Feds arrest 12 in immigration raid at Lake Tahoe
September 3, 2009

By Kyle Magin
Sierra Sun

KINGS BEACH, Calif. — Federal immigration officers arrested 12 suspected illegal immigrants after stationing near a recent DUI checkpoint on Lake Tahoe's North Shore, a California Highway Patrol officer said Thursday.

Sgt. Steve Bryan of California Highway Patrol said federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers stood by a highway patrol DUI checkpoint Friday, Aug. 28, in Kings Beach, arresting those who didn't have proper identification. The checkpoint was conducted just east of the intersection of State highways 28 and 267.

Spokeswoman Virginia Kice from ICE confirmed on Thursday the number of people taken into custody, but stated ICE didn't take people into custody at the scene. She said ICE relied on local law enforcement to transport the 12 to the Placer County Jail in Auburn, where ICE filed immigration holds on the subjects and took custody of them Monday.

CHP and Placer County Sheriff's Department Sgt. John Giovannini on Thursday denied the enforcement agencies took any of the suspected illegal subjects into custody, and Bryan said ICE agents were on hand with their own prisoner transport vehicle.

Numerous calls on Thursday to ICE agent Aaron Knapp, who Bryan said was involved with the ICE operation on Aug. 28, went unreturned.

CHP conducted the checkpoint solely to look for drunken drivers and ensure people were driving with valid licenses, Bryan said. He said ICE worked independently at the checkpoint to search for suspected illegals.

Kice said the 12 subjects remain in federal custody as of Thursday evening.

The highway patrol arrested three drivers for DUI, issued nine driver's license-related citations and impounded four vehicles which weren't properly registered.

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