Infomaniacs: March 30, 2017 (7:00am)

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday that he secured a legal victory to shut down a Houston-area “birth tourism” center. This major victory was secured following Attorney General Paxton’s lawsuit against the business and its operators.    “I will do everything in my power to stop foreign nationals from unlawfully exploiting our immigration system through the scam of ‘birth tourism,’” said Attorney General Paxton. “This operation helped Chinese foreign nationals come to Texas to evade our laws. Now, we have shut it down.”   In April 2026, Attorney General Paxton sued De’Ai Postpartum Care Center. The Center operated a “birth tourism” business that primarily marketed its services to Chinese nationals and claimed responsibility for “1,000+ American-born babies.” The operation spanned four Houston-area properties and provided clients with assistance navigating the immigration process. The Center also coached foreign nationals on how to evade immigration restrictions, including advising women to apply for visas “before pregnancy” to avoid detection.   Attorney General Paxton has now successfully shut down the operation. The Center will cease its operations and stop facilitating births, including stopping the practice of coaching foreign nationals on how to evade immigration laws to enter the United States for the purpose of giving birth.

A man accused of shoplifting is facing a lot more than theft charges after his arrest. Bryan Police responded to a theft in progress at the West Bryan Walmart located at 643 N. Harvey Mitchell Parkway just after 11:00pm on Thursday night. 32-year-old Alcario Villareal, of Lewisville, left the store without paying for nearly $100 of merchandise, including food, drinks and other items. During his arrest, he was found with a THC Vape and a 9mm handgun. Villareal was charged with Theft Under $100, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Penalty Group 2, under one gram), and Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon. He was released on $12,390 bond. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

There will be some construction kicking off next week on Marion Pugh. Thankfully, it won’t affect this weekend’s game day traffic, but it will create additional slow downs and hazards for future game days, as the job is not expected to be fully complete until January On Monday, Marion Pugh will be FULLY CLOSED from the Stadium View southern exit to south of Luther Street for about two weeks as crews install water, wastewater and storm crossings. Luther Street will remain closed throughout Phase 3A of the project, which includes demolition, waterline construction, road and sidewalk installation on the west side of Marion Pugh, and drainage improvements at the Luther Street intersection. Phase 3A is estimated to last 10-12 weeks. After Phase 3A, construction will shift to Phase 3B on the east side of the roadway for about 6-8 weeks, with traffic continuing to flow in a single southbound lane. The entire Marion Pugh Rehabilitation Project is expected to be completed by early January. The City of College Station is actively coordinating with Texas A&M to adjust traffic control plans as needed for home football game days. Drivers are strongly encouraged to exercise caution, stay alert to construction crews, and expect delays when traveling through the work zone. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.