Thread: Agents nab 406 suspected illegal immigrants

February 1, 2008


Agents nab 406 suspected illegal immigrants

I-20 has become main line for smugglers

Ana Radelat
Clarion-Ledger Washington Bureau

Federal agents, with the help of local law enforcement, detained 406 suspected illegal immigrants between Vicksburg and Jackson on I-20, which authorities say is becoming a major corridor for smugglers.

"Operation Uniforce" a two-week effort to cut off the traffic of undocumented workers to the East Coast, was "very successful" compared with similar operations run out of the Customs and Border Protection's New Orleans office, said spokesman Ramon Rivera.

Similar Border Patrol operations were conducted last year along I-10 in Baton Rouge and Mobile, resulting in hundreds of deportations and detentions. Operation Uniforce began Jan. 13 and wrapped up Saturday.

Most of the immigrants detained were taken to a federal facility in Oakdale, La. Six were turned over to federal prosecutors on smuggling charges, and one kilo of cocaine was seized, Rivera said.

Most of the detainees are Mexican nationals.

Operation Uniforce was an effort for the border patrol agents to try to disrupt networks or roads used by smugglers. Federal agents hope to force the traffickers to take longer, costlier and more circuitous routes to discourage the practice.

"It is not an unusual operation, but it's new to this area," Rivera said of Operation Uniforce.

He also said federal agents may return to Mississippi. Forty border patrol agents were involved in Operation Uniforce.

Capt. Steven Pickett, spokesman for the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, said he would welcome the return of federal agents. Immigration law is a federal concern, he said. "Locally, our hands are somewhat tied," he said.

The Sheriff's Department had a role in Operation Uniforce, however, helping staff traffic stops and transport detainees, he said.

I-20 is becoming almost as popular as I-10 for transporting immigrants to farms, poultry plants and construction jobs in Eastern states. It runs across the South and links up major highways, including I-95 that runs from Florida to the Canadian border.

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Lots of them headed to New Orleans to do the jobs Vicinte Fox said blacks wont do!Fox said that ,I did not.Go to google and pull up ""The john and ken show''-Radio personalities out of california,big against illegal immigration-Go to the radio archives then click on {Linda Swope, C.E.S. Inc} from 4-1-06 and you will hear story where blacks were turned away with tears in thier eyes after working only a couple of days and traveling many miles because they were being replace by cheap ""migrant ""labor.It is sad and will make you mad.

it was two or three weeks making 10.00 an hour and drove 50 miles to work, 70 people-you got to listen

Will this reporter and the law enforcement agencies that reported that all 406 illegal aliens detained in I-20 were Mexican now be on La rAZA's "we can stop the hate" smear list for disclosing that MEXICAN illegal aliens and their smugglers are now using I-20 as a corridor to invade the East coast?

This was a good catch !!!