http://www.azstarnet.com/news/225269


Immigrant smuggling operation broken up
48 indicted in Phoenix case involving thousands of illegals
By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.15.2008

PHOENIX — Authorities said they broke up a sophisticated people-smuggling operation that was bringing multiple groups a day across the border in Cochise County to safe houses in Phoenix.

Two Cuban immigrants among those arrested were in charge of the operation that, on average, brought across four to six loads a day, each with six to 10 individuals who had paid $2,500 to get into the United States illegally, Phoenix police Lt. Vince Piano said Thursday.

There were 48 people named in the indictments. Ten of them were in custody.
Piano said the Cubans had been smuggling individuals for about a year — meaning they could be responsible for more than 20,000 people entering this country illegally.

But he said the operation was far more elaborate than just the two main suspects. He said it was so well organized that they actually contracted out much of the work.

For example, he said, the "transportation coordinator," whose job it was to get people from the border to Phoenix, got $650 for each person.
And that coordinator, in turn, subcontracted out work, too, paying $100 per load for the person driving the vehicle with the illegal entrants, to $350 for "scout" drivers who looked out for police.

The organization even had cooks they would pay $50 a day to feed people at the Phoenix "drop houses" where they temporarily stashed the smuggled individuals before transporting them to other parts of the country.

That same type of system existed across the border.
Piano said organizers in Mexico would bring people together, a job for which they were paid $1,000 per traveler.

Out of that, Piano said, they paid the recruiters who found the would-be border crossers. And they also spent $1,000 a week to bribe corrupt police officials in Mexico to allow the operation to continue.

Piano refused to detail how he and other investigators were able to bust the ring.
But he did say that the smugglers had a pretty regular route.
Groups would walk across the border through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area southeast of Sierra Vista and be put into vehicles along Arizona 92. They avoided main roads near the border, instead making their way through Hereford, up Moson Road to Charleston Road to Tombstone before getting back on state highways.

Troy Herner, special agent in charge for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his agency saw the pattern and worked with the Border Patrol to stop some of those coming in along the river.

"But it's a big desert, a big state, a lot of smugglers," said Herner, whose agency was involved in the task force that eventually brought down the ring. "The Border Patrol is spread thin."

Those in custody include the two Cubans: Jose Suarez-Lemus of Peoria and Roel Ayala-Fernandez of Phoenix. The charges against them range from participating in a criminal syndicate and money laundering to conspiracy; each faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted.
Police said they arrested another 10 people they found while executing the search warrants, people who were not named in the indictment but could end up being part of the conspiracy.

There also were 210 illegal entrants detained.
And Piano said others eventually may be charged, including — if possible — corrupt state and local police officers in Mexico. He said his agency has not notified any Mexican agency about the incident and which of the officers are believed to be taking bribes.

Attorney General Terry Goddard said the investigation started out as an inquiry into "suspicious" wire transfers of money. He said tracing those funds led to the operation that was using the transfers for payments.
Piano said the two Cubans actually took over what was a smuggling operation being run by someone else who got busted by authorities.
He said others may now try to fill the void left by the dismantling of this operation. But Piano said the knowledge gained in this investigation will help ferret out future smugglers.

Roger Vanderpool, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said these interagency operations are a far better way to deal with the problem than going after individual smugglers.

"Going after the head of the snake, cutting it off, is the effective way of dealing with organized crime," he said.

On StarNet: For more news about border issues, visit www.azstarnet.com/border.


*Smuggling fee average: $2,500

*Guides Across Border: $100 per guide

*"Transportation coordinator $650 per person

*"Scout drivers" $350 per load

*Border load drivers $100 per load

*"Drop house" operators $50 per person per day

*"drop house" cooks $50 per day

*Load destination coordinators $100 per person

*Destination load drivers $100 per load