Three employees at Colorado potato farm arrested by ICE on criminal charges for possessing false ID cards, aggravated ID theft

19 illegal aliens also arrested on immigration violations during execution of the search warrant

MONTE VISTA, Colo. — Special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday executed criminal arrest warrants for three employees who worked at “Worley & McCullough Inc.,” a potato farm and processing plant here; 19 illegal aliens were also arrested on administrative immigration violations while a search warrant was executed at the facility.

The April 17 operation followed an 11-month investigation into the alleged illegal hiring practices at the facility. The six-count November 2006 criminal indictment had only been unsealed late yesterday.

The following Worley & McCullough employees were arrested at the potato farm on criminal charges of obtaining and possessing false identification cards, and aggravated identity theft: Michael Abeyta, 40 — the company general manager; Luis Trujillo, 42 — a company foreman; and Javier Fuentes-Sotelo, aka “Pollo,” 32 — a company employee. Abeyta and Trujillo are U.S. citizens; Fuentes-Sotelo is a U.S. permanent resident from Mexico. Fuentes-Sotelo was also indicted on charges of transferring more than four identification documents.