Thread: MAJOR IMMIGRATION BUSTS IN ARIZONA

Updated April 15, 2010

ICE Busts Massive Human Smuggling Ring That Stretches Length of U.S.
FOXNews.com

More than 800 law enforcement agents swooped down on a massive human smuggling ring in Arizona early Thursday morning, delivering what Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials called a "serious blow" to a criminal network that helped shuttled illegal immigrants all around the country.

More than 800 law enforcement agents swooped down on a massive human smuggling ring in Arizona early Thursday morning, delivering what Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials called a "serious blow" to a criminal network that helped shuttled illegal immigrants all around the country.

Thursday's strike is the largest coordinated action ever led by ICE, which partnered with eight other federal, state and local agencies to arrest 47 suspects in Phoenix, Tucson, Nogales and Rio Rico, Arizona.

"Alien smugglers are a scourge," ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton said. "They violate our borders ... [and] profit at our expense by knowingly breaking our laws, day in and day out. Today we turned the tables on the smugglers."

ICE agents targeted four Tucson-based shuttle van services they believe have ferried thousands of illegal immigrants from southern Arizona to Phoenix, providing fake $30 ride receipts for passengers and even coaching them on how to answer law enforcement agents if the buses are stopped at immigration checkpoints along the highway.

ICE alleges that the businesses are part of a larger smuggling operation that carries illegal immigrants over the border from Mexico From there the illegal immigrants were left at drop-houses or brought to shuttle services that offer rides to destinations all over the West Coast.

The owners and operators of Saguaro Roadrunner Shuttles, America's Shuttles, Guerro's Shuttles and Nogales Express Shuttles were all targeted in the raid, as were the operators of a fifth shuttle company in Phoenix, Sergio's Shuttle.

On the surface the vans appear like any other shared-ride shuttles, taking about a dozen passengers around southern Arizona. But ICE officials told FoxNews.com that the companies relied almost entirely on criminal activity — and all were part of a larger network of smugglers who help illegal immigrants cross the border from Mexico, travel north into the U.S. and escape the watchful eye of border agents.

ICE dubbed the investigation "Operation In Plain Sight" because of the "brazen" nature of the alleged smuggling scheme, which carried illegal immigrants from Mexico, Central America and even China deep inside the U.S.

"The defendants wrongly believed they could operate with impunity by hiding behind the veil of legitimacy these businesses provided," said Morton, adding that ICE has "dismantled these transnational organizations and literally seized the engines that were driving the criminal enterprise."

ICE officials said the smuggling group was not believed to be violent, but they stressed the far-reaching implications of its alleged crimes.

"This isn't a mom and pop enterprise. Human smuggling is a multibillion-dollar global enterprise that breeds crime, violence and heartbreak," Morton said.

"The smugglers care about only one thing: money. They aren't concerned about the human cost or the toll smuggling takes on our quality of life, the integrity of our borders or our nation's security."

Law enforcement agents dozens of search and arrest warrants as far away as Tennessee on Thursday, culminating an investigation that ICE said has lasted more than a year.

Officials denied that the timing of the raids was tied to the murder of Arizona rancher Robert Krentz, who was gunned down on his own property on March 27. Officials investigating the killing believe an illegal immigrant was probably responsible for the killing, which occurred near Arizona's border with Mexico.

The raids — long in the making — had been delayed multiple times, ICE officials said.

Thursday's actions involved agents from nine law enforcement agencies: ICE, FBI, DEA, ATF, Customs and Border Protection, Arizona's Department of Public Safety, Pima County Sheriff's Department, Tuscon Police Department and Phoenix Police Department.

ICE officials said they were not focusing on rounding up illegal immigrants but on bringing in the smugglers themselves, some of whom are citizens and legal residents of the U.S. The agency said it would take appropriate enforcement action if illegal immigrants were encountered during the raids.

Indictments were being issued against the owners and operators of the shuttle services on charges that include money laundering, alien smuggling and conspiracy. Suspects are due in court as early as Friday.

Officials said they seized $10 million in assets, including real estate, vehicles used for the smuggling and other property.

ICE officials predicted that the strike would put an immediate freeze on smuggling activity in Arizona, having "dismantled" the smuggling network and arrested key players in the international ring.

Though ICE predicted other groups would move in to take the place of the smugglers rounded up Thursday, the agency believes it will take a good deal of time for so sophisticated an operation to be put in place again.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/15/ic ... es-length/

Ok, but long overdue...and still far from enough.

Now, how about the 8 million illegal immigrant workers?

April 15, 2010
Immigration Raids Center on Shuttles
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
PHOENIX — With sweeps on both sides of the border Thursday, American and Mexican authorities delivered what they called their most serious blow toward dismantling human smuggling organizations that have brought thousands of illegal immigrants to the United States.

The investigation, which used 800 law enforcement officers, the largest deployment in a human smuggling investigation, singled out what the authorities said were suspicious companies running shuttle vans provide a key link in the chain that carries illegal immigrants from the border to cities across the United States.

But the sweep was also the biggest example of what immigration agency officials said was a ramped up effort to curb illegal immigration by focusing more on breaking up the criminal organizations that transport people and the businesses that facilitate these networks than on simply making mass arrests of illegal immigrants and deporting them.

“What we are trying to do is rip this thing out by the roots,â€

From Derechos Humanos = Isabel Garcia

Thursday, 15 April 2010
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2010
Contact: Derechos Humanos: 520.770.1373 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 520.770.1373 end_of_the_skype_highlighting


Press conference and Protest
Community Demands Answers from Obama Administration

Thursday, April 15, 2010
2:30pm
Tucson Federal Building



Arizona-- In an unprecedented fashion, today more than 800 ICE agents descended on our communities across the state, spreading fear and panic. Working together with U.S. Marshals, Sheriff and other local law enforcement, they terrorized families and businesses alike.

"The scene this morning on the south-side of Tucson was one of massive show of force, with dozens of agents, police vehicles, and weapons, assaulting our community in a fashion never seen before in Tucson, Arizona. This action clearly demonstrates what we have predicted, that we would all be living in a police state here in Arizona. How can the Obama administration permit these actions while espousing a commitment to 'change'?" stated Kat Rodriguez of Derechos Humanos.

"We demand an immediate response from the President and Secretary Janet Napolitano, as this community is already scrambling from the Jim Crow-type laws coming from the extremists in the Arizona legislature." she continued.

In NYC for a series of presentations about the border and immigration, Derechos Humanos Co-Chair Isabel Garcia faced off against Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce on CNN this morning, calling on the country to begin to properly frame the issue of migration as an issue of economic and political policies, not as an issue of law enforcement or security. "We have permitted Arizona to be the engine for the creation of laws and politicians that will impact every person living in this country," stated Garcia, "with copy-cat legislation appearing across the states."

"It is time that we stand firm with the border communities in demanding real reform, not the principles outlined by Senators Schumer and Graham," stated Rafael Samanez of Vamos Unidos in New York City. "We can see how Arizona in particular has been used as the 'canary in the mines' in order to diminish all of our rights," he continued, "as we can now see these policies impacting all of us across the country."

There will be a protest to follow today's press conference, with a diverse group representing the Tucson community and our demands for answers from the Obama Administration as well as immediate halt to the criminalization of immigrant and migrant communities across the country.
http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/index. ... &Itemid=46

[quote]But he reiterated the Obama administration’s promise to take up an overhaul of immigration law and said the arrests represented an effort to “step up our gameâ€

It is a start... You might like this video from arizona on sb 1070

http://link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 7039865001

Hey, when you are finished in Arizona, how about swooping down on Georgia and Tennessee. The shuttle service works overtime from Georgia up I-75 to New York. Probably part of the Arizona shuttle criminal organization. Those long white vans with darkened windows are everywhere.

Matthew 10:32
It is written,... Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-5140--0-0.html

MALDEF Questions, Consequences of Fed Raids Today in Arizona

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-195040.html

Maybe they can start on the tour buses next. I used to see them all of the time on I-25 and I-70 in Colorado when I lived there.

Or, they could start looking at some of Mexican Restaurants that sprang up everywhere 5-6 years ago all over the country, that seem to act as underground railroad stations and money remittance centers.