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me ACTIVITIES CONCERNING FARM WORKERS STRIKE RIO GRANDE CITY, TEXAS On July 4, 1966, about one-hundred members of the Wational Farm Workers Association began a march at Rio Grande City, Texas, which was terminated on Labor Day, September 5, 1966, at Austin, Texas. The purpose of this march was to protest low wages paid to migrant farm workers. (100-444762-44,73) On October 24, 1966, Eugene Nelson and a group of strikers proceeded to the center of the International Bridge spanning the Rio Grande River between Roma, Texas, and Ciudad Miguel Aleman, Mexico, where they stopped vehicles carrying farm laborers into the United States thus blocking traffic. Melson was arrested after which about fifteen members of the group lay down on the bridge completely blocking traffic, and they were also arrested, (100-444762-74,75) During 1966, the National Farm Workers Association merged with the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee Ond retained the latter name. On February 1, 1967, the Starr County Sheriff's Office, Rio Grande City, Texas, arrested ten individuals on charges of disturbing the peace When they entered the La Casita Farms and harassed non-union workers. Reportedly two of those arrested were connected with the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC). Subsequently, during the spring and summer of 1967, there has been a series of incidents including the alleged harassment of non~union workers by members of the UFWOC. In one incident in May of 1967, Eugene Nelson was arrested at Rio Grande City, Texas, after he allegedly threatened Texas Rangers by stating there would be some dead rangers unless they left the UFWOC Pickets alone. Nelson was jailed in lieu of a two-thousand- dollar bond, (100~-444762-104) The Department of Justice and other government agencies have been kept apprised of pertinent information regarding this situation of interest to them which bas cone to the attention of this Bureau through news media sad other sources. No investigation under the Anti-Racketeering Statute has been requested by the Department in connection with this situation. However, 2 number of civil rights inquiries have been conducted based on complaints of alleged mistreatment and denial of civil rights by law enforcenent officials in connection with the strike situation in the Rio Grande City, Texas, area. The results of these investi- gations are summarized hereunder. CONF. IAL