Thread: Checkpoint Uncovers 73 Illegal Immigrants

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/8280339/detail.html

Checkpoint Uncovers 73 Illegal Immigrants

POSTED: 8:16 pm MST March 26, 2006

March 26, 2006 -- A checkpoint by the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office wrapped up late Sunday evening with officials calling it a success.

Deputies tell KFOX they apprehended 73 illegal immigrants and two smugglers in the just 28 hours.

It's an initiative that allows them to intercept human smuggling as part of Operation Linebacker.

Sheriff Arvin West said the victims are the immigrants who are treated like cargo.

"The aliens themselves, how they get victimized. We see it. We hear reports of it and that's where they fail to act. These coyotes pick them up, they transport them in unsafe conditions and they could care less," West said.

The checkpoint was set up about 110 miles east of El Paso, on Highway 62-180.

Among the 73 illegal immigrants, West said there were four children, three infants and a toddler.

I believe these men and women can do there job if the Bush admin will let them. Usually the biggest hinderance to public employess doing there job is NOT laziness. It is beuracracy.

(former public employee)

http://www.ktsm.com/story_news.sstg?c=1788

Only On 9: Illegal Immigrants Busted

73 Illegal Immigrants were picked up in Hudspeth County over the weekend. But some are wondering just how they made it past a nearby Border Patrol checkpoint.

Sunday, March 26, 2006 — NewsChannel 9 was the only station on the scene as Sheriff's Deputies found almost 70 illegal immigrants stuffed in the back of several trucks. It was suppose to be a routine checkpoint focusing on checking for drivers licenses and insurance papers. But, it turned out to be much more than routine.

"Twenty-five miles up this check point there's a Border Patrol checkpoint. They know were out here and still getting around here," says Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo.

Many illegal immigrants slipped past earlier checkpoints. Some told Sheriff's they were just waved right through. In total 73 were detained, and 2 smugglers were also caught. Of the 73 detained, 67 made it through a Border Patrol checkpoint several miles up the road.

"It concerns me because they know we're up here.
I don't know why they're missing this stuff ...Maybe it's bottle necked and just waving stuff through," says Carrillo.

Some say there's so little man-power, and these checkpoints are proving to be more important.

"We're the second line of defense. Whatever gets through, we're more than happy to do what we can," says Hudspeth County Deputy Lasaro Salgado.

We could not reach anyone at Border Patrol for comment.