Thread: NY: Illegal Immigrants Arrested

Illegal Immigrants Arrested


YouNewsTVâ„¢Story Published: Apr 16, 2008 at 8:15 PM EDT
Story Updated: Apr 16, 2008 at 8:15 PM EDT
By Melanie Pritchard

A local restaurant owner is behind bars tonight accused of harboring illegal immigrants and making them work for low wages.

They come here under the lure of finding wealth and happiness in the United states. But federal investigators say these alleged illegal immigrants are taking away jobs from Americans making it hard for legitimate restaurant owners to stay in business.

An early morning raid in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Georgia nets a total of 56 arrests...including the owner of a chain of Mexican restaurants, ten of his managers and several dozen illegal immigrants. "The owner himself would pay the smuggling fee and require the workers to pay him back," said U.S. Attorney Terrance Flynn.
The workers would allegedly make $300 or less per week, paying off smuggling debts of nearly $3,000 and paying to live in apartments controlled by the operators of the ring.

The alleged ringleader, Simon Banda, lived in Depew. He owned El Caporal Mexican Restaurant in Cheektowaga, Don Lorenzo Mexican Restaurant in Allegany, Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Dunkirk and La Herradura Mexican Restaurant in Bradford, Pennsylvania.

Bradford resident Betsy Eschrich watched the law enforcers in action early this morning. "You saw policemen everywhere outside here and outside there. And then they started going inside."

Some in Bradford are shocked to find out who was actually working here. "It doesn't sound like a very good idea," said Amy Williams. "If I had known that I might not have even eaten there."

"I guess it's amazing and you don't even realize it's happening right under your nose you don't even realize it," said Nicole Magee.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched this investigation two years ago acting on a tip from Cheektowaga police. "It's a significant disadvantages for businesses in areas like WNY to have to compete against an organization a restaurant chain or other business that is not complying with U.S. Law," said Lev Kubiak, Acting Special Agent in Charge of I.C.E.

With illegal immigrants working for low wages other restaurants that are on the up and up can't measure up. And while it's unclear if the competition in any way contributed to the shutdown of the local Don Pablos restaurants, investigators say the illegal operations were clearly profiting. "It adds up it doesn't take long for hundreds of thousands to get into the millions," said Flynn.

Officials say some of that money was off the books. The main suspects in this case face up to ten years in prison and fines totaling $250,000. The 45 illegal immigrants who were also rounded up are facing deportation.
http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/17831539.html

New York restaurant owner among 11 charged with harboring illegal aliens
45 illegal alien workers arrested on immigration violations at owner's seven restaurants


BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents arrested 11 individuals today for conspiring to harbor illegal aliens who were smuggled into the United States to work in Mexican restaurants in four states.

The United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, Terrance P. Flynn, and Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), announced the arrests Wednesday morning. The defendants are charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, primarily undocumented Mexican nationals, who were smuggled into the country to fill jobs at seven Mexican restaurants.

The 11 suspects were taken into custody at the following locations: six in the Western District of New York, one in Bradford, Pa, two in W Va., and two in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Those arrested include:

* Jorge Delarco of Depew, N.Y., owner of all seven restaurants;
* Javier Banda, of Depew, N.Y., restaurant manager;
* Sergio Resendiz, of Salamanca, N.Y., restaurant manager;
* Maurilio Feria, of Alleghany, N.Y., restaurant manager;
* Jesus Escalante, of Dunkirk, N.Y., restaurant manager;
* Honorio Banda, of Bradford, Pa., restaurant manager;
* Alberto Antimo, of New Martinsville, W.Va., restaurant manager;
* Miguel Antimo, of Dunkirk, N.Y., restaurant manager;
* Alejandro Garcia, of Wheeling, W.Va., restaurant manager; and
* Alvaro Soto, of Willoughby, Ohio, restaurant manager.

"Employers who exploit illegal alien labor to reap greater profits for themselves can expect to pay a high price for their greed," said Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "Whether the violator is a multinational corporation or a small business, ICE is aggressively targeting employers who use illegal alien workers to gain an unfair business advantage and take jobs away from legal workers."

In addition to the 11 criminal arrests, 45 illegal aliens were detained at 10 different sites in four states. They will be processed for removal on administrative immigration violations.

Today's operation, which involved approximately130 ICE agents and 30 state and local law enforcement officers, is the result of an investigation that began in May 2006. The U.S. Attorney noted that his office is coordinating closely with the U.S. Attorneys in Atlanta, Ga., Wheeling W.Va., Cleveland, Ohio, and Erie, Pa.

As part of the operation, ICE agents and local officers executed search warrants at the seven restaurants, six residences occupied by the owners and managers of the restaurants, and 12 apartments used to house undocumented aliens. The Mexican restaurants targeted in the investigation are located in four states. They include:

* El Caporal Mexican Restaurant, Cheektowaga, N.Y.;
* Azteca Mexican Food Cantina, Vineyard Drive, Dunkirk, N.Y.;
* Don Lorenzo Mexican Restaurant, Allegany, N.Y.;
* La Herradura Mexican Restaurant, Bradford, Pa.;
* Jalapeno Loco Mexican Restaurant in Mentor, Ohio;
* Nogales Mexican Restaurant in Wheeling, W.Va.; and
* El Caporal Restaurant in New Martinsville, W.Va.

In addition, ICE agents searched a home connected to the Delarco organization in Marietta, Ga., for cash the defendant may have skimmed from his restaurants.

The Cheektowaga Police Department, the New York State Police, the U.S. Department of Labor, and Customs and Border Protection's Office of the Border Patrol all assisting ICE agents during the ICE operation in Western New York. Other federal, state and local partners assisted the ICE operations in Pa, Ohio, W.Va., and Ga.

-- ICE --
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases ... uffalo.htm