Border Patrol Arrests Illegal Aliens in Fake Construction Vehicle

Friday, August 15, 2008

San Diego - Yesterday afternoon, Border Patrol agents in San Ysidro uncovered an alien smuggling scheme that involved a pickup truck replicated to appear to be from a major construction company.

The pickup truck was disguised as a vehicle from Kiewit Corporation, a company currently working on a large border construction project.

Upon spotting the truck on Dairy Mart Road at about noon, agents observed it as it arrived at a secluded spot along the border fence and parked for a brief period. A license plate check of the truck revealed that its registered owner was a San Diego resident, and not Kiewit Corporation.

As agents attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, it sped away on Dairy Mart Road. Agents then successfully deployed a controlled tire deflation device nearby the Interstate 5 onramp.

When the truck came to a stop, the driver, who was wearing a yellow hard hat and a reflective safety vest, fled on foot. An agent was able to apprehend the driver, who is now facing charges for alien smuggling.

Agents inspected the truck and found one illegal alien in the cab and 10 illegal aliens hidden in a false tool box in the bed of the truck.

This incident comes three days after agents prevented a drug smuggling attempt by the use of a false San Diego Gas & Electric vehicle and three weeks after agents discovered 49 illegal aliens in a water truck near Smuggler’s Gulch. In response to effective border security efforts, smugglers are resorting to more sophisticated and dangerous methods to smuggle humans, drugs and other contraband.

Sheriff takes illegal immigration sweeps west

by Veronica Sanchez - Aug. 14, 2008 06:09 AM
12 News

Last week, he promised he's do things differently and he did.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio vowed to stop illegal immigrants but this time he went west to the Surprise and El Mirage area. His first ever human smuggling and illegal immigration operation in the west Valley began around 4 p.m. Wednesday. By 5 p.m. Latino activists claimed deputies had rounded up at least three illegal immigrants.

Deputies at first were vague about the location of the sweeps, but activists and Surprise police officers told us the target area was along the US 60 Grand Avenue, District 3 section between El Mirage and Surprise. That area included Sun City, which has been supportive of the sheriffs stance on illegal immigration.

The sheriff says he used thousands of dollars to conduct his sweep with private donations after the Governor Janet Napolitano took away his funding. Illegal immigrants we spoke to said they were fearful of the deputies and many opted to stay home.

49 people found hiding in water truck

Border agent spots unlicensed tanker

By Tom Mallory

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 26, 2008

SAN DIEGO – Forty-nine people being smuggled into the United States were found yesterday packed inside the metal tank of a water truck that a Border Patrol agent noticed near the notorious Smuggler's Gulch.

The truck was coming out of a construction area, its driver apparently trying to blend in, when the agent saw that it didn't have a license plate, said Border Patrol Agent Jason Rodgers.

Rodgers said the agent followed the truck from Monument Road and Hollister Road in an under-the-speed-limit pursuit that ended nearby with the arrest of the driver and a passenger and the discovery of the people crammed inside.

“For someone to actually stuff 49 people inside a tanker like this, even though these criminals are breaking the law anyway, shows a complete disregard for human life,” Rodgers said.

He said most of the 49 people agents found inside the truck's cylindrical water tank were in the first stage of dehydration. Three of the women were pregnant – one eight months, and the others three and five months.

Another woman inside the tank had a dislocated ankle, Rodgers said.

Alien smugglers indicted for hostage taking

MIAMI - A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation resulted in two alien smugglers indicted for hostage taking. On June 25, 2008, a federal Grand Jury sitting in Miami indicted two Miami Dade residents Niovel Chirino-Alvarez, 33, and Lazaro Martinez-Padron, 21, with charges related to hostage taking and alien smuggling for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. If convicted, Chirino-Alverez and Martinez-Padron face up to life imprisonment.

According to the allegations in the Indictment and documents filed with the Court, Chrino-Alvarez and Martinez-Padron conspired with others to encourage and induce aliens to come to, enter, and reside in the United States without the alien having received prior authorization to come to, enter, and reside in the United States and with holding the aliens hostage. More specifically, Chirino-Alvarez and Martinez-Padron encouraged and induced eight Cuban nationals to enter the United States, charging each adult an estimated $10,000. Chirino-Alvarez and Martinez-Padron then held the Cuban nationals against their will until their ransoms were paid.

"Targeting smugglers who prey on human beings is a top priority for ICE," said Anthony Mangione, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Miami. "Alien smugglers have a callous disregard for the value of human life and whose only motivation is greed as demonstrated by these two individuals. Their only goal is to profit at the expense of others. We will continue to aggressively investigate those involved in this illicit and dangerous activity."

CBP Officers at San Ysidro Port Discover Three Migrant Smuggling Attempts

Thursday, July 24, 2008

San Ysidro, Calif. - Three drivers and a passenger were arrested and charged with alien smuggling early Wednesday morning after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro port of entry discovered undocumented Mexican citizens concealed within compartments on their vehicles, officials announced today.

The three cross-border drivers, two U.S. citizens and a Mexican national, and a U.S. citizen passenger in one car face prosecution in federal court for the alleged smuggling attempts. The five undocumented aliens ultimately will be returned to Mexico.

The first attempt occurred about 12:20 a.m. when CBP officers inspecting a white 1993 Chevrolet Lumina bearing California plates discovered a compartment in the undercarriage of the car. Once it was opened, officers found a 23-year-old Mexican male and his 18-year-old sister hidden inside the compartment.

The driver, a 44-year-old female U.S. citizen, and her passenger, a 47-year-old male U.S. citizen, both Oceanside residents, were arrested by CBP officers. The vehicle was seized by CBP.

A half hour later, officers discovered another hidden undercarriage compartment on a 1990 Pontiac Transport that concealed two Mexican women, ages 27 and 33. Officers inspected the vehicle because the driver appeared very nervous.

The female driver, a U.S. citizen who resides in Chula Vista, was arrested and the vehicle was seized.

The third smuggling attempt was discovered at about 3:15 a.m. when CBP officers discovered a 49-year-old Mexican female hidden inside the dashboard of a 1993 Mercury Villager.

Western Union may fight feds' snooping on transfers

The Associated Press

Published: 07.03.2008

The Western Union Co. said Wednesday it is considering whether to appeal a court ruling on the authority of Arizona prosecutors to seize some money transfers to Mexico.

This comes after the Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday knocked down a lower-court decision forbidding Arizona law enforcement from seizing Western Union money transfers and data while investigating human-smuggling operations.

The ruling grants state investigators jurisdiction to sift through and seize certain electronic transactions from most U.S. states to Sonora.

It allows detectives to expand an Arizona investigation that resulted in the seizure of $17 million in what the state said was smugglers' fees.

Arrest of Notorious Tijuana Alien Smuggler Successful through Bi-National Enforcement Efforts

Border Patrol commends Mexican Government for significant apprehension
Monday, June 23, 2008

San Diego — Two-and-a-half years of cooperation, communication and intelligence sharing between the Border Patrol and Mexican law enforcement authorities led to the arrest of a well-known leader of a Tijuana alien smuggling organization earlier this month.

Jose Luis Naranjo-Ramirez, better known as “El Sorga,” was arrested and held in Tijuana by Mexican Federal law enforcement officials for organized crime and human trafficking charges on June 5.

Prior to the arrest, Naranjo was one of the most-wanted illegal alien smugglers on both sides of the border. He is the alleged leader of the highly-structured “Linea 13” smuggling organization, which operates primarily out of the Colonia Libertad area in Tijuana. “Linea 13” is notorious for using strong-arm smuggling tactics that have risked the lives of many illegal aliens since the early 1990s.

San Diego Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Richard Barlow said, “This important arrest would not have taken place without exceptional bi-national cooperation and exchange of information. I would like to thank the Attorney General of Mexico and Mexican law enforcement authorities for their efforts to further alleviate all threats from entering our country.”

Since the beginning of fiscal year 2007 San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents have apprehended over 110,164 illegal aliens and seized more than 36,844 pounds of marijuana.

Laredo Border Patrol Agents Rescue 23 Undocumented Aliens

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Laredo, Texas – Border Patrol agents from the Laredo North station rescued 23 undocumented aliens from a smuggling attempt Tuesday.

Early Tuesday morning agents manning the checkpoint located on Interstate 35 north of Laredo conducted an immigration inspection of the driver of a tractor trailer. A service canine alerted agents to the trailer and indicated to the presence of people or contraband.

Agents opened the trailer and found 23 people inside. All of the people were determined to be illegal aliens.

The driver was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

To report suspicious activity such as drug and/or alien smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free telephone number at 1-800-343-1994.

Laredo Border Patrol Agents Rescue 24 Undocumented Aliens

Monday, June 16, 2008

Laredo, Texas – Border Patrol agents from the Laredo North station rescued 24 undocumented aliens from a smuggling attempt over the weekend.

On Saturday, June 14, agents manning the checkpoint located on Interstate 35 north of Laredo conducted an immigration inspection of the driver of a tractor trailer. A service canine alerted agents to the trailer and indicated to the presence of people or contraband.

Agents opened the trailer and found 24 people inside. All of the people were determined to be illegal aliens.

The driver was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Mexico police arrest 2 accused of buying babies

The Associated Press

Published: 05.28.2008

MONTERREY, Mexico - Police in northern Mexico have arrested two people accused of buying Mexican babies to sell to U.S. couples.

Officials say Amado Torres and his wife Maria Isabel Hernandez are believed to have bought more than a dozen children aged 2 or younger.

Investigator Oralia Mancha says the child-trafficking ring came to light when the grandmother of one of the babies reported the child missing Monday in Reynosa. While making the declaration, she spotted Torres in the police station and claimed he had the baby.

Police later arrested Torres and Hernandez after finding them with the baby at a house in nearby Rio Bravo.

Coyotes' millions harder to move

Smugglers find higher hurdles to entrants' payoffs

By Mark Flatten

EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE

MESA — A truck loaded with 10 illegal immigrants is worth about $25,000 to a human-smuggling organization. A successful operation can move three or four truckloads of immigrants from the Mexican border to metro Phoenix every day.

A drop house with 50 immigrants locked inside represents about $125,000 worth of cargo.

With numbers like those, it doesn't take long to add up to the estimated $2.5 billion smugglers generate annually by moving human cargo through Arizona. That figure, which comes from court records, only counts the upfront costs to the immigrants, which typically run about $2,500 a head.

So much cash is generated by human smugglers that one of the toughest parts of running their business is moving the money, according to a series of police affidavits related to state efforts to seize the illicit profits.

Beyond prosecuting hundreds of people involved in human-smuggling rings on criminal charges, police and prosecutors are going after the money generated by the criminal organizations.

The Arizona Financial Crimes Task Force, made up of agents from federal, state and local agencies, has seized about $17 million in wire transfers believed to be linked to the human-smuggling trade since the force was created in 2000. The task force has also brought criminal charges against the owners and employees of several car dealerships and travel agencies that, according to the indictments, supplied smugglers with vehicles and airline tickets to move the migrants through Arizona.

Three men charged following takedown of human smuggling drop house

Smuggled aliens in home were allegedly threatened and sexually assaulted

LOS ANGELES - Three men, all Mexican nationals, made their initial appearance in federal court here this afternoon to face charges stemming from their role in operating a human smuggling "drop house" dismantled by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in South Los Angeles earlier this week.

The three men were taken into ICE custody Wednesday along with 57 illegal aliens from Central and South America after ICE agents executed a search warrant at a trash filled two-story home at 10318 South Normandie. In addition to the arrests, agents recovered a .22 caliber pistol and stun gun inside the residence that the smugglers had reportedly used to threaten the smuggled aliens. Agents also seized several ledgers and notebooks containing information related to the smuggling operation.

In a criminal complaint filed today, the three defendants are charged with harboring illegal aliens, a violation carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. There are additional sentencing enhancements if the defendants committed sexual assault or brandished weapons during the crime. Those charged in the case are Jose Teul, 23; Daniel Pena, 18; and Saul Mendez, 35.

According to the affidavit filed in the case, the defendants often brandished weapons to intimidate their smuggled aliens. Several of the women recounted how Pena and Tuel attempted to force them to have sex, relenting only when the women's young children began to cry.

Human-smuggler industry well-organized, like cartels

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MESA — Human smugglers have built sophisticated criminal enterprises generating an estimated $2.5 billion annually through their Arizona operations alone, authorities say.

Working in league with Mexican drug cartels, human-smuggling kingpins have set up networks of drivers, warehouse operators, distribution specialists and enforcers to move their loads from northern Sonora through the Phoenix metropolitan area and to their final destinations throughout the U.S.

The smugglers, or coyotes, call the illegal immigrants pollos — chickens — human cargo without value beyond what it can bring on the open market, the East Valley Tribune reported in a series on the human-smuggling industry.

"For a while, I think there was a sense that the coyotes were sort of freedom fighters, that they were one step removed from the Humane Borders people who provide water and transportation out of the goodness of their hearts," said Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, whose agency has gone after the money generated by human-smuggling rings.

"The people we are dealing with are well-organized, very well-armed, and apparently will stop at nothing to maximize their profit from human beings.

"That includes examples of severe brutality and murder. It makes the drug business look almost good by comparison."

Police and federal immigration agents on the American side of the border acknowledge they don't know much about the inner workings of the human-smuggling organizations, particularly about their upper echelons in Mexico.

Yuma Customs officer arrested in conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into U.S.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

May 13, 2008 - 7:48PM

A Yuma Customs officer has been arrested for allegedly conspiring to bring illegal aliens to the country.

Arrested along with Jose Magana, 44, of Yuma, on Monday were Jesus Gastelum-Rodriguez, 41, of San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., and Guadalupe Milan de Gastelum, 38, of San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.

Magana, an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Yuma, Gastelum-Rodriguz, and Milan de Gastelum, were arrested by officials of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the FBI.

All three have been charged with conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States. They all made an initial appearance in Yuma federal court this morning in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jay R. Irwin and were detained pending a detention hearing.

"The arrests and charges in this complaint demonstrate our commitment to confront allegations of corruption at all levels of government," said Diane J. Humetewa, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. "We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to root out public corruption and prosecute those who put personal greed ahead of public service."

Seven suspected smugglers arrested in rival's death

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOENIX — Seven people believed to be immigrant smugglers were arrested in the investigation of another suspected human trafficker whose body was set afire in an alley in south Phoenix.

Police say the victim, Aroldo Virsabi-Robles Gonzalez, 26, was one of two entrant smugglers who were kidnapped by rival smugglers eight days ago in Mesa and held for ransom.

The second victim was found Thursday in the closet of a south Phoenix home where police located the seven suspects.

Human smuggler receives 10-year prison term for holding illegal aliens hostage

A Mexican national from Zacatecas who was involved in the human smuggling trade was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison here today for holding some of his illegal alien clients hostage inside a home in Tucson.

Jose Manuel Enriquez-Hernandez, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson. Enriquez-Hernandez pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit hostage taking. The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to court documents in the case, illegal aliens would contract with other members of the smuggling organization in Mexico to be brought into the United States. Once the aliens arrived at the Tucson smuggling "drop house" overseen by Enriquez-Hernandez, their clothing would be taken from them and they would be advised the smuggling fee had been raised. The male aliens were then placed in a room with bars on the windows and a door that was locked from the outside. The defendant would contact the aliens' families and advise their relatives would not be released until the higher fee was paid. Once there was confirmation that the new fee had been received, the aliens would be transported to their ultimate destination.

When ICE agents originally responded to the "drop house" on March 28, 2007, they encountered approximately 15 illegal aliens attempting to leave the residence. Once inside, investigators found an additional 20 illegal aliens, including Enriquez-Hernandez. One of the aliens told agents he had been held for three weeks.

A second defendant in the case, Jesus Alejandro Hernandez-Padilla, was sentenced in February to three years in federal prison for transporting illegal aliens.

Smuggler linked to rollover that caused 10 deaths receives life sentence

PHOENIX - A convicted human smuggler from Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced to life in prison today for causing a fatal rollover collision near Yuma, Ariz., nearly two years ago that claimed the lives of 10 people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Adan Pineda-Doval, 22, appeared before U.S. District Judge Stephen M. McNamee who sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment on each of the 10 counts of transporting illegal aliens resulting in death. In addition, the Judge sentenced Pineda-Doval to 20 years for transporting illegal aliens and placing their lives in jeopardy, and two years for re-entering the United States after deportation. All of the sentences will be served concurrently.

Pineda-Doval was found guilty by a federal jury in October last year on federal charges for causing a deadly vehicle accident that occurred while he transporting 20 illegal aliens, including two pregnant women, to Los Angeles. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol (Yuma Sector), with assistance from the Yuma County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"This smuggler jeopardized human lives for personal profit. His 'criminal business' and personal greed resulted in the loss of ten lives here," said Diane Humetewa, United States Attorney for Arizona. "I applaud the jury's verdict and the law enforcement efforts that resulted in his conviction and the life sentence."

CBP Agents Intercept Suspected Smuggling Boat Near San Diego Coast

Agents Arrest 17 Mexican Nationals, One Suspected of Smuggling
Monday, April 28, 2008

San Diego, Calif. – Early this morning, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Marine Interdiction Agents arrested 17 Mexican nationals aboard a boat about 10 miles southwest of the San Diego coastline, near Point Loma.

The agents were on patrol today at 1 a.m. when they observed the 26-foot panga on radar. Agents used night-vision cameras to detect the vessel because it was not using navigation lights.

Agents approached the boat and found 13 males and four females, all of whom were wearing life vests and were uninjured. The agents then determined the 17 individuals were Mexican nationals and they were transported to a local Border Patrol station for processing.

The boat, which did not have any apparent registration markings, was seized by CBP. It is currently being stored as evidence at Naval Air Station, North Island.

After interviewing the group, Border Patrol agents suspect one subject to be responsible for the alien smuggling. The group is being held in Border Patrol custody pending further investigation.

Searchers look for migrant woman's body

Apr. 18, 2008 08:02 AM

Associated Press

TUCSON- Officials in Santa Cruz County are searching the hills west of Nogales for the body of a migrant woman from Mexico.

Lt. Raoul Rodriguez of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department says the mother of 21-year-old Mayra Pacheco-Arevalos of Michoacan told them she had died in her arms Tuesday night.

The woman told authorities she and her daughter crossed the border west of Nogales on Tuesday morning. When her daughter became sick, their guide left them in the rugged country alone.

The mother walked to a house in the Rio Rico area the next morning.

Migrant-extortion plot earns coyote 31 years

by Michael Kiefer - Apr. 18, 2008 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

A man who ran a west Phoenix drophouse that extorted money from undocumented immigrants and held them hostage has been sentenced to 31 years in prison in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Arturo Nevarez Ugarte was one of two "coyotes" who went on trial on charges related to the September 2007 bust of a drophouse near 94th Avenue and McDowell Road.

He was arrested after several of his victims broke free from a locked closet, beat him unconscious with a curtain rod and escaped into the neighborhood to call police. Nevarez Ugarte, 34, was convicted in March on two counts each of kidnapping, extortion and armed robbery; he was sentenced April 11.

A second defendant, Sergio Guerrero Teran went to trial in April, but it ended in a mistrial because of juror misconduct. A new trial is scheduled for August.

According to Phoenix police Detective Alfredo Richard, drophouses are usually rented properties, and the smuggling operations are run so quietly that the neighbors are not aware of any unusual activity. The house in Nevarez Ugarte's case was in a rented single-family home in a residential area.

"This kind of incident affects an entire neighborhood," Richard said. "A drophouse isn't in a vacuum. The neighbors are affected when all these people come running out. The violence associated with it - handguns, shots fired - it's a strain on everyone."