Alex Riggins, The Union-Tribune

Alex Riggins

The Union-Tribune

Contact Alex

Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.

Start free trial

Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • The Union-Tribune
  • Los Angeles Times

Past articles by Alex:

Consulate: 7 of 8 victims in Black's Beach migrant boat disaster presumed to be Mexican

Autopsies were under way Monday to ID victims, but Mexican officials said most were presumed Mexican; federal investigators were tightlipped about criminal probe → Read More

Maritime smuggling is not new, but attempts have surged, as have deaths

Saturday night's deadly mishap off Black's Beach comes as officials continue tracking rising number of maritime smuggling attempts in Southern California → Read More

In discrimination suit, county says doctor fired for improper texts, attempt to get friends early vaccines

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit by San Diego County's former chief medical officer, Dr. Nick Yphantides, can move forward on some claims. → Read More

Longtime trafficker who was linked to Mexican soccer star, singer pleads guilty to cocaine conspiracy

Raúl Flores Hernández, alias "El Tio," allegedly helped traffic cocaine from South America to Mexico for more than 30 years, working with Sinaloa cartel and CJNG → Read More

A San Diego judge had a defendant's 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. Now the incident is under review.

U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez said he was trying to scare girl away from drugs and ending up in court, but studies show 'scared straight' tactics don't work → Read More

Emergency crews ready to spring into action as powerful storm moves into San Diego County

The system has slowed down and angled more toward Los Angeles but is still expected to drop 2 inches of rain at the coast and up to 18 inches of snow in the mountains by Saturday. → Read More

Retired Navy captain who testified against other officers gets prison in 'Fat Leonard' case

Former Capt. Jesús Vasquez Cantú, who pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy charge, told judge he 'tarnished the public's perception of the Navy' → Read More

9th Circuit to reconsider SDPD lawsuit for in-custody death

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by Aleah Jenkins' son, and a three-judge panel upheld the dismissal. But a majority of 9th Circuit judges voted to re-hear the case. → Read More

Man shot at park in Clairemont, police seek shooter

Police were waiting on word from a hospital about the condition of the victim. He was shot about 11:50 a.m. at North Clairemont Community Park off Genesee Ave. → Read More

DHS, the nation's largest federal law enforcement agency, has new use-of-force rules

The Department of Homeland Security — the parent agency for border, immigration and other law enforcement agencies — updated its policies as required by a Biden executive order. → Read More

San Diego gambling parlor operator sentenced to 6 years in prison

Long Ngoc Tran ran at least nine of about 36 illegal casinos that prosecutors said drove crime, including homicides and shootings, mostly in or near City Heights → Read More

The deaths of 3 sisters spurred new thinking about how to save lives at the border

Border aid groups are focusing on leaving supplies at more remote locations, such as in the San Diego County mountains where three sisters died in 2020 → Read More

San Diego trio sentenced to prison in failed murder-for-hire plot of business associate

The defendants were arrested in 2018 in connection with an alleged plot to have the victim taken to Mexico and killed; they pleaded guilty to a kidnapping conspiracy → Read More

Former Mexican government employee is third to plead guilty in spyware case

A former Mexican government official Los Angeles pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge Tuesday in San Diego federal court, admitting that he both used and sold spyware and other computer-hacking tools in Mexico and the U.S. → Read More

Supreme Court decision allows early release of former Mongols biker in pipe bomb case

Richard Mathews was convicted in 1993 of planting pipe bomb that maimed an unintended target instead of the man who expelled him from the Mongols biker gang → Read More

Navy Capt. Davis Haas sent to prison for taking Fat Leonard bribes

Former Capt. David Haas admitted to accepting lavish hotel stays, prostitutes, other perks in exchange for steering ships to Leonard Francis' ports → Read More

Feds won't seek death penalty for conspiracy theorist accused of killing his children in Mexico

Surf instructor Matthew Coleman is accused of killing his children with a spearfishing gun in Rosarito while allegedly paranoid and obsessed with conspiracies → Read More

San Diego judge denies Benjamín Arellano Félix early release

The former kingpin of Arellano Félix Organization, also known as the Tijuana cartel, petitioned last year for compassionate release after 11 years of 25-year term → Read More

Former San Diego sheriff's lieutenant sentenced in gun dealing case

Fred Magaña admitted that, at behest of Capt. Marco Garmo, he used his law enforcement privilege to buy two handguns that were actually for jeweler Leo Hamel → Read More

Man who bombed 2 San Diego ATMs sentenced to more than 11 years in prison

Chad Engel and Scott Petri each pleaded guilty to bank burglary and conspiracy to commit bank burglary. Engel was sentenced Friday to 11.5 years in prison. → Read More