HARLINGEN — So how much is that $20 bill worth?

Not as much as it used to be worth, that’s for sure.

But when it comes to currency, particularly virtual currency like bitcoin, the answer to that question is a bitcoin is worth what everybody agrees its worth.

Bitcoin is at the forefront of a wave of digital cryptocurrencies that are bought, sold and used on the Internet just like cash. Or if not cash, used as you would a debit or credit card to purchase a product.

The rationale for using bitcoin is that the number of bitcoins is limited, so investing in bitcoin is regarded as a hedge against inflation.

Precious metals like gold used to fill that financial niche, but bitcoin is far easier to move and use than physical gold which an investor has in his or her hands.

Bitcoins are produced by a process called “mining.” There is an upper limit of 21 million bitcoins that will ever be mined (hence the hedge against inflation; there’s no government to increase the amount of money in circulation, which lowers the value of a dollar, euro or renminbi).

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EDINBURG — Buying sex online can be as easy as buying a used bicycle or booking a hotel, according to Sasha Poucki, who spent two years researching the role of technology in sex trafficking.

An Edinburg couple was arrested April 12 after two underage girls from Louisiana told police they were being forced into prostitution and advertised on multiple websites, including classifieds website backpage.com.

Abelardo Gomez, 37, and his girlfriend, Cerena Ortiz, 24, were both charged with multiple first-degree felonies, including four counts of trafficking of a child, two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity, and two counts of sexual performance by a child.

The girls said they were threatened to earn money in order to be returned home and were also forced to work at a local strip club. Gomez and Ortiz are accused of knowingly supervising, housing and transporting the juveniles from various locations while allowing the girls to prostitute themselves via social media, according to a criminal complaint.

Gomez and Ortiz face a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.

Poucki said this online form of trafficking has exploded in the past decade and surpassed the resources and manpower law enforcement needs to contain it. Poucki is a native of Yugoslavia and a visiting professor in the division of global affairs at Rutgers University and is the recipient of a research grant from Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit to study the role of technology in human trafficking from 2012 to 2014.

“This form of trafficking 16 years ago was completely unrecognized and did not exist,” said Poucki, “Technology moves so fast and the everyday use of technology is exponential.”

Poucki studied how technology has made it easier for traffickers to recruit, groom and market victims while giving them a sense of security provided by the anonymity of the Internet.

“If you are a man and you are married or something, this is something you would hide. You would sit in the basement and do these kinds of things,” Poucki said. “You would not go to your colleague during your lunch break and say, ‘you know what I did.’ But there is now a place where you can talk to thousands of guys like you, it normalized everything.”

Poucki explained how there are now websites where traffickers and their customers rate and review each other, almost like reviewing a hotel or a restaurant, and have created ways to verify each others’ identities in an effort to protect each other from law enforcement.

Criminal networks, however, are not the only ones generating income from these illicit activities. Poucki said websites such as backpage.com and naughtyreview.com are responsible for hosting these posts and giving these communities a space to connect and grow.

More than 50 posts advertising women were added on Thursday alone in the escort section of mcallen.backpage.com. According to AIM Group, which owns the site and is not affiliated with The Monitor parent company AIM Media Texas, more than $3 million a month is generated from these ads alone. The online classifieds website backpage.com is similar to craigslist.com, which stopped selling ads for escorts and other adult services in September 2010.

“Five websites that carry prostitution advertisements in the United States set a record with combined revenue of nearly $3.3 million during January,” reads a post on the AIM Group website from 2012. “The total was up 1.4 percent from December and 3.3 percent from January 2011.”

Special agent Dennis Davidson said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security doesn’t have the resources to investigate every single one of these ads. Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of DHS is the agency responsible for most human trafficking investigations nationwide.

“It’s a huge trend that’s been growing for the last couple of years, and we’ve heard a lot of it through the media or through law enforcement,” said Davidson who heads the HSI office in Harlingen. “The government is probably not as advanced as we investigators wish it to be.”

Davidson, former section chief of the human smuggling and trafficking unit in Washington D.C., said their department has been trying to apply the technologies they’ve successfully used to combat child pornography, but it’s been difficult and ineffective.

Law enforcement agencies have been using PhotoDNA, a facial recognition software developed by Dartmouth College in collaboration with Microsoft and Swedish company NetClean in 2009, to combat child exploitation. The ads on backpage.com for instance are difficult to track because the faces are usually blurred or have images obstructing them in order to conceal the victim’s identities.

“We’ll find a lot of advertisements for prostitution or for sexual acts, which is against the law, but a lot of them don’t meet our federal definition of human trafficking,” Davison said. “It’s hard to go through thousands and thousands of pages to find the one trafficking case.”

According to DHS, human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain.

Edinburg Police spokesman Lt. Oscar Treviño said Thursday the department also doesn’t investigate online ads, including the ones used to advertise the two underage girls allegedly being trafficked in the city earlier this month.

“We don’t have the manpower to have somebody looking into these websites and trying to determine whether any of them are illegal or not,” Treviño said. “The only time we’ll conduct an investigation is if somebody files a complaint, generates a report, and then we’ll go ahead and further the investigation.”

Investigators confirmed the juveniles were being promoted on backpage.com as escorts from March 28 to April 3, in the area of McAllen. Officers also found text messages that showed Gomez and Ortiz knew that the juveniles were promoting themselves online to engage in sex for money while living with them, according to the complaint.

Poucki said most law enforcement agencies lack the resources and the technology needed to combat this new kind of sex trafficking.

“They are not investing in the research to catch up with what is happening,” Poucki said. “They are not being proactive and catching up with technology and how it’s being used by criminals.”

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — A city eyesore is now considered an ideal location for a SpaceX rocket launch viewing center.

The idea of the city purchasing the Chaos building and property is on hold for now as city leaders say they need for more time to decide whether to move forward with the project.

“We’re not completely abandoning the project. The City Council will revisit that in the near future,” Mayor Barry Patel said.

But the mayor adds, “I would love to see that building purchased and torn down to have a nice SpaceX viewing building there.”

The City Council tabled discussion April 6, after considering the possibility of ridding the city of the Chaos building to build the Island’s Space X rocket launch viewing site. The idea is that the site could also house a restaurant, meeting rooms and entertainment center for children.

The City Council also sees the potential of the site becoming an annex to the South Padre Island Convention Center, which would offer beach and bay viewing with expanded attractions.

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HARLINGEN — People of the Harlingen area are being encouraged to pray for their community and country at the 65th National Day of Prayer.

The event takes place Thursday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in Colonel Philip J. Yeckel Memorial Hall, located on the Marine Military Academy campus.

The theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer is “Wake Up America.” The scripture for the theme comes from Isaiah 58:1: “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet.”

People of all faiths are encouraged to participate in this free, community-wide event. Several Harlingen faith leaders will lead the audience in united prayer.

Praise music also will be played to inspire joy, hope and revival.

The purpose of National Day of Prayer is to mobilize prayer in the United States and “to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.”

MMA is located at 320 Iwo Jima Blvd., next to Valley International Airport.

For more information on the 65th National Day of Prayer taking place at MMA, call Joyce Akin at 956-425-1881.

Carnegie Hall, a name synonymous with musical excellence, is the new ambition for middle school musicians at the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District.

This quest to perform on one of the world’s most prestigious stages began when Gutierrez Middle School Orchestra Director, Olga De Leon first decided to give the Middle School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall a shot and nominated Matthew Garcia because of his outstanding musical achievements during his seventh-grade year.

Garcia, now a freshman at Harlingen School of Health Professions, will return as part of the National Youth Orchestra 2.

“We were really just testing the waters that year. It’s Carnegie Hall. It’s such a big deal. It’s hard to believe someone could go that far, but Matthew made it,” says De Leon. “Not only did he earn a spot in the program, but he also ranked second among all other viola players. The following year, after his success and knowing it was possible, I opened it up to everybody, and we had a few more students accepted into the program.”

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Only students with proven talent, dedication, and achievement are selected. In the last few years, several students from HCISD have had the opportunity to join this exclusive group.

This year a new milestone was reached with another school – Coakley Middle School – being represented at Carnegie Hall and a Gutierrez choir member being accepted into the program for the very first time.

Ensemble directors at Gutierrez and Coakley are proud that their students are making Harlingen known and hope to increase their nominations of students and to have more students make it into the program.

“I’m hoping that seeing all the musicians who made it into the program this year motivates other students and that they get that ‘wow I want to do it too’ feeling,” says Pamela Briones Gutierrez Choir Director. “Because when you have determination and passion, anything is possible.”

The Middle School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall challenges elite students to perform at their very best. To apply for the program, students must submit an audition piece and compete against other students throughout the United States and Canada for a spot in one of three groups – Honors Junior Choir, Honors Junior Band, and Honors Junior Orchestra.

Four middle school students – Adanis Guerra, Ashley Galvan, Gabriela Garza, and Estrella Serna – will join the ranks of the Middle School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.

They will conclude their trip with a performance under the direction of master conductors at Carnegie Hall.

As these young musicians prepare for this unique opportunity, they share their thoughts on getting to this moment.

Adanis Guerra, Coakley Middle School, 8th Grade | Honors Junior Orchestra – Cello

How do you feel about being one of the Junior Finalists for Carnegie Hall?

It’s a privilege. It’s something huge because I love music, and that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. It’s something really good for me because someday I want to become a director and a composer.

What are you most looking forward to in New York City and Carnegie Hall?

Well, I hope to meet a lot of new people, and I’m going to meet awesome directors. I’m going to be able to better my technique and get more experience. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity; it’s going to be really awesome. I want to grow as a musician so I can share that knowledge with other people.

Ashley Galvan, Gutierrez Middle School, 8th Grade | Honors Junior Orchestra – Violin

How do you feel about being one of the Junior Finalists for Carnegie Hall?

I think it’s an amazing opportunity. I mean I have never gone to New York, and I feel like it is a good experience. It feels like my hard work actually paid off. All those hours of practicing are worth something.

What are you most looking forward to in New York City and Carnegie Hall?

I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and the opportunity to express our musical interests. I’m also excited to see the different buildings and structures too because here in Harlingen we don’t have a big city compared to New York. It’s going to be really big and exciting.

Gabriela Garza, Gutierrez Middle School, 8th Grade | Honors Junior Choir – Soprano

How do you feel about being one of the Junior Finalists for Carnegie Hall?

I think it’s really amazing because I’ve always thought I was good at singing, but I never thought I would actually make it into this program. Just to have the opportunity to try out was great, so earning a spot is really exciting.

What are you most looking forward to in New York City and Carnegie Hall?

At Carnegie Hall, I am looking forward to meeting other students with the same passion I have. I am going to meet other people who love to sing and love to play their instruments. It’s just amazing that we can all come together and learn from the director and learn from each other. New York will be amazing.

Estrella Serna, Gutierrez Middle School, 7th Grade | Honors Junior Orchestra – Double Bass

How do you feel about being one of the Junior Finalists for Carnegie Hall?

I think it’s a great opportunity. It’s pretty amazing because I know some people don’t have support from their parents. So the fact that my parents are happy that I made it and they’re helping me go is a great thing.

What are you most looking forward to in New York City and Carnegie Hall?

At Carnegie Hall, I hear that the stage itself is very beautiful. So I am looking forward to that. I also want to see the Broadway show that they are taking us to. I am also looking forward to an exchange of knowledge at Carnegie Hall. I know we are all good, but maybe we could teach each other new things that we didn’t already know.

It was with deep regret that I read greyhound racing will resume at Valley Race Park in Harlingen (April 14).

As you correctly pointed out, greyhound racing is economically unsustainable because the amount gambled on live racing at Texas dog tracks declined by 59 percent from 2008-2015.

During the same period, attendance declined by 70 percent. Meanwhile, there were 2,605 injuries reported – the second highest in the country. Dogs trapped in this dying industry face a life of confinement, abuse, injury and death.

I am currently a Board member of Grey2KUSA, an organizations that fights to save these marvelous creatures worldwide, and I have fostered and adopted rescued racing greyhounds since 1995.

I cannot imagine abandoning any of them when they become injured, old or sick and yet this is routinely what happens to them at the track.

I can only hope that the Texas Racing Commission will come to its senses and rescind this morally and economically disastrous decision.

Fred Barton Board member Grey2K USA Worldwide

To all residents of the La Feria School District.

I just read an opinion on another site on Facebook that suggests that the superintendent is trying to rush this bond (May 7) for facilities improvements through in order to solidify his legacy as some sort of savior for the CE Vail campus.

No matter what happens at Vail I really doubt anyone is going to canonize the superintendent considering many of the issues that are occurring on other campuses (especially one) within the district.

That being said, the fact is the improvements at the current Vail campus are greatly needed.

Yes, there will be many more improvements that will be needed but we have a chance to coordinate this first remodeling effort with improvements that can be done two years down the road if the Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) finds it feasible to grant La Feria the money needed to make these much needed upgrades.

There will be that much less to be done at that future date.

And those future improvements will only happen if the legislature allocates money to IFA. There is no guarantee that will happen in two years.

Every journey begins with a single step.

We have to make the effort of improving this campus a step at a time. There is not going to be some generous benefactor falling from the sky handing us $40-plus million to reconstruct a new campus at any time.

We cannot stand by the side of road and hope and pray that everything comes our way and for free.

We have to face reality. We have to seize these opportunities as they become available.

At least 70 percent of this $14 million bond will be paid by the state and the amount of taxes that we will pay are next to nothing (average cost per taxpayer is about the price of a Whataburger and Coke a month). How’s it possible that there is so much negativity toward this bond.

Is it that people just don’t trust the current superintendent?

How quickly we forget the administration that was here before.

Mr. Cortez came close to bankrupting our school district as he had done in other districts.

I do not agree with everything that this present administration has don. However, at least we are not in the red when it comes to our finances and teachers and employees in this district have finally received a much-needed raise.

This attracts more qualified educators and administrators to our district.

A past superintendent (Joseph F. Wenke) has given his endorsement of the bond (click on my name on Facebook to view his recommendation).

Let’s do what’s right for the kids.

Vote yes.

Thank you.

Respectfully, Gene Castillo La Feria