Thread: CO: Cops: 13 illegal immigrants detained near Wolcott

Cops: 13 illegal immigrants detained near Wolcott


Daily Staff Report
Vail, CO Colorado
February 18, 2008

WOLCOTT, Colorado — A van with 13 illegal immigrants was pulled over Monday morning, leading to the arrest of a smuggler who had been deported from the United States 14 times, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office said.

A sheriff’s deputy stopped a silver Chevrolet van headed east on Interstate 70 about 8:20 a.m. because the name of the state on the license plate was covered by a plastic border, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Israel Robles-Gaytan, 22, was taking 12 illegal immigrants — several of whom may have been from Mexico — to Denver, Iowa and Georgia, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Robles-Gaytan’s charges include human smuggling, a felony, the Sheriff’s Office said. This is the third time the Sheriff’s Office has made immigration arrests in the last month, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Another illegal immigrant, Silvestre Bermudez, 37, gave the sheriff’s deputy a false identification card and driver’s license, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was arrested and charged with possession of a forged instrument, a felony, and second-degree forgery, a misdemeanor, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Both men are being held in Eagle County jail, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The 11 other people have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending deportation, the Sheriff’s Office said.

No prosecution
The Eagle County District Attorney’s Office decided not to prosecute another case where two men had been accused of smuggling illegal immigrants through Eagle County Feb. 10, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies did not have a valid reason to stop the minivan, Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said. Also, nobody in the minivan said whether they had paid the accused smugglers for their transportation.

“We didn’t feel we could prove the case,â€

More appropriate title to this story.
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22-year-old Human Smuggler Arrested for 15th Time

22-year-old has been deported 14 times prior to today's arrest
Last Edited: Monday, 18 Feb 2008, 10:16 PM MST



EAGLE COUNTY -- Two illegal immigrants were arrested for human smuggling in Eagle today. One of the men has been deported 14 times for human smuggling prior to today's arrest. He is 22 years old.

At 8:21am a deputy pulled over a silver Chevy Venture van in the eastbound lane of I-70 for a license plate violation. The deputy discovered 13 illegal immigrants inside the vehicle.

The driver said he planned on delivering the twelve adult males in various locations that included Denver, Iowa, and Georgia.

Omar Alaverez-Mecedo, age 22, was arrested and charged with Human Smuggling, a class three felony, and operating a vehicle without a valid driver's license, a class two misdemeanor.

In the course of the investigation it was discovered that "Omar Alaverez-Mecedo's" real name is Israel Robles-Gaytan. According to ICE, Robles-Gaytan had already been caught and deported fourteen times; he gave law enforcement officials a different name each time.

Robles-Gaytan will be charged with Criminal Impersonation and 2nd degree Forgery in addition to the charges of Human Smuggling and operating a vehicle without a valid driver's license.

Silvestre Bermudez, age 37, was arrested and charged with Possession of a Forged Instrument and Second Degree Forgery.

Both men were in the country illegally. Alaverez-Mecedo admitted to previously being deported three times prior.

Alaverez-Mecedo and Bermudez are currently being held at the Eagle County Detention Facility with an Immigration Customs Enforcement holds and bond amounts of $15,000 and $2,000 respectively.

The eleven other occupants of the vehicle have been placed in ICE's custody pending deportation.

A procedure recently adopted in Eagle County allowed the Eagle County deputy to take immediate action regarding immigration enforcement.

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