Thread: GA: Police arrest 18 illegal immigrants in van

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Police arrest 18 illegal immigrants in van

By MARY LOU PICKEL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/30/07

Eighteen orange pickers — illegal immigrants driving from California — were arrested in Gwinnett County after their van was stopped by police.

Police looked inside the white Ford van and noticed lots of food wrappers, clothing, and plastic containers filled with urine, indicating a long, continuous trip, said Richard Rocha, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

A Gwinnett County Police officer pulled the van over about 3:35 a.m. Thursday on I-85 northbound, north of Buford Drive, near the Hall County line, according to a news release from police. It is not clear where the van was headed.

Police alerted ICE about the traffic stop, and federal agents determined the 17 men and one woman, all originally from Mexico, were in the country illegally.

The police officer realized "there were all these people inside and they didn't have any driver's licenses," Rocha said Friday.

The immigrants ranged in age from 19 to 36 years, including the driver, Cesar Guzman Garcia, 19, according to the release.

"The reason they stopped the van was because they couldn't see the license plate," Rocha said. The van had a paper tag covered "in some sort of plastic bag," according to police. The van's windows were tinted and the officer couldn't see the occupants inside.

The immigrants were booked into Gwinnett County jail and will be processed for removal from the United States, Rocha said.

There wasn't enough evidence to show whether this was a smuggling case, Rocha said, therefore no one was charged with human smuggling.

"These people just could have been going from one place to another to seek work," he said.

Just traveling from one place to another for work? How about they go back to Mexico for work? We are losing jobs everyday to Mexico and other countries. The jobs being made are being taken by illegals or visa holders so where do Americans get employment to replace lost jobs.