Indictment alleges five conspired to harbor illegal immigrants in Harlingen motels

By FERNANDO DEL VALLE
April 21, 2007 - 3:45AM
BROWNSVILLE - Federal prosecutors Friday unsealed a five-count indictment that alleges five defendants conspired to use two Harlingen motels to harbor illegal immigrants.
The indictment alleges they conspired to use the Hudson House Motel, 500 Ed Carey Drive, and the Country Side Inn, 1669 N. 77 Sunshine Strip, to harbor illegal immigrants in 2006. Named in the indictment are Rakeshkumar Bhakta, Alka Bhakta, Kamleshkumar Bhakta, Falguniben Bhakta and Domingo Santibanez.
At the motels, women who answered the telephone declined comment.
The "defendants and others would rent rooms to individuals engaged in the smuggling of illegal aliens in an effort to profit from the illegal activities of alien smugglers," the indictment alleges.
At the Country Side Inn, motel rent jumped from $40 to $400 as part of a scheme to harbor illegal immigrants, the indictment alleges.
"The defendants would charge more for the housing of aliens than an ordinary customer would be charged," the indictment states. "The defendants would also accept false information on registration cards from alien smugglers and provide multiple rooms to alien smugglers in an effort to conceal illegal activity from law enforcement officials," the indictment states.
"The defendants would bring food to the rooms rented by alien smugglers so that the aliens could remain inside and avoid detection by law enforcement," according to the indictment.

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