Thread: hunt down members of a massive illegal alien smuggling ring

Bowie, Arizona
Law enforcement officials tonight continuing to hunt down members of a massive illegal alien smuggling ring. More than 40 members of the sophisticated operation are already under arrest, including its ringleaders. Family call it -- police call it one of the most violent and ruthless human smuggling rings they have ever seen.

Casey Wian has the report.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): About 60 miles north of the Mexican border is Bowie, Arizona. Until this week, the tiny town was the center of a giant illegal alien smuggling ring.

ALONZO PENA, ICE SPECIAL AGENT-IN-CHARGE: It's one of the most ruthless and longstanding smuggling organizations operated in eastern Arizona.

WIAN: Nine federal, state and local law enforcement agencies raided dozens of area buildings, using a Black Hawk helicopter and 175 agents on the ground. They nabbed 44 suspected members of the Juarez alien smuggling ring named after the family authorities say ran the violent operation for three generations, terrorizing the local community.

SHERIFF LARRY DEVER, COCHISE COUNTY, ARIZONA:
We have numerous reports of beatings, physical assaults, shootings, as well as homicides that we have not been able to solve because of the fear.
WIAN: Authorities say the 728-count indictment is unique because it charges alleged smuggling ring operatives from top to bottom, including leaders, enforcers, guides, drivers and money handlers. Eleven fugitives remain at large, including at least five Mexican nationals. But most alleged ring members are U.S. citizens.
JOHN LEWIS, FBI SPECIAL AGENT-IN-CHARGE: The organization also recruited and paid young women who were legal residents or legal residents to smuggle the infants of illegal aliens through the ports of entry while their mothers and/or fathers were smuggled on foot through the desert.

WIAN: Authorities say smugglers often held children for ransom until debts were paid, and they say the smuggling ring made money from nearly every U.S. state. Most of the illegal aliens came from Mexico, others from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. But the FBI says alien smuggling groups like the Juarez ring present many issues, including clandestine terrorist travel.

WIAN: Now, suspects face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of alien smuggling.

Meanwhile, ICE says to expect more of these types of multi-agency operations. They say the welfare of our communities and the security of our country are at stake -- Lou.

DOBBS: They've gotten away with it for three generations in that community.
WIAN: Well, they have gotten away with it. And that points to how difficult some of these smuggling rings are to bust. The sheriff, Larry Dever, Cochise County, Arizona, says when he was first starting out as sheriff he was chasing some of these family members decades ago. And they've finally gotten help from the federal government to bust this ring -- Lou.

DOBBS: Casey, thank you very much.

finally something is being done...this is a great subject to send out to all the media stations

this is the second or third story i have seen this week of the federal govenment beginning to act. This can only be for the good and help amererican workers in the long run

[/quote]This can only be for the good and help amererican workers in the long run

this is so true..I love your pix