Mexican police, migrant smugglers open fire: 2 die

ASSOCIATED PRESS

5:01 p.m. August 4, 2008

VERACRUZ, Mexico – Two people are dead after a shootout between Mexican police and smugglers driving a truck carrying illegal immigrants.

Police caught up with the truck near the town of Agua Dulce in southeast Mexico. The town's police chief, Jose Atenedoro, says the smugglers then opened fire on officers, starting a shootout and car chase. The chase ended when the truck crashed into a ditch.

Gunfire killed two people, while about 30 of the 42 immigrants hidden in the truck were injured in the crash Monday. Both of the men killed were migrants.

Now if this were in the US, the families of the killed smugglers would be filing law suits against the officers, who would have been arrested. -mm

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.

Border Patrol Agents in Texas Seize Half Ton of Marijuana During Past Week

Friday, May 16, 2008

Del Rio, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector seized nearly 1,000 pounds of marijuana, in five separate incidents, over the past week.

On May 9th during a routine immigration inspection at a highway checkpoint, Border Patrol agents from the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol station discovered 88 pounds of marijuana hidden in the back of a station wagon. The marijuana had an estimated street value of $70,592.

On May 12th Eagle Pass South Border Patrol agents apprehended two men, who were found to be in the country illegally. While searching the area a service K-9 discovered two tires. Border Patrol agents removed nearly 153 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $122,304 from the tires.

A trail of footprints led Border Patrol agents to a group of men carrying duffle bags near Eagle Pass, on the evening of May 14. The bags contained nearly 224 pounds of marijuana, valued at approximately $179,040. On the same day while following tracks on a ranch near Carrizo Springs, Border Patrol agents encountered four men from Central America who had entered the country illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River. A search of the surrounding area turned up several bundles of marijuana, weighing nearly 154 pounds with an estimated street value of $122,800.

On May 15th Del Rio station Border Patrol agents encountered footprints leading away from the Rio Grande. The Border Patrol agents, assisted by a service K-9, followed the trail and discovered five large sacks hidden in the brush. The sacks contained nearly 375 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $299,520.

CBP Officers in Arizona Stop Heroin, Marijuana Smuggling Attempts; Prevent Illegal Entry

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Tucson, Ariz. — In a series of events yesterday at several ports of entry along the Arizona/Sonora border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a $700,000 heroin smuggling attempt, seized 436 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a speaker box in a truck, and arrested a 52-year-old woman attempting to enter using a U.S. passport that didn’t belong to her.

The heroin incident began at 6 p.m. last night at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry in Nogales, when officers screening pedestrians coming into the United States stopped a 63-year-old man to ask routine questions. When officers became suspicious during the questioning, they decided a search should be performed on the man’s luggage. After noticing anomalies in a suitcase during a quick search using an X-ray machine, officers discovered 11 packages of heroin hidden between the panels inside. The heroin, which weighed almost 17 pounds, was seized and the man was arrested. He was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.

A little earlier in the day, at around 2:30 p.m., officers screening people entering by foot through the same port of entry arrested a 52-year-old woman from Jalisco, Mexico on suspicion of attempting to enter the United States illegally after discovering the U.S. passport she presented was not hers. The woman was arrested and turned over to special agents with the Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security for further investigation and prosecution.

At 10:45 a.m. at the Douglas port of entry, officers stopped the driver of a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 and, due to suspicions raised during questioning, decided to perform an inspection of the vehicle. While looking through the truck, officers opened a speaker box in the back and discovered 436 pounds of marijuana hidden inside. The 22 bundles of marijuana and vehicle were seized and the driver, a 26-year-old man from Hermosillo, was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In addition to these incidents, CBP officers at the ports of entry stopped six additional attempts at entering the country using fraudulent documents or false claims to U.S. citizenship. They also apprehended nine people with warrants for their arrest, and recovered one stolen vehicle. Officers seized an additional 340 pounds of marijuana during four other smuggling attempts.

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."

In bloody detail, Mexico illustrates risks for migrants

by Chris Hawley and Sergio Solache - Apr. 19, 2008 12:00 AM

Republic Mexico City Bureau

MEXICO CITY - One migrant gets his legs sliced off by a train's wheels. Another is shot by bandits on the Arizona border. Others are beaten and robbed by crooked Mexican police.

In a new effort to dissuade would-be border crossers, Mexico's top human-rights agency has published two comic books packed with tales about the horrors that migrants face. The tone is very different than previous government publications, which focused more on travel and safety tips.

One of the two Migrantes comics is aimed at Mexicans, while the other focuses on Central Americans traveling through Mexico on their way to the United States. The National Human Rights Commission began distributing 20,000 of them this month at migrant shelters and bus terminals.

"We could have made the stories a little softer, but the (commission) asked us to be very realistic," said Domingo Perea, editorial director of Comics and Visual Arts, the company hired to produce the comic books. "That was the intention, to discourage people from migrating."

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.

Drug smugglers fire at agents near border

By Brady McCombs

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Drug smugglers opened fire on U.S. Border Patrol agents late Friday evening east of Sasabe in what highlighted a busy weekend along Arizona's stretch of U.S.-Mexican border.

Close to the international line east of Sasabe about 11 p.m. Friday, an agent noticed a group of eight crossing the border with backpacks, said Mike Scioli, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. As other agents arrived to make an apprehension, the backpackers opened fire, he said.

Agents ducked and took cover. The backpackers continued firing as they retreated back into Mexico, Scioli said. Agents didn't return fire because they didn't know where the bullets were coming from, he said.

None of the agents was hurt.

Helicopters flew in and the Border Patrol's special response team came out, but none of the suspected shooters was located. They did leave behind 253 pounds of marijuana in the backpacks they were carrying, he said.

On Saturday evening an agent patrolling near the fence in downtown Nogales fired four rounds from a pepper-ball launcher after people in Mexico began throwing rocks at him, Scioli said.

About 5 p.m., a scout perched atop the steel landing-mat fence in Nogales began telling others to throw rocks at the agent, who was outside of his vehicle, he said. The agent countered by using his pepper-ball launcher to saturate the area. The agency also called Mexican law enforcement for assistance.

The agent wasn't injured.

Agents also found two large groups of illegal entrants in separate incidents over the weekend.

Migrant, 19, accused in crash that kills 2

DAVID L. TEIBEL and CARLI BROSSEAU

Published: 04.15.2008

A 19-year-old Mexican man has been charged in connection with driving a pickup truck full of illegal immigrants that crashed near Sierra Vista Sunday, killing two and injuring four others.

Francisco Javier Morquecho-Valdez was charged Monday with transporting illegal aliens for profit resulting in death, U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman Sandy Raynor said in a news release. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted, she said.

Nine of those in the truck were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol to be held as material witnesses in the case or to be processed for voluntary return to Mexico, said Vincent Picard, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman.

Four witnesses said Morquecho-Valdez was the driver of the truck that picked them up near Naco after their trek through the desert, Raynor said. One said he was bound for New York at a cost of $2,500, she said.

Central American migrants met with hurdles in Mexico

The Associated Press

ARRIAGA, Mexico - For thousands of illegal immigrants from Central America, the long journey to the U.S. starts here, on the groaning back of a freight train they call The Beast.

These days many don't get far.

Central Americans without documents face increased security within Mexico, including checks on the train for stowaways. It's also harder for them to head north once they cross into Mexico because of hurricane damage to the train tracks.

The result: The number of non-Mexican illegal immigrants stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol has dropped almost 60 percent from 2005.

About 68,000 non-Mexican immigrants - mostly Central Americans - were detained last year, compared to 165,000 in 2005.

Non-Mexicans make up about 10 percent of all immigrants caught by Border Patrol agents.

Mexico itself is also seeing fewer illegal immigrants; 120,000 were arrested last year, a 50 percent drop from 2005.

Truck carrying illegal migrants plunges into Mexican reservoir, kills 8

ASSOCIATED PRESS

3:22 p.m. April 7, 2008

LA CONCORDIA, Mexico – A truck carrying Central American migrants in a hidden compartment plunged into a reservoir in southern Mexico, killing at least eight people, officials said Monday.

The victims drowned on Sunday in the waters of the La Angostura dam near Guatemala, where most of the migrants were believed to be from, La Concordia police commander Daniel Sanchez said.

Crews recovered the bodies of six men and two women, and police said at least four more are believed to have been aboard the vehicle. Three of the victims were identified as Guatemalan citizens.

The migrants had been hidden under a floorboard beneath a load of kitchen goods and were trapped when the driver apparently lost control and the vehicle sank in 65 feet (20 meters) of water, Sanchez said.

Many Central American migrants travel across Mexico in dangerous conditions en route to the United States, and a few stay to work illegally in Mexico itself. More than 180,000 were detained in 2007, according to Mexico's National Migration Institute.

Cop cleared in shooting death of Sonora man

By Dale Quinn

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

A Tucson police officer who shot and killed an illegal entrant during a violent scuffle was justified in using deadly force, according to the findings of a Police Department board of inquiry.

Officer Douglas Dreher's actions on Nov. 24, when he shot a man who'd attacked him with his own baton, were found to be within department policy, according to a summary of the incident obtained by the Arizona Daily Star on Friday.

Francisco Javier Yanez-Burruel, 35, of Magdalena, Sonora, was shot several times, according to Star archives.

Dreher was driving his patrol car west on Irvington Road near Interstate 19 when he ran the license plate of a white 1998 Ford Windstar van driven by Yanez-Burruel and realized the vehicle's registration had a mandatory insurance suspension, the board of inquiry's incident summary says.

Dreher stopped the minivan at a Circle K, and neither Yanez-Burruel nor his passenger had any identification. Dreher could find no record of either man in his car's computer, and he notified the U.S. Border Patrol, suspecting the men might be in the United States illegally, according to the summary.

At that point both men got out of the vehicle and began to run away. Dreher caught up with Yanez-Burruel, who refused to surrender, the summary says.

The two exchanged blows, and Dreher eventually got Yanez-Burruel in a headlock, at which point the officer could feel tugging at his duty belt and gun, according to the summary.

Dreher secured his firearm, but Yanez-Burruel grabbed his expandable baton and opened it up. The summary says Yanez-Burruel refused to surrender and was confronting Dreher with the baton in a "threatening manner."

When Yanez-Burruel advanced toward Dreher, the officer fired three times, striking Yanez-Burruel in the chest.

Illegal Border Crosser in Distress Rescued by Ariz. Agents

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Tucson, Ariz. - Friday afternoon, Sonoita, Ariz. station received a call from a concerned citizen stating that he had seen a person who appeared to be in distress in the desert.

Emergency Medical Technician certified Border Patrol agents from the Sonoita station were dispatched to locate the individual and assess the situation. Once EMT agents arrived at the location, they were able to determine that the distressed individual needed immediate medical attention. At approximately 4:45 p.m. the agents responding to the scene requested that an ambulance be dispatched to milepost 46 on Arizona State Route 83.

The victim, a 46-year-old man, from Tenancingo, Puebla Mexico, was in a state of severe dehydration and appeared to be suffering from exposure. The victim was able to respond to verbal questioning and relayed that he had been walking for six days in the desert, the last two had been without food or water.

The male subject was transported via ambulance to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in Sierra Vista, Ariz. where he was admitted and held for medical treatment.

The man was released from Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center a few days later where he was deemed “Fit for Travel” by the attending physician.

Mexican Consul’s Office in Nogales, Ariz. was contacted and agreed to meet the male subject at the port of entry in order to facilitate his return home and additional medical treatment.

As the incoming summer heat rises, smugglers continue to jeopardize the lives of those who they bring into the country illegally. Assisted by the calls of concerned citizen’s, our agents will continue to respond in a timely manner to ultimately save lives.

Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents Arrest 18th Street Gang Member

Monday, March 31, 2008

Laredo, Texas – Border Patrol agents from the Laredo North station arrested a member of a Central American gang Sunday.

Agents apprehended a man at the Texas Travel Information Center located at the 18-mile marker on Interstate Highway 35 north of Laredo.

The 22-year-old man was identified as an illegal alien from El Salvador. Agents discovered distinctive tattoos on his ring finger, upper arm and the inside of his lower lip. The tattoos identify him as a member of the 18th Street gang of El Salvador. The gang is a rival of another Salvadoran group known as the Mara Salvatrucha or “MS-13” gang.

The man was processed for removal proceedings.

Migrant kidnappings by Mexican cops on the rise-U.N.

REUTERS

12:41 p.m. March 15, 2008

MEXICO CITY – Cases of corrupt Mexican police kidnapping undocumented Central American migrants for ransom as they travel overland to the United States are on the rise, a United Nations official said Saturday.

Jorge Bustamante, the U.N.'s special investigator for migrant rights, said extorting ransoms from migrants could be more lucrative for unscrupulous police than working for drug smuggling gangs.

“They kidnap migrants, ask them for information, relatives' phone numbers; then they extort money from the families,” Bustamante said, presenting the conclusions of a week-long study of how undocumented migrants are treated in Mexico.

Bustamante told a news conference both federal and local police were involved in kidnapping rackets on Mexico's northern and southern borders. “It's an abuse and it's increasing,” he said.

Migrant kidnappings by Mexican cops on the rise-U.N.

REUTERS

12:41 p.m. March 15, 2008

MEXICO CITY – Cases of corrupt Mexican police kidnapping undocumented Central American migrants for ransom as they travel overland to the United States are on the rise, a United Nations official said Saturday.

Jorge Bustamante, the U.N.'s special investigator for migrant rights, said extorting ransoms from migrants could be more lucrative for unscrupulous police than working for drug smuggling gangs.

“They kidnap migrants, ask them for information, relatives' phone numbers; then they extort money from the families,” Bustamante said, presenting the conclusions of a week-long study of how undocumented migrants are treated in Mexico.

Bustamante told a news conference both federal and local police were involved in kidnapping rackets on Mexico's northern and southern borders. “It's an abuse and it's increasing,” he said.

Bi-National Law Enforcement Cooperation Pays Dividends for Border Security

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

El Paso, Texas – A potentially hostile situation was brought under control yesterday by Border Patrol agents in Ysleta in cooperation with Mexican authorities, when it was discovered that a gun being wielded by a juvenile turned out to be a toy replica.

On Monday, March 11, 2008 at approximately 12:15 p.m., Border Patrol agents from Ysleta, Texas observed two subjects attempting to make an illegal entry into the United States. Upon further observation, the agents noticed that one of the males was holding what appeared to be a handgun. As the agents approached the area, the subjects retreated back into Mexico. The agents notified and coordinated with Mexican law enforcement agencies in order to apprehend the subjects.

Mexican Police officers promptly responded and were able to apprehend two juveniles. The officers determined that the gun was in-fact a replica of a .40 caliber Berretta pistol. The two juveniles were taken into custody by the Cuidad Juarez Municipal Police Department.

These types of incidents clearly depict a successful working relationship between law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border and further shows the interest that Mexican authorities have in protecting our mutual borders.

Though the weapon in this case was revealed to be a toy replica, it is indicative of the challenges that Border Patrol agents face on a routine basis, and speaks highly of the training and instruction provided to agents in matters that allow resolution with little or no incident.

Mistrial in case of Border Patrol agent accused of killing migrant

ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN

Published: 03.08.2008

A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the case of a U.S. Border Patrol agent charged with fatally shooting an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

Jurors who had been deliberating the fate of agent Nicholas Corbett since late Tuesday told the judge they were hopelessly deadlocked.

Corbett was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and negligent homicide in the January 2007 death of 22-year-old Francisco Javier Dominguez Rivera of Puebla, Mexico. Jurors could convict on only one charge.

Corbett testified that Dominguez was going to smash his head with a rock and he fired in self-defense.

Dominguez's two brothers testified that he was surrendering and was shot without provocation.

"I'm disappointed that the jury did not acquit him," said Sean Chapman, Corbett's attorney. "We are prepared to try it again, and I believe he's innocent. I believe another jury will acquit him."

National Guard Soldiers Stop Illegal Entry Attempt in Texas

Friday, March 07, 2008

Laredo, Texas – Texas National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Laredo sector as part of Operation Jump Start foiled an attempt by three people to illegally enter the United States on Thursday.

The soldiers responded to reports of suspicious activity near the Rio Grande River in Laredo. They observed three people walk out of the brush along the riverbank and get into a vehicle that drove up to meet them. As the vehicle drove away, the soldiers followed it at a safe distance. After the vehicle traveled a short way, the driver noticed that the soldiers were following behind. Without warning, all four occupants jumped out of the vehicle while it was still in motion.

The soldiers were able to detain all of the subjects until Border Patrol agents arrived to the scene.

A passerby was able to stop the vehicle before it ran off the roadway.