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Lorraine Rivera Reports
Border bandits target female illegal border-crossers
May 9, 2006, 07:47 AM
Tucson Border Patrol says everyday at least one illegal immigrant claims to have been attacked by a border bandit.

Agents are also seeing increases in the number of women who claim they're sexually assaulted while trying to crossover.

Illegally crossing the U.S./Mexico border has never been considered safe; each year hundreds die on their journey north.

Cesar Rivera, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who knows the dangers, says, "The desert is very dangerous. There's never enough water. We see animals, especially snakes. It's very difficult, but we're here to work."

But a new fear has surfaced. Agent Gus Soto of the Tucson Sector Border Patrol says, "We see bruises, we'll see some blood on some of these people. They simply tell us they fell during the trip, when it's an obvious strike mark."

Border bandits attacking illegal immigrants and stealing their money, "Sewing it into their pants, in the brim of their hats, putting them in the soles of their shoes, putting their money in there actually making, in cases they will actually have the people take off all of their clothing."

Some thieves reportedly take more than that.

"The bandits themselves are working in conjunction with the smuggling groups so that people are brought right to them. They assault them, take their money and, in some cases, rape some of the girls that are in the groups," Soto said.

According to domestic violence centers, illegal immigrant women are reluctant to come forward.

Julie Johnston, a program director for the Brewster Center, says, "Their experiences and the stories that they hear is that the Border Patrol and law enforcement is not here to assist them. They're very misinformed about their rights."

And unaware that no one on either side of the border has the right to harm them.

Johnston said, "Victims of crimes have a right to legal protection regardless of their immigration status."

The Crisis Line at the Brewster Center is available 24 hours a day. The phone number is (520) 622-6347.