Thread: SC: Island drug raids lead to 8 charged w/ illegal immig:

Island drug raids lead to eight being charged with illegal immigration
From Staff Reports
Published Monday, February 23, 2009
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Eight people suspected of being illegal immigrants were arrested after drug raids early this morning after search warrants were executed on Hilton Head Island.

The searches took place at 5 a.m. at a home in Rollers Mobile Home Park off Marshland Road and at a home on Spanish Wells Road. They were conducted by members of the Beaufort/Jasper Multi Agency Drug Task Force, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement team.

According to a sheriff’s news release today, the homes were used to distribute illegal drugs. Officers found 40 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and forged documents, the release.

Over the last several months, the drug task force had purchased cocaine from Jorge Ortiz Leyva and Gonzalo Luna Crisante, who were living at these homes, according to the release.

The following people were charged:

• Jorge Ortiz-Leyva, 20, of Marshland Road, sale and distribution of cocaine, trafficking cocaine and illegal immigration.

• Mateo Perez-Gomez, 52, of Marshland Road, forgery and illegal immigration.

• Juan Lopez-Valente, 30, of Marshland Road, illegal immigration.

• Gonzalo Luna-Ortiz, 50, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, trafficking cocaine, sale and distribution of cocaine, illegal immigration.

• Mario Montano Ortiz, 23, Spanish Wells Road, possession of cocaine, forgery, illegal immigration.

• Alberto Montano Ortiz, 28, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, illegal immigration.

• Ana Lilia Montano-Ortiz, 21, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, illegal immigration.

• Jose Lopez-Valente, 38, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, illegal immigration.
http://www.islandpacket.com/front/story/763782.html

Drug raids net 8 suspected illegal immigrants
By JOSH LANIER
jlanier@islandpacket.com
843-706-8137
Published Tuesday, February 24, 2009


Eight people suspected of being illegal immigrants were arrested during drug raids by the Beaufort/Jasper Multi Agency Drug Task Force early Monday on Hilton Head Island, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said.

Two homes, one in Rollers Mobile Home Park off Marshland Road and one on Spanish Wells Road, were raided at about 5 a.m.

According to a Sheriff's Office news release, Jorge Ortiz-Leyva, 20, of Marshland Road was charged with four counts of sale and distribution of cocaine and two counts of trafficking cocaine. He is being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold placed on those suspected of being in the country illegally.

Gonzalo Luna-Ortiz, 49, of Spanish Wells Road, was charged with forgery, trafficking cocaine, and sale and distribution of cocaine, the release said. He also was being held at the Detention Center under an ICE hold, the release said.

Deputies found 40 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and forged documents at the two homes, the release said.

Ten other suspected illegal immigrants were arrested Feb. 13 at Bluffton House Apartments on Simmonsville Road and at a house on Pin Oak Street in Bluffton during drug raids.

Five others immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally were arrested in a drug raid Jan. 30 at Bluffton House Apartments.

Since Jan. 1, 2008, 480 suspected illegal immigrants have been placed on ICE holds at the Beaufort County Detention Center, Director Philip Foot said. The center currently has 49 suspects on ICE holds, he said. Once the charges against suspected illegal immigrants are satisfied they are sent to Charleston for an ICE immigration hearing. From there, they can be deported back to their home countries if found guilty.

It was unclear how many of those suspected illegal immigrants have been deported.

Inmates suspected of being in the country illegally are investigated by "287(g) deputies." Those are deputies trained to enforce federal immigration laws.


http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/ ... 64223.html

Once the charges against suspected illegal immigrants are satisfied they are sent to Charleston for an ICE immigration hearing. From there, they can be deported back to their home countries if found guilty

What a joke! Why not just let them go; they'll come right back anyway. These people, and apparently our government as well, need to learn the meaning of the word "consequences"!