Thread: Women get prison in border child-smuggling attempts

Hourly Update
Women get prison in border child-smuggling attempts
By Alexis Huicochea
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.11.2008

Two women were sentenced to federal prison Thursday in connection with separate smuggling attempts that occurred earlier this year, an official said Friday.

Carlota Quijada-Quihuis, 48, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for trying to smuggle six children into the United States from Mexico at the Nogales port of entry, according to a news release.

The children ranged in age from 6 to 11 years and all presented border crossing cards that did not belong to them, the release said.

On April 9, Quijada-Quihuis told an inspector that she was taking the children to a birthday party at the Peter Piper Pizza restaurant in Nogales, Ariz., the release said.

During questioning, Quijada-Quihuis of Nogales, Sonora, admitted that she was hired by a woman to smuggle the children in to the country and take them to a restaurant for $1,200, the release said.

The children were turned over to the Mexican Consulate to be returned to Mexico.

In an unrelated incident, Otelia Villarreal Larios, 50, of Chandler was sentenced to more than two years in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants for profit.

She and her daughter Leeann Ortiz tried to smuggle three children ages 6, 7 and 11 into the country Jan. 18, 2007, the release said.

Ortiz told a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer that the children were her own and presented birth and baptismal certificates, as well as social security cards that belonged to her true children, the release said.
When questioned, Larios told the officer that she was the children’s grandmother.

The officer then questioned the children who gave their real names and said they were heading to Phoenix to join their father and an older brother who had been living there illegally for some time, the release said.

They also said that their mother and another sister were at a motel in Nogales, Sonora, where they were picked up by Ortiz earlier in the day.
The children told the officer that Ortiz told them to give different names when crossing into the country, the release said.

Ortiz was sentenced to 18 months in prison in June.

The children were turned over to the Mexican Department of Family Services and have been reunited with their family.

Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 629-9412 or ahuicochea@azstarnet.com.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/247872.php

The officer then questioned the children who gave their real names and said they were heading to Phoenix to join their father and an older brother who had been living there illegally for some time, the release said.

They also said that their mother and another sister were at a motel in Nogales, Sonora, where they were picked up by Ortiz earlier in the day.
The children told the officer that Ortiz told them to give different names when crossing into the country, the release said.

Out of the mouths of babes.....some example to set for your children....a life of lies.