Thread: Two Charged In Connection w/LA (Illegal)Immig 'Drop Houses'

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs ... 5505050521

Two charged in connection with LA immigrant 'drop houses'

The Associated Press
May 05, 2005

Federal authorities filed human smuggling charges Thursday against two Guatemalan men following the discovery of two "drop" houses in South Los Angeles that were being used to hold 148 undocumented migrants.

Police found 60 people inside one house Wednesday afternoon and hours later found another 88 people, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.

According to the federal complaint, Jose Garcia Rush and Marco Vinicio Jimenez each face one charge of harboring illegal aliens, based on evidence gathered from the first alleged drop house,

Both men admitted that they had been illegally smuggled and worked in the house, ICE investigators said. Jimenez told officers he agreed to work in the house because he couldn't pay off his debt to the smugglers.

Authorities were tipped off when they received an anonymous call from a man who said he had been held hostage at the first house and had escaped.

Migrants at the second house told agents the smugglers locked them inside and fled after seeing media coverage about the discovery of the first drop house, investigators said.

"This is another example of the greed and ruthlessness of those involved in the human smuggling trade," Loraine Brown, special agent-in-charge for ICE investigations in Los Angeles, said in a statement.

Agents said they found roaches and rodents at the houses, and that rooms were littered with dirty clothes, food and excrement. The migrants included men and women from Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador, most of whom crossed from Mexico into the U.S. at the Arizona border and were heading to cities across the country, ICE said.

Some said they had paid between $3,850 and $5,000 to cross the border but were not released because they couldn't pay the full fee.

Wow.A crackdown on .000000000001 % of the smugglers and illegals.Makes them eligible for a months rest now.

So, have I got this right?

All these people were from south of Mexico, and Mexico has this heavily armed guarded southern border. So, the Mexican government is intentionally allowing coyote's to prosper with a wink, nod and payoff to bring in these non Mexicans.

Is that about it?

And some want us to believe these coyote's won't bring in anyone who pays and that the Mexican government is fighting "terror". ....sigh...

Yup, AuntB, isn't this rich?

However, this sounds more like SLAVERY to me than just smuggling.

This could possibly be, once again, the MANN ACT if not RICO.

Why are we handling these slave runners in a lesser capacity?

Originally Posted by AuntB

So, have I got this right?

All these people were from south of Mexico, and Mexico has this heavily armed guarded southern border. So, the Mexican government is intentionally allowing coyote's to prosper with a wink, nod and payoff to bring in these non Mexicans.

Is that about it?

And some want us to believe these coyote's won't bring in anyone who pays and that the Mexican government is fighting "terror". ....sigh...

On the Latin tv networks they've had interviews (hope the NSA was watching) with Coyotes who specialize in smuggling Middle Easterners across the border.They make about 300% more profit in helping them get in.