Sheriff's Office Arrests 13 Illegal Immigrants
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The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Sheriff's Office Arrests 13 Illegal Immigrants
By The Morning News
ROGERS -- A routine traffic stop on U.S. 412 led to the arrest Tuesday night of 13 men suspected of being in the country illegally.
Benton County Sheriff's Deputy Corey Coggin was patrolling near the Oklahoma state line when he stopped a van after seeing it weaving on the road and crossing the center line.
The driver identified himself as Alexander Lopez-Nieves and handed Coggin a Mexican driver's license. Lopez-Nieves told Coggin he had been working in the fields in Colorado, said Deputy Doug Gay, public information officer.
Lopez-Nieves was asked to get out of the vehicle, according to officers. Coggin was searching the driver when he found another form of documentation identifying Lopez-Nieves as Andres Gaspar Pascual, 26, he said.
Deputy James Wall arrived on the scene to assist in the stop. He said he approached the van and noticed movement in the rear of the vehicle. Under blankets, coats and seats, deputies found 12 men ranging from age 20 to 41, none of whom spoke English, according to the news release.
Most of the men had Mexican birth certificates and prescription medication, Gay said.
Deputies notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The men were transported to the Benton County Jail. The 13 men were charged with illegal entry and placed on hold for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.