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Terms used in human-smuggling business

Jul. 23, 2006 12:00 AM


Terms used in human-smuggling business:

Pollo: An undocumented immigrant, usually in the control of smugglers.

Pollero: A smuggler who moves undocumented immigrants across the Mexican border.

Coyote: A human smuggler, also known as pollero.

Drop house: a house, apartment, motel room or other location used to temporarily hold undocumented immigrants while coyotes obtain smuggling fees and arrange travel to final destinations. Also known as a "stash house" or "safe house.''

Load vehicle: A vehicle used to haul undocumented immigrants.

La migra: Immigration officers, especially Border Patrol Agents, also known as "Verde" because of their green uniforms.

Bajadores: Bandits who steal undocumented immigrants from smuggling organizations so that they can collect the ransom.

Angel Rascon-Rubio, an agent with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, explained the terms pollo and coyote in court testimony:

Pollo: "It means a little chicken{ellipsis} They're skittish barnyard animals that are afraid of the very shadows that are near to them.''

Coyote: "It is the animal that we all are familiar with in the Southwest, and that's a predator.

The Franco Alien Smuggling Organization (FASO)

Human-smuggling rings vary in size, structure and style, but typically employ specialists to move immigrants across the border to Phoenix, and then on to final destinations.

This diagram is based on a coyote ring known as the Franco Alien Smuggling Organization, or FASO, of which an estimated 80 members have been prosecuted since 2003. Salaries vary, so pay amounts below are for illustrative purposes. Individual details are drawn from court records and investigative reports.

Bosses:

Duties: Oversee the immigrant shipments and financial dealings, including payment of those within the smuggling network.

Pay: Net profits.

Example: Identity of the FASO boss, thought to be in Mexico, is unconfirmed.

Drop house managers: Rent and manage buildings used to store immigrants in Phoenix until fees are paid; oversee pollos until they are transported to destinations; work with corrupt businesses to obtain fraudulent IDs, launder money and arrange transportation.

Pay: $100 to $200 per immigrant.

Examples: Julieta Beltran-Franco, 47, and her son, Rodrigo Plaza-Franco, 25. Julieta, known as "the lady in charge,'' denied being a manager and is appealing one conviction. She pleaded guilty in a second case and is serving an 87-month prison sentence. Rodrigo told authorities he was No. 3 in the organization, and had smuggled 5,000 immigrants. He is appealing his conviction and serving an 87 months.

Recruiters:

Duties: Meet would-be immigrants in northern Mexico to negotiate their transport across the border to destinations in the United States. Transport to staging areas.

Pay: Unknown.

Example: unknown

Staging managers: Assemble groups of pollos south of the border; assign guides for the cross-border trek.

Pay: $100 immigrant.

Example: Unknown.

Guides:

Duties: Lead immigrants across the border on hikes that may take several hours or days.

Pay: $100 per immigrant.

Example: Jose Rodriguez-Barron, 26, of Sinaloa, nephew of Julieta's husband. Rodriguez-Barron pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is serving 63 months in prison. He got caught entering the United States illegally 12 times, and was returned to Mexico voluntarily in each case. According to court records, he continued orchestrated smuggling operations by phone from his jail cell.

Short-range drivers:

Duties: Meet groups of pollos on the U.S. side of the border and load them into vehicles, often stacked like cord wood, for the drive to Phoenix where they are held temporarily in drop houses. Pay: $100 per immigrant.

Example: Cruz Plaza-Franco, another of Julieta's sons, whereabouts unknown.

Enforcers/babysitters:

Duties: Guard the pollos while in transit or at drop houses, making sure they don't escape without paying fees; prevent immigrant abductions by rival smugglers and bandits.

Pay: $100 per day.

Example: Joel Najera-Escobar, 22. Najera-Escobar told investigators he came to the border as a pollo and asked to become a coyote. He was convicted on a weapons charge, serving a seven-year prison term.

Money collectors:

Duties: Pick up funds from wire transfer locations and deliver to bosses. This work is often done by drop house managers and enforcers.

Pay: unknown.

Example: Nicasio Franco-Aragon, Julieta's nephew, arrested during stakeout of Western Union store; convicted of harboring undocumented immigrants. He is serving 97 months in prison.

Long-range drivers:

Duties: Transport immigrants from Phoenix to destination cities around the country.

Pay: $100 to $200 per immigrant.

Example: Samuel Alva-Hernandez was arrested in Colorado after crashing a vehicle containing immigrants. He was convicted of transporting undocumented aliens and sentenced to 17 months in prison.

Facilitators:

Duties: Launder money, provide phony documents, rent out drop houses and assist coyotes in other ways. Accept bribes.

Pay: Depends on the type of graft or bribery.

Example: Norma Gomez-Cantu, 37, leased Glendale condo units to coyotes who used them as stash houses; pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor and was fined $2,500.

Transportation arrangers:

Duties: Buy or steal vans and trucks to be used as "load vehicles'' to haul immigrants; work with dishonest auto dealerships to falsify vehicle records so that those seized by law enforcement can be recouped.

Pay: unknown.

Example: unknown

Bajadores:

Duties: Abduct pollos from coyotes, hold them for ransom and obtain smuggling fees as ransom; also deal in drugs and weapons.

Pay: ransom of $1,600 to $2,500 per pollo.

Example: Jesus "Pablito" Medina-Nevarez, 25, convicted in state court of aggravated assault and drive-by shooting. He shot one of his drivers, purportedly because the man was a prospective witness with information on the murders of two other smugglers. Medina-Nevarez is serving a 10 ½-year prison sentence. In federal court, he awaits trial for hostage-taking and other crimes.

Sources: Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement report, federal and state court records, DPS reports and Arizona Attorney General's Office.

State and federal criminal codes prohibit human smuggling and numerous related activities. The following is a partial list of applicable laws.

Arizona Revised Statutes:


ARS 13-2319: outlaws the smuggling of human beings for profit or commercial purpose: first offense carries presumptive prison sentence of 2½ years.


ARS 13-702: makes violation of immigration law an aggravated factor for sentencing in other crimes.


Other state laws: prohibit money-laundering, conspiracy, fraud, hostage-taking and similar crimes committed by smuggling organizations.

United States Code


8 U.S.C. 1324: Alien smuggling for commercial gain, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.


8 U.S.C. 1325: Illegal entry into the United States -- punishable by 6 months for first offense, up to 2 years for subsequent violations.


8 U.S.C. 1326: Re-entry after deportation - 2 years in prison, or up to 20 years if violator has a criminal record.


8 U.S.C. 1327: Assisting a criminal alien to enter the U.S. - up to 10 years.


18 U.S.C. 758: Flight from an immigration checkpoint - up to 5 years.


18 U.S.C. 922: Illegal alien in possession of a firearm - up to 10 years.


18 U.S.C. 1546: Fraud involving immigration documents - up to 10 years.

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