Thread: FL:New task force set to fight illegal immigration

COLLIER COUNTY: The Collier County Sheriff is starting a new task force aimed at speeding up the deportation process for illegal immigrants who have committed a crime.

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http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readartic ... 408&z=3&p=

This is the crux of the issue: entering the country illegaly isn't considered illegal.

Isn't entering the country illegaly illegal, and therefore shouldn't they all be arrested and deported?

Nice to see some areas in Florida doing something about it. I wish Broward and Miami Dade Counties would.

Naples FL (Collier Co.) is where all the rich folk live and they do not want Illegals in their town except as servants.

Much like our congress members.......

Sheriff: Expect a human smuggling crackdown

Last updated on: 7/10/2007 6:37:49 PM by Marisa Brahney

COLLIER COUNTY: The Collier County sheriff is taking a more aggressive approach to protect our borders. In just the last week, deputies have taken three go-fast boats into custody and have arrested two people admitting all of the cases have possible ties to smuggling. The sheriff said residents can expect to see an emphasis on stopping human smuggling.

There have been a number of cases involving deputies pulling people over who were towing go-fast boats and finding out they're possibly linked to smuggling.

But residents are starting to wonder what exactly are deputies looking for and if they are targeting drivers just because they're towing boats?

We took those questions to Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter.

Sheriff Hunter says the number of smuggling busts in Collier is still rising, but only because deputies are becoming better educated on what to look for.

"We're not necessarily targeting vessels, we're targeting all criminal violations," said Hunter.

Hunter insists his officers execute lawful, proper traffic stops and says they must have a valid reason to pull someone over.

He said deputies are now being cross-trained about the specifics of the smuggling business.

Smuggling busts develop when a deputy spots something during a stop that tips them off something may be wrong such as mismatched tags, missing paperwork - or worse.

"You go the next step. For any traffic stop, you look for contraband. Contraband could be drugs, but it also could be stolen vessels, stolen vehicles, or stolen trailers," said Hunter.

But the question on the minds of many is as deputies amp up patrols for this growing crime, is there a risk of racial profiling in which deputies will go after any Hispanic person towing a boat?

Hunter says there is a fine line to walk when it comes to enforcement.

"Naturally we're going to be subject to this statement that you're only targeting Cuban nationals. Well, it's only Cuban nationals involved. So we're not targeting them, it just happened to be who was involved and they're being arrested," said Hunter.

Sheriff Hunter added it's difficult to stay a step ahead because smugglers are only getting smarter. He says they've minimized their costs almost completely - even using stolen or manufactured identities to buy fuel.


http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readartic ... 414&z=3&p=

They steal the boat trailers and boats as the police are getting more BOLOS for them. They may take a boat trailer in one place and steal the boat elsewhere.