Illegal Immigrants Arrested on Drug Charges in Fort Smith
American Baby Taken into DHS Custody

Staff Writer

9:42 PM CDT, March 17, 2010

A three-month investigation has lead to the arrests of three illegal immigrants on drug charges in Fort Smith.

Police arrested 20-year-old Julio Ortiz-Rodriguez, 23-year-old Luis Ortiz-Rodriguez, and 19-year-old Juan Perez Padron during a traffic stop on Albert Pike and Yorkshire.

Police also arrested the mother of Julio's child, 19-year-old Chelsea Spangler. The 15-month-old child, who was in the vehicle at the time of the bust, is now in DHS custody.

Undercover officers with the police department and the Washington County Drug Task Force witnessed the suspects trafficking methamphetamine back and forth between Fort Smith and Fayetteville.

This is the first time Julio has been arrested. In 2008 he was convicted on meth charges and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was later deported back to Mexico after serving 15 months of that sentence.

"They'll have their day in court and they'll hopefully be deported from the United States back to their home country and hopefully will not make it here again," Cpt. Jamie Hammond said.

During the investigation, officers recovered between ½ and 1 pound of meth.

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