Thread: MD: 9 illegal immigrants busted at G.B. bar

9 illegal immigrants busted at G.B. bar
By LISA BEISEL, Staff Writer
Published November 19, 2007

Tipped to allegations of fights, underage drinking, drugs and prostitution, county police began slipping undercover detectives into a Glen Burnie bar three months ago.

Last week, they announced the results. Working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, police arrested nine undocumented immigrants Nov. 11 during an after-hours raid at Viva La Raza, Mexican Restaurant & Bar.

Cpl. Mark Shawkey, a police department spokesman, hailed the cooperative effort between the two agencies.

"This is a positive experience for us, and we're looking forward to working closely with ICE in conducting more operations such as this," he said.

The arrests, which included drug charges against one man, come as County Executive John R. Leopold has made illegal immigration a focus of his first year in office.

"As part of this administration's priority interest in helping federal immigration officials to crack down on crime by illegal immigrants, this joint effort by county police and ICE in this instance is a significant accomplishment," Mr. Leopold said in announcing the arrests Thursday.

Police began investigating the business after receiving complaints from area residents and feedback from officers dispatched to deal with fights outside the bar.

On Nov. 11 at about 12:30 a.m., a task force consisting of county police Special Enforcement and Special Operations sections, state police, investigators from the Board of License Commissioners as well as immigration and customs agents entered Viva La Raza, well after closing time under the restaurant's 11 p.m. license.

Detectives said they interrupted a sale of crack cocaine and found about 30 people being served drinks.

Officers found additional violations, including three underage drinkers and no management on the premises. Although police said the undercover detectives saw women being brought to the bar on Friday and Saturday nights for entertainment and possible prostitution, no prostitution charges were filed. An investigation is continuing.

Nine people were taken into custody by immigration enforcement officials on immigration violations, police said.

Of the nine, Carlos Cortez Hernandez, 20, of 133 Warwickshire Lane, Apt. D, in Glen Burnie, was charged by county police with drug possession.

Police haven't filed any charges against the bar or bar owners, Cpl. Shawkey said. But the case will be referred to the liquor board.

A spokesman for Mr. Leopold identified the owner of Viva La Raza as Kwak S. Nan of Lorton, Va. The license is held jointly by Mr. Kwak and Suk C. Lee of Millersville. Neither could be reached for comment.

As part of Mr. Leopold's emphasis on illegal immigration, a county police officer will be assigned full-time to the ICE task force in Baltimore. Additionally, one officer at each district will be trained in immigration and custom-enforcement law and will work the task force member, Cpl. Shawkey said.

Mr. Leopold said the collaboration between police and federal immigration officials will help employers weed out fake IDs and other documentation and identify who's legal and who's not.

In August, Mr. Leopold signed an executive order warning companies that if they employed illegal workers, they could lose their contracts with the county.

The order came just three months after Mr. Leopold slashed $115,000 of county funds to two nonprofit groups both of whom help Hispanic county residents regardless of their immigration status.
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Don't you just love the name of the bar??

Boasting "(Long) Live The Race!"

Originally Posted by fred5678

Don't you just love the name of the bar??

Boasting "(Long) Live The Race!"

Poetic Justice!!!

The race will live long, but not in the U.S.. They're done.