Published Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Police Beat

Illegal aliens discovered

Illinois State Police discovered 15 illegal immigrants inside a vehicle during a traffic stop Sunday morning near Springfield, 10 of whom have been placed into deportation proceedings.

A state trooper stopped a Chevrolet Suburban with Illinois registration about 8:50 a.m. on Interstate 55 northbound at the Toronto Road exit.

The trooper stopped the vehicle because the driver was following too closely and failed to signal when making a lane change, police said.

During the stop, the trooper noticed 11 men and four women in the vehicle, all of whom were from Mexico and were here illegally. He then contacted agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate further.

Authorities are seeking criminal charges against the driver for unlawful transportation of illegal aliens and for illegally re-entering the United States after he previously had been deported, according to an ICE spokeswoman.

All of the individuals were taken to Sangamon County Jail. Four, including a 15-year-old girl and her adult uncle and a 15-year-old boy and his adult brother, were released pending immigration hearings, the spokeswoman said.

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