 n 1 en solo 3 semanas, el nÚmero de infectados llegÓ por lo menos 250 personas. el gobierno no ha confirmado estas cifras. >>> la cadena de tiendas wal-mart acordÓ 81 millones de dÓlares en multas por el desde fertilizantes pesticidas esto ocurriÓ entre el 2003 y 2005. piratas cibernÉticos chinos, han llegado a los sistemas de armas de este paÍs. lo dijeron funcionarios del pentÁgono. copiar las armas y dis cubrir sus debilid

gracias por acompañarnos en esta noche de miércoles 29 de mayo del 2013, estas son las noticias, yanira maldonado de venezuela y colombia después de la visita de henrique capriles radonski a bogotá, así comenzamos la edición nocturna ♪. un> este es su noticiero

her family says yanira maldonado did not smuggle those drugs and was arrested for bribe money. developments. the family is just torn apart over this. they can't stand the thought of her sitting in a mexican jail. any chance that she's going to get out soon, casey? >> well, there's a chance she's going to get out soon, family members say they believe the court proceedings are going well. but it's still heart wrenching talking to the family members of yanira maldonado who are adamant that she is wrongfully jailed in mexico. yanira maldonado's family hoped she would be released at a court hearing in nogales, mexico, tuesday. but the mormon mother of seven accused of smuggling marijuana will remain in a mexican jail for at least another day. the family insists she has no involvement in drugs and is being framed. >> to everyone because of this, that's who i'm angry at. the people that put my mom in prison. without having evidence. >> reporter: maldonado was arrested last week after mexican authorities said they found 12 pounds of marijuana under the seat of a commercial bus she was

the soldiers who arrested yanira maldonado were supposed to appear in court wednesday but defense attorneyse case will resume tomorrow. cnn's rafael romo is the first reporter to interview maldonado in jail. he has more fors this morning from nogales, mexico were yanira maldonado was emotional from the moment she saw us. she was escorted to be interviewed. >> we weren't doing that work. it's not right. i need to be with my family. i need to be out of here. i need help. >> reporter: maldonado and her husband was returning by bus from the funeral-ore aunt when mexican soldiers stopped the vehicle at her checkpoint. passengers were taken off and the bus searched. the soldier said they found several packages of marijuana under her seat. 5.7 kilos, more than 12 pounds, and she says, asked her to pay $5,000. >> it's a lie what they're saying. >> they say they found something under my seat. but i never said anything. they didn't show me anything. it was just amazing, all -- what they did. >> reporter: maldonado said authorities did not make it clear at first that she was a suspect but she knew she

yanira maldonado spent more than a week behind bars after guards said they found a 12-pound stash ofys the guards were looking for a bribe. yesterday, those guards failed to appear in court to testify. this morning she is on the way home. >>> the remaining suspect in the boston marathon bombing has recovered enough to walk and assured his parents in a phone conversation that he and his slain brother were innocent. at least that is a cording to dzhokhar tsarnaev's mother. >>> homeowners in southern california who evacuated, ahead of a fast-moving forest fire were allowed to return home. the wind-whipped fire is burning dangerously close to high voltage electric lines. power has been rerouted away from the threatened lines, and head off to any outages. the fire burned more than 1,000 acres in the angeles national forest. hot, dry weather is expected to challenge crews trying to bring the blaze under control. >>> great plains and great lakes area bracing for another round of punishing storms today. a tornado barreled through tulsa area last night. the latest in a string of twisters to s

a mexican judge ordered yanira maldonado's release after determining that the prosecution really did not have a case against her. maldonado had been arrested and then accused of trying to smuggle more than 12-pound of pot into the united states. a security camera on the bus she was riding in, though, proved there was no way she had any pot in her possession when she and her husband got on board that bus. how it got under her seat still remains unanswered. >>> elvis presley's death is suddenly in the spotlight in michael jackson's death trial t. man that promoted both artists, the last tours, is testifying again today. jackson's lawyers say his experience with elvis should have made him more aware of destruction abuse by other artists, including michael jackson. we are going to explore that angle with our legal panel in just a few moments. >>> plus, we'll raise the question did concert bosses care about michael jackson's deteriorating health? >>> call it cowardly, cruel, a senseless act of terror. while most of us see the boston marathon bombings as an act of evil. some see it as a bi

>> yanira maldonado, she was released in mexico, that happened late last night.y was able to show the drug smuggling allegations against her were not true. while she was still behind bars, maldonado said she really had second thoughts on travm traveling to mexico. >> i used to tell people, come to mexico, it's not true what they're saying. i go every year to visit my family. and look what's happening to me now. >> our legal expert and a spokesman for the show "locked up abroad" which is on the national geographic channel, dick, good to see you. how common is it for someone to get detained in a place like mexico? >> it's very frequent. however, there are so many people, millions of people traveling there that the percentage is infinitesimal, but because there are so many people, there are hundreds of people who are arrested who are americans every year. and not all of them get out so quickly as this woman did. >> so how many are locked up in foreign countries right now? what did they get locked up for? are they guilty or innocent or no? >> that's a lot of question

mexican authorities say they found about 12 pound of marijuana under 42-year-old yanira maldonado's bus seat last week. the devout mormon and her husband were in northern mexico for a relative's funeral when they decided to travel back to arizona by bus. she says she's innocent and family members say they believe she was framed. her attorney says he's confident that she will be released by friday. >>> carl sandberg college in central illinois is one of many places affected by the flooding happening all over the midwest. classes at the university have been cancelled until friday due due to flooding. this was caught on one of the campus' building security cameras on tuesday. bill karins, nbc meteorologist, you see stuff like that just charging through the doors like that. >> that's a perfect example of a flash flood. that's what you'd see in a canyon, like in arizona or las vegas or somewhere. >> and the power of the water right there just bringing down the doors. >> looks like a levee must have broken loose. well, we have an unsettled forecast for one more day in the northwest. then your

this morning after a week-long drug bust nightmare. 42-year-old yanira maldonado was arrested last wednesday by mexican soldiers after they allegedly found nearly 12 pound of marijuana under her seat on a bus traveling from mexico to arizona but a judge released her surveillance video from the bus terminal showing she and her husband were only carrying only blankets, water bottles and a purse under the bus. >>> in turkey, a demonstration goes violent. >> yeah, you get him. >> protesters were staging a sit-in to prevent the uprooting of trees at an istanbul park. >> oh! >> he gets the water cannon there. >> who got the last laugh? >> the cops working -- several people were injured. some taken to the hospital in this. but that water cannon -- >> you know the riot cop guy was laughing as he did that. >> he didn't want to do that. not at all. >>> a group of african penguins waddling back to their roots. the small african or black-footed penguins welcoming the arrival of african leaders to japan with a fine costume parade on friday. they were saying to them, "walk this way"? i don't know. let's l

yanira maldonado was released late last night. she was arrested last week after police say they found almost 12 pounds of marijuana under her bus seat. >> i'm very grateful that i'm free. someone put that in there and i sat in the wrong seat. >> maldonado was cleared after security video showed she only brought bottles of water and blankets on board the bus. [ musick ] i knew there were a lot of tech jobs available out there. i knew devry university would give me the skills that i needed to make one of those tech jobs mine. we teach cutting-edge engineering technology, computer information systems, networking and communications management -- the things that our students need to know in the world today. our country needs more college grads to help fill all the open technology jobs. to help meet that need, here at devry university, we're offering $4 million dollars in tech scholarships for qualified new students. learn more at devry.edu. >>> a rally in chicago on immigration reform kicks off in a few hours. it's led by the service e

mexican authorities say they found about 12 pounds of marijuana under 42-year-old yanira maldonado's bus seat last week. the devout mormon an her husband were in northern mexico for a relative's funeral when they decided to travel back to arizona by bus. she says she's innocent and family members say they believe that she was framed. her attorney says he's confident that she will be released by friday. >> and now it's time for your first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. the republican who doesn't trust republicans was certainly surrounded by an awful lot of them last night. texas senator ted cruz spoke at a gop fund-raiser in new york where he told the crowd not to worry about the party's future, instead he brought back a haunted phrase saying republicans should "want to be the party of the 47%." >> the national narrative the last election was the 40% -- 47% of americans who were not currently paying income taxes who are in some ways dependent upon government, we don't have to worry about you. that's what was communicated the last election. i got to tell you, as a c

this morning yanira maldonado is a free woman after being accused of trying to smuggle 12 pounds of marijuana into the u.s. under her bus seat. miguel has been following the story and joins us from arizona w how did this happen and why overnight? >> reporter: apparently mexican authorities after hearing compelling evidence from the maldonado attorney, the judge reviewed that evidence, it was videotape evidence that showed yanira and her husband walking on to the bus. it showed she had two water bottles in her hand and possibly two small blankets. the point made by their lawyer is that there was no way for her to carry on 12 pounds of marijuana. apparently after reviewing that tape, the judge, the magistrate ruled that there was not enough evidence to hold her and released her. literally in the middle of the night, maldonado was released from a woman's jail b , about 2 miles outside the city of nogales. i can see her now, she's about 25 feet away from me with her husband. she said she was thrilled that the nightmare was over, she could put this chapter in her life behind her and go back and se

. >>> reporter: yanira maldonado walked out of a nogales mexico jail this morning. the phoenix woman is free after more than a week behind bars wrongly accused of smuggling drugs. >> i'm very happy to be free and that they declare me innocent of all the charges. >> reporter: she and her husband embraced for a full 30 seconds. the couple missed their one- year anniversary while she was behind bars. what was it like holding your husband in your arms for the first time in nine days? >> it was nice. i really missed him. >> reporter: she was arrested nine days ago on a drug smuggling charge. she and her husband had been in mexico for a wedding and were traveling home to phoenix when the bus they were on got pulled over at a checkpoint. officers say they found 12 pounds of marijuana under her seat and arrested her. her husband says the officers originally demanded $5,000 for her release. >> when something happens in mexico, you're automatically assumed guilty and then you have to plead your innocence. >> reporter: maldonado's release came hours after the court reviewed se

her family is adamant that yanira maldonado is innocent. he's already paid $5,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to free his wife. he believes her arrest last week at a military roadblock in central mexico was really a shakedown by mexican soldiers. >> about getting money here. so the military was the only one there at the checkpoint, so from what i hear, that's a regular occurrence. >> at least one mexican official supports that view. yanira maldonado, who has seven children and two grandchildren, went to mexico with her husband to attend a family funeral. on the charter bus ride back to the u.s., she was arrested for allegedly smuggling 12 pounds of marijuana and her daughter spoke with cnn, pretty emotional interview, after visiting her mother in jail over the weekend. >> when i saw her, she was just smiling like she's always smiled before. and i broke down in tears. but she -- she just told me that she was going to get out -- for me to be strong. and that she was innocent. she wanted to tell my brothers and sisters that she loved them very

yanira maldonado is in a mexican jail now accused of trying to smuggle marijuana from a mexican town into arizona on board a bus. she and her husband gary were returning home after a funeral for her aunt a week ago when soldiers stopped the bus, claimed to find 12 pounds of marijuana under her seat. family members have accused mexican authorities of a setup, her husband just wants it to end. >> it's just so bizarre down here, so different that we don't -- we're not used to it. this process is just -- we wanted it to be over. we're thankful for everybody's support. just keep -- everything, keep on making this alive so people can give us her support so she can be free. she's an innocent woman. i love my wife dearly. >> maldonado's attorney cast doubt on whether the drugs were actually on the bus. based on conflicting testimony from soldiers. yet to be charged, family members are hopeful she will be freed soon. >>> to business where wall street is looking to rally after a rare down day. all three indices fell yesterday. the dow tumbled more than 100 points, it was the worst one-day loss

this morning after a week long drug bust nightmare. 42-year-old yanira maldonado was arrested last wednesday by mexican soldiers after they allegedly found nearly 12 pounds of marijuana under her seat on a bus traveling from mexico to arizona. maldonado spoke briefly with reporters after her release. >> i want to say thank you first to god because i'm free now. and he sent me good people my way. and i'm very grateful that i'm free that -- for my family, my children. >> you can see her making her way across the mexico border into the u.s. here. a judge released maldonado after reviewing surveillance video that showed her and her husband carrying only blankets, water bottles and her purse on to the bus. >>> more violent weather in the heartland. the national weather service confirms at least one tornado touched down after dark in the tulsa oklahoma suburb of broken arrow. no reports of injuries and the damage is primarily to roofs. nearly 1,800 people are without power in the tulsa area. >>> in arkansas at least nine are injured and one was trapped inside a car after two tornadoes touched down

we just got word the mother of seven who was held in jail on drug smuggling charges in mexico yanira maldonadot been released after a week behind bars. >>> coming up, the story behind the exercise routine taking the internet by storm. ,, people switching to finish are experiencing amazing shine. quantum with new power gel delivers brilliant shine, which cascade can't do. take the finish shine challenge and see what it can do for you. your carpet stains can reappear. [ laughing ] [ male announcer ] try resolve stain remover, the formula penetrates deep into your carpet and removes stains so they don't come back. trust resolve. forget stains. what? that lovely girl, caught your eye? 20 piece mcnuggets are only $4.99. you offer to share them. that's pretty smart. [ male announcer ] 20 piece chicken mcnuggets now on mcdonald's new extra value menu. or the internet, at least: "i've got my ankle weights place, and my music's ready" cer-cise. 60-year . >>> it's the latest fitness craze sweeping the nation. >> or the internet at least. take a welcome. >> i have my ankle, waste in place and my music re

yanira maldonado has been in jail for the last nine days.she was born in mexico but now an american citizen, said she was set up. along with her husband, she was returning to her phoenix area home after attending a funeral across the border. the bus she was on stopped at a military checkpoint and police say they found 12 pounds of marijuana underneath her seat. >> i need to be back home with my family, and my children. and my loving husband. >> her husband and seven children. mexican military officials with are supposed to testify in court today regarding this case. but they never showed up. meanwhile, maldonado's attorney is hopeful surveillance video from the bus station will prove her innocence. >>> parents and children in east palo alto, please be warned. beginning at 11:00 p.m. tonight until 6:00 in the morning, anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed to be out and about. if you get caught, you could get slapped with a $250 fine for a first offense. $500 for a second. east palo alto police say their goal is not just to throw kids in j

we just got word the mother of seven who was held in jail on drug smuggling charges in mexico yanira maldonadoust been released after a week behind bars. >>> coming up, the story behind the exercise routine taking the internet by storm. ,, ♪ [ male announcer ] a car that can actually see like a human using stereoscopic cameras ♪ and even stop itself if it has to. ♪ the technology may be hard to imagine... but why you would want it is not. the 2014 e-class, see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. or the internet, at least: "i've got my ankle weights place, and my music's ready" cer-cise. 60-year . >>> it's the latest fitness craze sweeping the nation. >> or the internet at least. take a welcome. >> i have my ankle, waste in place and my music ready. let's stop talking and do some walking. >> 60-year-old joanna of florida invented this 25 years ago. it just caught on this week. a lot of people thought it was joke. >> laugh, those are pounds flying away. joanna says she's happy for the publicity. it's got to work. it's got to work.

yanira maldonado says she's completely innocent and now a mexican state official believes her, saying she might have been framed. >> mother of seven is behind bars in mexico accused of smuggling marijuana. yanira maldonado from phoenix, arizona, she was traveling to mexico with her husband gary to attend her aunt's funeral. while returning home the couple's bus was stopped at a military checkpoint. police allege they found marijuana beneath gary's seat and charged him with smuggling. then, they released gary and arrested his wife instead. saying the marijuana was actually under her seat. a mexican state official with extensive knowledge of the case believes maldanado was framed telling cnn she would not have been able to carry twelve pounds of pot onto the bus without being noticed. gary visited his wife over the weekend at the women's jail in nogales where she's being held. >> she just kind of like started jumping up and down and giving me a big hug and we just cried. >> reporter: the couple who have seven children and two grandchildren between them have denied the charges. gary clai

yanira maldonado is accused of smuggling 12 pounds of marijuana on a bus. she claims she was falsely accused. rafael romo in nogales, arizona. you were the first to interview this mother? >> that's right, carol. first outsiders with the exception of her family to visit her in prison yesterday, across the border here in nogales, mexico she was very emotional. also, she repeatedly said she is innocent. and when i asked her how she's holding up, she told us she's coping by reading scripture and relying on her faith in god. yanira maldonado emotional from the moment she saw us. >> i'm not a criminal. i'm here by mistake. because people are not doing their work. this is not right. i need to be back with my family. i need to be out of here. i need to go back home. >> reporter: maldonado and her husband were returning by bus from the funeral of her aunt when mexican soldiers stopped the bus at this checkpoint. passengers taken off and the bus searched. the soldiers said they found several packages of marijuana under her seat. more than 12 pounds, and asked her to

it's heart wrenching talking to family members of yanira ma maldona maldonado, who say she is wrongly jailed in mexico. yanira mall donaldo's family hoped she would be released on tuesday. but the mormon mother of seven will remain in a mexican jail at least another day. the family insists she has no involvement drugs and is being framed. >> whoever was the cause of this, that's who i am angry at. the people that took my mom. they put her in prison. without having evidence. >> reporter: maldonado arrested last week after mexican authorities said they found 12 pounds of marijuana under the seat of a commercial bus she was riding home with from a funeral with her husband gary. gary was asked to pay $5,000 bribe for his wife's freedom. as he was trying to raise the money, she was shipped off to jail. they are encouraged by the evidence raised in court so far. they have a notoriously corrupt judicial system. >> the judicial system there is even more corrupt than the police. when are you brought into a judicial proceeding, you don't get to face your accuser no, automatic right for-to-a law

a pesar de todo la familia de yanira maldonado estÁ optimista que pronto le darÁn la libertad, este fuentan los militares que participaron en el arresto de la mujer, sin embargo, lo mÁs pronto que esta madre podrÁ salir es a finales de esta semana cuando se espera que un juez decida su suerte en nogales, mÉxico. >>> fueron dÍas tensos de muchos testimonios, mientras yanira permanece en esta prisiÓn a la espera que un juez le de la libertad. >>> si el juez estaba frente mÍo le pido que la deje libre. >>> su familia cree que le sembraron la marihuana. >>> ella no serÍa capaz, dice su hija. el esposo espera que todo se aclare. >>> todos los testigos, mi esposa y yo ya rendimos declaraciones, ahora le corresponde a los militares. >>> hasta el momento fueron llamados dos testigos, declararon que fueron los Últimos en abordar el vehÍculo, y ella solo cargaba una cobija. el departamento de estado de estados unidos dijo que sigue de cerca de esta madre mormona. los maldonado insisten que varios funcionarios intentaron extersionaron, y que por la libertad de ella querÍan miles de dÓlares. >>> (h

colombia, dijo que reevaluara el apoyo que brinda al proceso de paz con la guerrilla de las farc.y yanira maldonadoontra un cÁncer, hoy amigos, familia, le rinden tributo a esta pequeÑa guerrera. vamos con juli ferrer en vivo donde se celebra el funeral. >>> buenas tardes. es una tarde verdaderamente conmovedora para la famillia de bella, el lema, vivir como bella, toma un significado importante hoy, porque motivan a vivir intensamente pese a las circunstanci circunstancias, estoy al lado de su padrino que nos cuenta lo que se vive. >>> muchas gracias. y como puedes imaginar estamos en el velorio de bella, pero estamos celebrando la vida, porque bella aunque ha muerto tiene mÁs vida que nunca, es una niÑita que estuvo enferma lo mayorÍa de su vida, batallando un cÁncer terrible, y pudo vivir este tiempo y descanso, y sabemos que ella estÁ en la gloria. >>> me llama la atenciÓn que todos los que llegaron estÁn vestidos de rojo en memoria de su color preferido. pero vamos a la nota para que el pÚblico conozca la vida de bella. >>> por mÁs de la mitad de su corta existencia, bella peleo por su vida, b

. >> that is yanira maldonado who's free after spending almost a week in a mexican jail on what appearsmped up drug charges. >> amazing she said after all she is been through image being in a mexican jail, that is one tough border town. one of the things she said is her faith and family got her through it and she doesn't really blame the people there. >> she also said she read scriptures to some of the other women she was in jail with and got to hear about their problems and it made her feel like her problems weren't so bad. that is good perspective for you. >> amazing. we will bring you more later. in the meantime we have headlines. >> mitt romney return to go the public stage nearly 6 months after his loss in the presidential election. he plans to work on ideas to quote help shape nationality priorities. this will start next week with a three-day meeting for 200 friends and supporters in utah. romney says the white house lacked a clear augen sdau in the first 100 days of the second term. he is kerring writing a book and a series of op eds. >> trauk pulled out in front of a plane and c