Grand jury indicts 8 people in connection with August immigration raids
By Nancy Gaarder
and Alia Conley World-Herald staff writers
Sep 21, 2018 Updated 4 hrs ago
A grand jury has issued indictments against at least eight workers picked up in the immigration raids that occurred Aug. 8 at Nebraska agriculture-related businesses.
A total of 118 workers, many in O’Neill, Nebraska, were arrested by officials from Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement on suspicion of being in the country illegally. Additionally, 17 people connected to an alleged conspiracy to exploit illegal labor for profit, fraud and money laundering were arrested.
The next hearing for the conspiracy case is scheduled for October.
Those recently indicted are:
» Four men — two from Mexico, one age 43 and the other age 50, and two Salvadoran men, ages 23 and 52, all of whom had been working for the Herd Company in Bartlett, Nebraska, on the day of the raid. The men had been living in O’Neill. The indictments allege that the four fraudulently used Social Security numbers and identity cards to obtain employment at Herd Company.
» Two men from Guatemala, one age 41 and the other age 67, who had been working at Elkhorn River Farms in O’Neill. The indictments allege that both men had been deported from the U.S. several years ago and had returned to the U.S. illegally. Both had been flown out in 2012. One of the men was living in Grand Island, the other in O’Neill, according to the indictments.
» Another Guatemalan man, age 22, who lived in O’Neill and worked at O’Neill Ventures. He was charged with illegally reentering the country after deportation.
» A 39-year-old Guatemala woman who had been living in O’Neill and had been working at O’Neill Ventures. The woman was indicted on suspicion of reentering the U.S. illegally after being deported in 2004.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Norris said some of the workers who were taken into custody were not charged with illegal reentry after deportation because they haven’t been previously removed from the country.
https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_n...2f49191e2.html