Thread: Florida man linked to lucrative immigrant-smuggling ring

Florida man linked to lucrative immigrant-smuggling ring
AUTHORITIES ARREST SUSPECT, GIRLFRIEND
By Madeline Baro Diazand Georgia East
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Article Launched: 06/30/2007 01:34:42 AM PDT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A Miramar, Fla., man is accused of being a ringleader in a multimillion-dollar smuggling operation that brought thousands of undocumented immigrants across the United States-Mexico border, according to Arizona law enforcement officials.

Police arrested Roman Robaina, 45, and his girlfriend, Maribel Valdivia, 42, at their Miramar home Wednesday. The couple had been renting the house for about three months, the property's owner said.

According to the Arizona Attorney General's Office and Phoenix police, Robaina was the head of at least one of two related immigrant-smuggling organizations that together brought about 300 undocumented immigrants a week - 15,000 a year - into the United States from Mexico and made an estimated $30 million a year.

Earlier this week, the Arizona Attorney General's Office announced the indictments of 48 people, including Robaina, accused of participating in the smuggling rings.

The indictments, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, came after an eight-month investigation by a task force that included local, state and federal agencies in Arizona.

http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_6268846

This was a huge story here last week. It probably has been posted. The majority of the activity was in the Phoenix area. His cartel is credited with bringing in between 12,000 and 15,000 illegals to the U.S. a year.