Thread: Sheriff: Drug bust indicates need for immigration crackdown

Drug bust indicates need for immigration crackdown, Pasco sheriff says


By LISA A. DAVIS

Published: May 27, 2010

Pasco deputies arrested two illegal immigrants on drug charges early Wednesday morning, netting cash, firearms, crack cocaine, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, Pasco County Sheriff Bob White announced this afternoon.

White said the case highlights the need to crack down on illegal immigration.

It started out as a somewhat typical home-invasion-robbery call. Pasco deputies responded to a 911 call about a home-invasion robbery at 11422 Fort King Road, Dade City about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The call didn't come from the home, authorities say, but when the first two deputies arrived, they discovered broken windows and a door ajar.

They could hear people talking inside, White said. They ordered them outside and learned they didn't speak English. Deputies patted them down and found them to have magazines with ammunition on them. A Spanish speaking deputy tried to communicate but the men wouldn't say much.

What they do know, said White, was that these men weren't the intruders. They live at the home but they wouldn't give them any information about what had happened.

Backup deputies arrived and swept inside the house, looking for suspects and discovered 11.1 ounces of powder cocaine, 22 grams of crack and 47 grams of methamphetamine. An AK-47, a .45-caliber handgun, as well a 9mm handgun, were also found inside with a stash of $6,202 cash.

The street value of the drugs is about $20,000, said sheriffs' office spokesman Kevin Doll.

Two brothers, 23-year-old Ranferi Acuna and Adan Acuna, 20, were on charges of possessing cocaine, crack and methamphetamine.

While it's not one of the bigger busts in Pasco, White said the arrests of these two men demonstrate the overall need to close the United States' borders as many illegal immigrants smuggle drugs into the country.

In fact, White called a news conference to put a spotlight on the issue. Weapons, including the AK-47 and magazines, as well as sealed baggies of powder cocaine, crack cocaine, "crystal meth," and a scale were laid out on tables for news cameras to capture.

"They've passed a lot of police officers in their journey… to get to Pasco County," White said about the two brothers from Mexico.

He said he supports Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigrants – it's the nation's toughest legislation of its kind. It makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally, directing local police to inquire about suspects' immigration status and allows them to demand immigration documents if they suspect they are illegal. In other states, that's left up to federal authorities.

White says he'd like to see Florida legislators pass a similar, if not stricter, law.

"When we let illegal aliens come into our country and spread this stuff," White said looking toward the table of drugs and weapons, "then shame on us."

He said he thinks the federal government should reevaluate its resources instead of putting more than employing more than 16,000 new IRS agents, for example, more law-enforcement officers should be put on the street to protect the neighborhoods he said he believes are "under siege."

White pointed out that in August three Mexican citizens were arrested in the county's biggest drug bust netting $1.5 million cocaine and $2 million in cash.

The sheriff said he has no idea yet if the two arrests this week are part of a larger operation, but the investigation continues. An undercover vice narcotics deputy at the news conference said that deputies have never had any contact with the men or information about them.

The Acuna brothers are each being held at the Land O' Lakes Jail with bail set at $150,000 a piece. They each also have custody holds placed on them by U.S. Immigration and Enforcement.


http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/may/27 ... -breaking/

So let me see if I understand this. Illegal Mexicans come into our country to either do jobs us Americans won't do or to traffic in narcotics that some Americans will do. We have enough homegrown drug trafficting without importing more. Close the dam border and evict the illegals and enforce the laws on repeat violators by charging them criminally.

Alot of illegals also use drugs. I didn't realize this until I started monitoring arrests involving illegals. Many times they get caught will illegal drugs during a traffic stop. Most of them are also the farm workers.