Thread: CBP Officers in Calif. Find Smuggled Women in Truck Engine C

CBP Officers in Calif. Find Smuggled Women in Truck Engine Compartment

(Thursday, February 28, 200

contacts for this news release

Calexico, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting border security inspections at the downtown Calexico port of entry arrested a Mexican citizen after he allegedly attempted to smuggle two Mexican females into the United States in the engine compartment of the vehicle he was driving.

CBP officers encountered the driver, a 27-year old resident of Mexicali, as he entered the downtown port yesterday, at about 4:30 p.m. driving a 1997 Ford F-250 pick-up truck. The driver presented his valid border crossing card to the primary officer but after questioning, the officer discovered discrepancies with the driver’s responses and referred the driver to secondary for a more in-depth inspection.

During the secondary inspection, officers opened the hood of the truck and found two women lying in fetal position on both sides of the engine. The women were wearing boots which were burned from the extreme heat within the engine compartment. Officers immediately removed the females from the engine compartment.

Both women, ages 32 and 31, were provided medical attention by emergency medical service personnel and were transported to an area hospital where they received treatment for first degree burns on their feet and legs. The females were subsequently released to the custody of CBP officers and were transported back to the port. Both women are citizens of Mexico and will be held by CBP as material witnesses in the prosecution case.

The driver was advised of his rights, charged with alien smuggling and transported to the Imperial County jail. The vehicle was seized by CBP.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 282008.xml

Both women are citizens of Mexico and will be held by CBP as material witnesses in the prosecution case




Held as witnesses? Good. I hope the prosecution takes a long time. A very long time.

Both women are citizens of Mexico and will be held by CBP as material witnesses in the prosecution case.

What's in for them? Why would they agree to testify unless they are being given something in return. I hope to god It's not citizenship.

Oh woe is me!!

I'm a victim!

I demand the right to remain in the US even though by the preponderance
evidence I was attempting to burglarize the United States by hiding under the hood.

You brought on your on victimization and exploitation. You need to go back to Mexico!!

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Both women are citizens of Mexico and will be held by CBP as material witnesses in the prosecution case.

What's in for them? Why would they agree to testify unless they are being given something in return. I hope to god It's not citizenship.

No one said they agreed to testify......only that they are being held. Depending upon their attitudes they may end up not being used as witnesses at all, or labeled as hostile witnesses.

If they were offered anything at all, it was probably just time served with voluntary deportation instead of major charges of some sort.

[quote:3c1z76va]No one said they agreed to testify......only that they are being held. Depending upon their attitudes they may end up not being used as witnesses at all, or labeled as hostile witnesses.

[/quote:3c1z76va]

Correct, I did make an assumption as it does not say they "will" testify.

However,when someone is held as a "material witness" there is a substantial likelihood the government will attempt or would desire to call them as a material witness, which usually means testifying. Certainly anything can happen between now and any potential trial date, if and when there is a trial. This guy could plea out, as I suspect you already know.

Whether or not they are "hostile" cannot be determined until they have actually been called to testify and are on the stand.

If, when, or ever they do testify, I certainly hope they are not given anything in exchange except a oneway ticket back to Mexico as I am unaware, considering the limited facts presented, of any "more serious" charges that could levied against them for simply being passengers who were smuggled into this country in the engine compartment of a vehicle.

I should have been more precise in explaining the rational in which my assumption was based upon.

Am beginng to think the only wheeled conveyances from Mexico allowed to cross into the U.S. should be bicycles.

"The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence." Article IV Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.