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Two Men Plead Not Guilty To Harboring Undocumented Immigrants
Police Find 58 Immigrants In South Los Angeles Drop House

POSTED: 5:28 pm PDT May 23, 2005
UPDATED: 5:21 am PDT May 24, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- Two men from Guatemala, who allegedly guarded a South Los Angeles drop house used by immigrant smugglers, pleaded not guilty Monday to a federal charge that could result in a 10-year prison term.

Trial for Jose Garcia-Rush and Marco Vinicio Jimenez-Tomas, who are charged with harboring undocumented immigrants, is set for July 19 in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Nora Manella.

The two men were arrested at a house at 853 W. 80th St., where 58 smuggled immigrants from Central and South America were found early this month.

An affidavit filed in the case states that Garcia-Rush and Jimenez-Tomas told immigration agents they were working at the house. Jimenez-Tomas said he was working to pay off the balance of the $5,000 he owed the smugglers for bringing him into the United States, according to the affidavit.

The two allegedly stated they were were in charge at the house and that about five dozen immigrants were kept there each week until their families could pay off smuggling fees.

Authorities discovered the drop house after Los Angeles police received a call from a man who said he had escaped after being held at the location.

Officers found Garcia-Rush outside and Jimenez-Tomas and 58 other immigrants inside, authorities said.

Less than five hours after finding the immigrants at the 80th Street home, LAPD officers responded to a call about a second house about 20 blocks away.

At that location, they found 88 smuggled immigrants trapped in what immigration authorities say was a "stiflingly hot" home teeming with roaches and rodents, discarded food and human waste.

The immigrants at the second home told investigators that smugglers had locked them inside and fled after seeing media coverage about the discovery of the first house.

An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicates the two drop houses were likely connected.

ICE officials say the majority of the smuggled immigrants reported crossing the border in Arizona. The drop house was a stop on the way to cities across the United States.