"Tank you veady muduch!"
Posted on 08/21/2004 2:46:42 AM PDT by NewRomeTacitus
As federal authorities continue their crackdown on immigrant smugglers operating in Phoenix, smugglers are scattering drop houses in more rural communities to avoid detection, immigrations officials said.
Two immigrant drop houses discovered in Sierra Vista this month are just another example of that.
"The level of enforcement in urban areas has forced smuggling organizations to move to other areas to accomplish their ends," said Russell Ahr, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix.
Drop houses are hiding places for smugglers bringing in illegal immigrants, serving as a stopover point for immigrants headed elsewhere.
Ahr said there have been reports of increased activity in the Tucson area and in rural Arizona. There, immigrants can find farming jobs and live more obscurely with fewer watchful neighbors.
The crackdown launched last year made it harder for smugglers to operate in Phoenix, a hub for transporting immigrants to other parts of the country. It also prompted smugglers to move parts of their operations to other cities and towns.
"They will go to houses, stage in rural areas, and if they have to, camp out," Ahr said.
In the two Sierra Vista busts this month, agents arrested 26 illegal immigrants, and a Sierra Vista resident is accused of being involved in the operation.
Arizona became the busiest illegal entry point along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border in recent years after tightened patrols in California and Texas pushed more illegal immigrants toward the state.
Phoenix worked well as a distribution point for immigrant smugglers since it was only about 180 miles from the border and had lots of available transportation to get immigrants to jobs in other regions.
Rapid growth in the nation's sixth-largest city has also made it easier for smuggling operations to blend into neighborhoods.
The federal government began its crackdown on illegal immigration roughly a year ago, focusing first on violent smugglers in Phoenix. The effort was broadened earlier this year to make it harder for illegal immigrants to cross into Arizona.
"We've seen a noticeable drop in the number of drop houses and a decrease in kidnappings and extortion associated with smuggling," said Phoenix police spokesman Detective Tony Morales.
Meanwhile, smaller communities are seeing increased numbers of immigrants jammed into homes and often living in atrocious conditions.
While Tucson has had drop houses in the past, the number discovered has grown in the last six months, largely because of a tip line for the public to report smuggling operations, said Andrea Zortman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson sector.
The number and size of drop houses has also gone up in Yuma in recent months, with as many as 40 immigrants found at one location.
"We have agents that are specifically working drop houses and things of that nature," said Yuma sector spokesman Joe Brigman.
Several smaller drop houses have been found in the last couple weeks, some in older mobile home communities in the town 20 miles north of the border, he said.
"The smugglers aren't going to stop," Morales said. "They'll just change their game plan."
Farida Ahmed Pleads Innocent to Immigration Violations
Los Angeles Emergency Care Crisis Deepens
Homeland Security begins air surveillance of Canadian border
Rural communities are more suspicious of new and unusual activities.
Thanks for the ping and the links to the other stories.
It is very clear to me that the average Americans oppose Bush's border policies. While there appears to be increased crackdowns on illegals coming into the country, I would love to know the source. Is it Ridge or Bush? Given Bush's previous statements and his infatuation with Vicente Fox, the backstabber, I would find it hard to believe that Bush is behind the crackdown.
So the original question remains. Ridge has also previously shown himself to be soft on tightening border security and, as many citizen groups in the southern border states have demonstrated, the people are more than willing to do what the government won't.
Frankly, IMO, if the stakes were not so high in this election, this would be a great opportunity for voters to express their displeasure with many of Bush's policies. However, because the choices are so stark, this is NOT the election to carry out any protest and send any messages.
Perhaps in '06; just to make his last two years more difficult than his first two.
I have to wonder if the crackdowns will continue after the election in GWB wins. This all might just be a show for the election or maybe the president has woke up to the fact that illegal aliens are hurting this country in many ways.
WHich means that a smuggling ring would do well to manage or own a motel. Transients are not considered unusual there, and the immigrants can work at the motel for a few days before moving on
I agree. I had planned to sit out this election as a protest against Bush but Kerry is beginning to scare me. Plus there is the Martin Frost v. Pete Sessions issue. Pete Sessions is my representative and has an excellent voting record on immigration and amnesty. Now Frost is running against Sessions because his (Frost) district was wiped out in redistricting. It is imperative we keep Sessions in TX-32.
There is never a dull moment around here!!
Also printed in my local paper this morning. The wife and I were discussing this.
One bit in the article - the increased use of a tip line in Tucson - indicates that the drop houses have been there all along and that they are just now being discovered thanks to increased observation.
The article seems to be trying to say that the incidence of drop houses is rising when you can't really draw that conclusion.
There was a short article yesterday about the discovery of two drop houses here in Sierra Vista. The smugglers are using them to avoid the checkpoints on the highways leading up to Interstate 10. When the checkpoints come down, the cargo gets moved north.
The checkpoints are not permanent thanks to legislation from Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ). I am working to get him defeated in our primary on 9/7.
True to a point. They're referring in the article to at least two houses discovered here in Sierra Vista, specifically in Fry Township. That area is a county enclave within the city limits, and consists of mostly trailers, shacks, and older homes.
The neighbors tend to ignore each other; as long as they aren't being bothered by the neighbors' activities they aren't going to complain to anybody in authority.
Gotta run, busy day, but go ahead and take that into account when reading these stories.
Please repeat at the prompt . . . . .
Composing such an obvious gaff in the opening line tell me it is intentional.
If it is intentional, there is an agenda.
The existence of an agenda which is ACTED UPON in such a BLATENT manor indicates we have a very tough, long road back to a normal America.
Look what was staring back at me when I signed on this morning.
Two Drop Houses Disrupted
08-20-2004 1:26 PM
(Tucson, AZ) -- The Naco Station Disrupt unit busted two drop houses last week. The first bust was made on August 11th when Border Agents raided a house in Sierra Vista. Inside, they found a dozen illegal aliens identified as being citizens of Mexico. The owner of the house, a woman with two kids, lived in squalor and was charged with numerous health code violations. There was not enough evidence available to charge her with smuggling. The second house was disrupted on August 13th, when agents found another house in Sierra Vista holding onto a dozen more illegal immigrants. This time, an arrest was made for smuggling as 51-year old Jose Miranda was taken away for his involvement. Two more illegal aliens were found hiding in a car outside of the house. Miranda has officially been charged with Conspiring to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for the Purpose of Financial gain.
Copyright 2004 Metro Networks Communications Inc., A Westwood One Company
and.....
BP searches for stash houses in Fry
By BILL HESS
Friday, August 20, 2004 1:01 PM MDT
Herald/Review
SIERRA VISTA - This city is not exempt from homes and motels being used as stop over places for illegal immigrants heading north.
Last week, two homes - one a trailer and the other a stick and stone building - were raided by members of the U.S. Border Patrol's Naco Station Disrupt team, leading the apprehension of 26 illegal immigrants and the arrest of a Sierra Vistan on federal charges, according to Tucson Sector spokeswoman Andrea Zortman.
Thursday, two U.S. Border Patrol agents, who asked not to be identified, talked about the use of places as drop houses for illegal immigrants.
While there have been a number of homes in places like Bisbee and Naco, Ariz., used by those who smuggle illegal border crossers, Sierra Vista and county enclaves like Fry Townsite, which is surrounded by the city, are part of the problem, one of the agents said.
The trailer and house hit last week by agents assigned to the Naco Station Disrupt team, a function designed to disrupt the actions of smugglers, were in the Fry Townsite.
One was a house at 240 South Railroad, where a dozen illegal immigrants were found on Aug. 11 and taken into custody, according to Zortman.
"Although a smuggling case could not be established against the owner of the house she was reported to Child Protective Services for possible health violations," the spokeswoman said, adding that two of the woman's minor children were living in the house at the time of the raid.
The conditions were atrocious because of the illegal immigrants, Zortman said.
The outdoor of the yard of the house was full of debris and Zortman said the inside was worse.
Since the woman was not charged, her name was not released.
On Friday, a trailer on Lot 33 of 300 South Railroad, a mobile home complex of generally dilapidated structures, was where 12 illegal immigrants were taken into custody, the spokeswoman said. Another two were found in a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier parked outside the trailer, Zortman said.
The resident of the trailer, Jose Miguel Miranda, 51, was arrested and is being held after being indicted on conspiring to transport and harbor illegal immigrants for the purpose of financial gain, Zortman said.
The vehicle was also seized.
Thursday, one of the agents said there is a tendency for people smugglers to put people up in houses and motels in the Sierra Vista area when the Border Patrol's checkpoint is put up, north of Mustang Corners along Highway 90.
The movement of the illegals begin again when the checkpoint is taken down, he added.
Some people in the Sierra Vista area might be surprised to know that homes in upper middle class neighborhoods are also used as a stop for illegal immigrants, the agent said.
In recent months, upscale vacant homes in the Phoenix area have been rented by smugglers and used as drop houses, sometimes with up to 100 people being found in a house, according to news reports.
Another agent said, "As long as they (people smugglers) are making money it's not going to stop."
"Tank you veady muduch!"
You've got to stop being so quiet and reticent. How can anyone tell how you feel with all that cold, passionless murmering?
Seriously though, it's not worth the arterial damage you give the impression of suffering. As my DI used to say, getting too worked up, like running, is the other guy's job. Time wounds all heels :^ )
Have a good weekend.
It's because I am such a calm kind of a guy. Patient too.
It just trips my trigger that the work of generations of Americans will be stripped away by a hoard of criminal illegals sent here by that grinning monkey fox and kissed up to by the Government that is supposed to be representing US and defending against invasion.
Instead, that Government is representing the invaders and guarding them against us and the law!
I would like to see the sputtering, hedging, euphinic-spouting government shill trying to explain that steaming load.
Oh wait a minute . . . Asa Hutchinson already did interviews, The first one was so pathetic >>> I <<< wanted to slap the little weenie. The second sounded like he was gonna get LINCHED.
"sputtering, hedging, euphinic-spouting..." LOL Keep up the good work!
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