Two get prison time for immigrant smuggling case with Manatee ties

By Bart Pfankuch


Published: Friday, April 24, 2009 at 5:28 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, April 24, 2009 at 5:28 p.m.

TAMPA — Two Mexican nationals were sentenced to federal prison this week for their role in an illegal alien smuggling ring broken up by Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies.

The two men — 20-year-old Luis Francisco Pineda-Hidalgo and 22-year-old Yoni Hidalgo-Calderon — received 10 and six years in prison respectively, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release.

The pair were implicated in a smuggling ring that sought to bring 25 illegal immigrants to Manatee County from other states such as Arizona, South Carolina and Georgia.

Manatee deputies arrested the pair after a hostage situation that developed when the brother of one of the immigrants was unable to pay the fee charged by the smugglers, who then threatened to kill the immigrant or hold him hostage until the brother could pay.

The brother reported the situation to Manatee deputies, who used a rouse of offering full payment to lure the two smugglers to meet with the brother, who was watched by deputies, the release said.

The defendants were then arrested.


http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20 ... /904249936