Operation nets 28 illegal aliens in Chaparral
Alamogordo Daily News
By J.R. Oppenheim, Staff Photographer/Writer
Article Launched: 09/12/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT

In a joint operation between the Border Patrol and the Otero and Doña Ana County sheriff's departments, 28 illegal aliens were identified Monday in the Chaparral area, Otero County sheriff's department officials said Tuesday.

The Otero County sheriff's department participated in a "Stonegarden" operation, an ongoing program to round up undocumented immigrants in New Mexico counties along the border. The name comes from Operation Stonegarden, a federally funded program through the Department of Homeland Security.

Monday's 12-hour operation involved nine Otero County sheriff's deputies and three county reserve deputies. Beginning at 6 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m., it was the largest single-day Stonegarden operation Otero County has participated in, said Lt. Det. Leon Ledbetter, who coordinated the operation on the Otero County end.

"Around this particular area, to date, we've worked operations on the Otero Mesa and we've worked operations in the Chaparral area," Ledbetter said. "We felt it was prime, from reports from citizens, that we go to the Chaparral area and attempt to go down there and serve warrants, basically anything we can to help crime prevention."

Planning for Monday's operation began approximately three weeks ago, Ledbetter said.

During the operation, sheriff's deputies patrolled the Chaparral area looking for county ordinance or state statute violations, Otero County Undersheriff Norbert Sanchez said. Upon enforcement of the violations, deputies came into came into contact with the undocumented immigrants.

No individual was profiled during the operation, Ledbetter said. In all instances, probable cause was used in identifying an undocumented individual.

For example, Ledbetter said, a deputy stopped at a residence inquiring about a dog-at-large running in the street. Once the owner claimed ownership of the dog, it was determined he and approximately six other individuals within the residence were undocumented.

"These are chance encounters, or there has to be some reason (for deputies to contact them)," Ledbetter said.

The Stonegarden operation receives funds from the federal government. The funds are then distributed by the state to the border counties Hidalgo, Luna, Doña Ana, Otero and Eddy in an effort to secure the border, Sanchez said.

"This was an overall success," he said. "We're going to continue to do operations in the Chaparral area and the Otero Mesa area."

Also, deputies issued 17 citations and responded to four additional calls in the Chaparral area with undocumented aliens, Sanchez said.

"The main focus of the operation is not only to attempt to locate persons illegally entering the country, but it's for crime reduction along the border," Ledbetter said. "Because many crimes are committed by persons who are not legally in the country."

The individuals were held at a temporary Border Patrol facility for processing, said Steven Hicks, the interim patrol agent in charge of the Alamogordo station. They were run through the Border Patrol's fingerprinting system and their status was determined at that time.

Two individuals had outstanding warrants, and two more had previously been removed from the country and would have to go through the deportation process again, Higgs said.

Another individual had been processed for deportation but had not been removed, so the individual's deportation process was reinstated.

The remainder of the undocumented individuals decided to voluntarily leave the United States, therefore foregoing any formal hearings, Higgs said.

People who don't falsely claim citizenship or residency face civil, rather than criminal penalities and are allowed to return to their home country.

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