Published Wednesday April 7, 2010

Human trafficker suspect arrested
By Juan Perez Jr.

Federal authorities have arrested and charged a suspected human trafficker who, they say, was captured while he smuggled 11 suspected illegal immigrants through Omaha last week.

On March 31, authorities say, a Nebraska State Patrol trooper stopped a green Ford Windstar van with Arizona license plates near the 84th Street exit of eastbound Interstate 80.

The trooper said the van had failed to signal a lane change. Twelve people were packed inside.

Investigators contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and two agents arrived and spoke with the Windstar’s driver and passengers. The agents concluded that the passengers were Mexican citizens who had illegally entered the United States.

All were detained and processed for deportation.

ICE agents focused on the driver after leaning that he had already been deported from the United States in 2007. The driver, whom authorities identified as Pablo Adame Aguirre, had previously been arrested in Tampa, Fla., and eventually deported for transporting five illegal immigrants.

Authorities said Adame Aguirre waived his Miranda rights and told ICE about his operation.

According to court documents, he picked up his latest passengers in Phoenix, using a van provided by a person who supplied him with $200 in gas money and told him that he would receive cash for delivering passengers to places in Iowa, New York and North Carolina. Passengers told authorities they had paid varying amounts for transportation.

Adame Aguirre is charged with transporting illegal immigrants for private financial gain and being an illegal immigrant in the United States following deportation. He has requested a federal public defender pending his next court appearance.

Contact the writer:

johnny.perez@owh.com


http://www.omaha.com/article/20100407/NEWS97/704079887