Posted on 05/22/2005 2:05:38 PM PDT by El Conservador
They may have paid $4000 to be registered in fake soccer teams. Authorities suspected because of wide-margin losses.
This is the allegation made in a report published Sunday on Costa Rica's "La Nación" newspaper. All is part of an ingenious plan from a "coyote" (human trafficker) on the souther part of the country, who charges that sum for plane tickets and migratory procedures to people who want to fulfill their "American Dream", informed the daily.
The "coyote" gathers the people in a fictitious soccer team, which, for reasons still under investigation, is able to secure participation in friendly tournaments in the North American country, never returning to Costa Rica after the events, the newspaper added.
It was indicated that the last case of this mode of illegal entry to the US happened last April, when a team, which used the name of Asociación Deportiva San Isidro, participated in the "Copa Dallas" friendly tournament, but never went back to its country.
In that tournament, in which the team lost games with up to 16-goal margins, the players' unathletic appearance raised the event organizers' suspicions, who, nevertheless, took no action, "La Nación" added.
A parent who wanted to remain anonymous confirmed to the daily that he mortgaged his ranch so his 18-year-old son could travel with the team to the US, where he now works and sends money from, since "here rural life is too hard, there's no jobs".
The president of Asociación Deportiva San Isidro, Roy Rojas, explained to the newspaper that the official team did not participate in the tournament because it didn't receive authorization from Costa Rica's National Amateur Soccer Association (ANAFA) and stated that the roster that showed up in the US is fake.
However, "Diario Extra" informed that the US embassy in Costa Rica issued the players tourist visas, because they showed a letter with ANAFA seal and Roy Rojas' signature, who now alleges he doesn't know whether the signature is forged
The case is being investigated by Costa Rica's migration authorities, who have apparently identified the coyote altough in this country human trafficking is not typified as a crime.
San José EFE
(/translation provided by yours truly)
They should have posed as a team playing "American football" and then they could have had the snot crushed right out of them..... guess there's a reason why they picked a pansy sport like soccer.... just kidding, soccer-lovers, I actually played h.s soccer!
The ought to know better than to mess with "El Roy".
I've also heard of English blokes who've used a similar scheme to get into the US, then worked off the books. But this was back when the US$/GBP was less skewed towards the pound.
Ping.
Now it is soccer uniforms.
Will the stolen Marine uniforms be used in the same manner?
ping
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
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