Thread: Deport Pedro Zapeta Immediately, Sans $59,000!

By John W. Lillpop

The legal case against illegal alien Pedro Zapeta has socialists in the Democrat party and Catholic Church wringing their hands in angst at America's unfair, broken immigration system.

The rest of the story is as follows.

Pedro Zapeta had a unique, gangster-style vision of the American Dream. In his corrupt little mind, Zapeta thought it made perfect sense, both logically and morally, to ignore America's borders, immigration laws, and income tax laws in order to pursue a far greater objective.

Namely, the personal enrichment of Pedro Zapeta.

Thank goodness, Zapeta's twisted version of the American Dream ultimately turned into a nightmare when authorities actually enforced the law.

CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/immigr ... index.html

Pedro Zapeta is an illegal alien from Guatemala who has squatted in America for 11 years. Over that time, Pedro washed dishes in Stuart, Florida and, by living frugally, managed to save $59,000.

Proving once and for all that most rocket scientists simply will not wash dishes for more than 11 years at $5.50 an hour, Zapeta finally decided to return to his beloved Guatemala with that $59,000 in tow. Like on his person, in a duffel bag, if you can imagine.

Zapeta's nightmare began when airport security discovered his cash stash and began asking questions. It was soon obvious that Zapeta was an illegal alien who was in violation of the U.S. law that requires one to declare cash in excess of $10,000 to customs.

Once authorities had sorted out Zapeta's situation, his $59,000 was seized and he was turned over to Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Of course, Pedro was immediately released by morons at INS. Deportation proceedings did, however, commence.

Amazingly enough, Zapeta did not disappear into the shadows, as most released illegal aliens typically do.

And why, pray tell, did Zapeta not flee to Newark, New Jersey, San Francisco, California or some other liberal infested sanctuary city?

Perhaps the invading weasel had finally seen the light and decided to repent? Maybe all those years in a hot, stuffy American kitchen had imbued this criminal with a redemptive sense of right versus wrong?

Wrong!

Actually, it was a combination of unbridled greed and stupidity, rather than a spiritual awakening that kept Pedro from going to San Francisco with flowers in his hair.

Remember that $59,000? It turns out that Pedro continues to believe that he is entitled to that money--- and his duffel bag. A cabal of corrupt leftist lawyers has worked, pro bono, in an attempt to recover "his" money.

Along the way, Zapeta received $10,000 in donations from bleeding heart types who always feel sympathy for non-American criminals, especially those in America illegally.

But, alas, Zapeta has been hit with more bad news. Apparently the dishwasher fool paid zero taxes on that $59,000. Thus, the IRS impounded the $10,000 in donations as a lien against unpaid taxes.

Justice! At long last!

Of course, liberals are outraged at the way the U.S. government is treating Pedro Zapeta. After all, they argue, he is an uneducated, non-English speaking peasant who was unaware of the U.S. law pertaining to declaration of moneys being carried on one's person through a busy airport.

To liberals who make that outrageous argument, I ask the following:

* Was Zapeta also unaware of the fact that his income is taxable?

* How much sympathy is owed an illegal alien who has been here for 11 years without taking the time to learn English, and become familiar with our laws?


* How much pro bono legal work will leftist lawyers donate to keep American citizens out of jail after being charged with tax evasion?


For his part, the addled Pedro Zapeta said the following, "They are treating me like a criminal when all I am is a working man," he said.

Sorry, Pedro, even though you and your brain dead attorneys may not know it, you are a despicable criminal who needs to get the hell out of America and never come back!

As for that $59,000, Pedro, we are going to apply that money to the construction of a fence at the U.S.-Mexico border!

Thank you for your contribution to ending illegal immigration!

Am I alone in thinking that we should give him the money minus taxes?

Originally Posted by TexasCowgirl

Am I alone in thinking that we should give him the money minus taxes?

Think about it like this: For tax evasion, Pedro should do jail time. For being an illegal alien he should be fined.

I say let's waive the jail time and instead fine the criminal $59,000. Buy him a one way ticket home and wash our hands of this freak criminal forever!

That suggestion was made in a couple posts over on a related thread which appeared in the last couple days. My problem with that is then <someone>, <somewhere> has to decide which crimes are afforded exclusionary treatment and which are not. Our system begins to break down when certain laws only apply to certain people in certain circumstances - in short, law enforcement becomes selective. When law enforcement becomes selective political motives take hold...(maybe we're already there???).

Or, stated another way, one could then say, well, why can't a drug dealer leave the country with his booty too? I'm sure he 'worked hard for it' as well. Then, I also, will stand in the farthest forward spot 'in line', for government pardons/exoneration also wanting my exception to the law too. What bothers me most about the reporting on this story, is the subject of official documentation (or lack thereof) is completely omitted.

While I feel bad for poor people 'trying to improve their lives' (hey, I'm NOT rich either!), there is the right way to do it, and a wrong way as well.
The rules are important! Law-breaking is law-breaking. To reward it, is to encourage more [law-breaking]. Our user named 'Chosen' wrote very eloquently on this issue in the last few days if you care to have a look at some of his recent posts.

Oh, one more small point - in our system, ignorance of the law does not 'buy' a potential transgressor exclusion from it. If a person has a question about the consequences of some action they think may be problematic, it is their responsibility to find out if there is a legal problem before doing something. (eg. "I didn't know I was supposed to declare my money when leaving")

Originally Posted by TexasCowgirl

Am I alone in thinking that we should give him the money minus taxes?

I'm in agreement, TexasCowgirl. The key point is...he was going home! Unfortunately, he was ignorant of the law regarding transporting cash. Yes, he was here illegally...but he committed no crimes while he was here and he didn't bring a wife and six kids to be supported by taxpayers.

When I saw the news clips of his mother and sisters in Guatamala, I couldn't help but feel compassion for this guy. He just wanted to earn enough to take care of his poverty stricken family. Good grief, he was only earning $5.50/hr. as a lowly dishwasher, and it took him 11 years of his life to save up! Give him back his money and let him go home.

If all the reports are accurate, he did us no harm. We need to concentrate on the criminal illegals who are robbing our system, committing violent crimes, marching in the streets, demanding amnesty, and REFUSING to go home!

I can't believe the Feds are still keeping the money. We must be really hard up!

All I can say is now he knows how WE FEEL when our hardworking incomes are taxed to death. We don't like it either, but we're law abiding people (and citizens) who do our duty!

And if he was here 10 or 11 years, doesn't it seem possible that he would have earned some sort of raise in all those years? Making the same $5.50 for that time seems fishy to me.

He needs to be deported ASAP. Why are they waiting until January - the date that FoxNews reported this a.m.

You guys are not going to hold up here if you don't believe in law enforcement and punishing law breakers. That's what needs to be. If it's "feel good" you're looking for, this ain't it. It is against the law to come here and work here without invitation. It is against the law to carry over $10000 out of the country. If you or I do it we forfeit the sum. Why are you so quick to believe this lawbreaker washed dishes for $59000? The OBL says they're all here to work. Don't we know better?

Thanks loserville. I was implying much of what you said, but leaving that unsaid for folks to get to their own conclusion.

The question which begs answering (given all the above, is) - so, if we can feel sympathetic for this transgressor of the law, then why no sympathy for the legal immigrant and/or American citizen dishwasher, that, for all intents and purposes came here legally, played by the rules, paid taxes, etc. and might even be out of the job because this illegal dishwasher worked here? Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. I still have yet to hear the details on this illegal workers ID / documentation situation. Whose/which SSN (or ITIN, for that matter) did he use? He still broke the law, and should not be allowed to profit from that lawbreaking.

PhredE, I think one news report said he was working under the table, so he didn't need a SSN. (NOTE TO ICE: Please check out his employer!)

AmericanMe, I am sorry but on this point I have to respectfully disagree with you. If we make an exception of one, then we must make an exception for everyone. That is only fair. (That is what my boss always told me! LOL) And Americans are fair. Up to the point he got caught, only 2 people benefitted from his illegal presence here: Zapeta and his employer. Not us. We did not benefit in 2 ways: 1) He misplaced another American worker 2) We did not get the tax benefit of his income.

It's the same situation as all those UNTAXED dollar remittances to Mexico, only in Zapeta's case he handcarried it instead of wiring it. What is the amount? Oh yeah, $30 BILLION A YEAR. Granted, some of that was taxed, but I really doubt the majority of it was, since most illegals work off the books.

What we must keep in mind -- at all times -- is that Lady Justice is BLIND. She is not selective. She doesn't pick and choose who gets to get away with murder. Zapeta broke immigration law, customs law, labor law, and income tax laws (that I know of; there could be others). If the laws presently on our books now say the govt can confiscate ALL his money, then so be it, because that same law can be carried out on American citizens as well.

Do not fall for the "sob story" MSM media ploys. It is their gimmick to get you on their side. When the OBL has lost all logical debate, they resort to tugging on your emotions. Don't be fooled by that. But we just have to stay focused ON THE LAW AND THE FACTS. That is why jurors are instructed to base their decision on the facts, and nothing but the facts.

Zapeta does not have my sympathy. He broke so many laws. Oh, and Mr. Zapeta, ignorance of the law does not exempt you of your crime.