Posted on 04/12/2006 11:07:51 AM PDT by Calpernia
SEATTLE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are continuing to piece together the details this morning of a human smuggling scheme that resulted in the arrest of 22 Chinese nationals at the Seattle seaport overnight.
Several of the Chinese were initially spotted by private port security personnel wandering in a cargo area at around 1:00 a.m. today. The port personnel contacted the Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents and officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) responded.
This morning, ICE agents are interviewing the aliens, including 18 men and 4 women, in an effort to learn more about the circumstances behind their arrival. Historically, ICE agents say smuggling fees for migrants from China range from $30,000 to $60,000 a person. Despite reportedly spending at least 15 days inside the sealed container, all of the smuggled migrants appear to be in good health.
So far, agents have determined the aliens were smuggled into the United States inside a 40-foot long shipping container on board the MV Rotterdam, a Liberian-registered vessel that arrived here yesterday morning. The vessel, which is operated by China Shipping, embarked from Shanghai March 23. Prior to arriving in Seattle, it also took on cargo in Ningbo, China and Busan, South Korea.
“Human smuggling is a dangerous, multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise that puts those involved at significant risk, especially in this type of situation. These containers are designed to carry cargo, not people,” said Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge for ICE investigations in Seattle. “ICE is committed to working with our partners in the Department of Homeland Security not only to disrupt this kind of activity, but to identify and dismantle the criminal organizations behind it.”
“Once again, CBP was on the scene as the first line of defense in cargo security and against dangerous illegal activity posing a threat to our nation’s security,” said Tom Hardy, CBP director of field operations for Seattle. “CBP screens 100 percent of all maritime containers that pose a risk for terrorism at foreign ports before they are shipped to the United States.”
Officers at the scene say the stench coming from the shipping container used to smuggle the aliens was overwhelming. Inside, agents found piles of discarded food packages, blankets, and containers filled with human waste. In addition to food and water, the containers were outfitted with car batteries to power small portable fans and other items.
After agents complete the initial interviews, the Chinese nationals will be transported to ICE detention facilities in the Seattle area where they will be held pending review of their cases.
Last night’s discovery marks the first human smuggling incident uncovered at the Seattle seaport in more than six years. On January 10, 2000, officers from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service intercepted two cargo containers on two different vessels carrying a total of 37 smuggled Chinese aliens. Three of the Chinese nationals died during the journey. The surviving aliens told investigators the three became seasick during the trip and succumbed to dehydration.
-- ICE --
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1613840/posts
Employment agencies and nine individuals charged with hiring illegal aliens
ICE ping
Ping!
good photos
What were they thinking? Why didn't the Chinese just enter through Mexico?
Because of the racist INS, now who will do my dry cleaning?
It's a joke, ok?
Nice pictures!
How desperate do you have to be to cross the ocean in a container with EIGHTEEN GUYS???
Yeesh.
Pretty darn desperate.
Oh well, they are here to stay.
The word is, that as soon as possible, they will be deported and transported back to China.
I tried to post one of the photos of the executions in China to show what they had in store, but the images are now password protected. If anybody knows of a place where they are openly archived, let me know.
Meanwhile, Pedro marches on, and doesn't fear deportation at all.
We'll send people back to a country that might execute them, but don't have the wherewithall to haul Jose back across the border...
Don't make sense.
Ice has some really good pictures up http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/multimedia/archive/index.htm
If only the Chinese protested like the Mexicans, this would have never happened.
That's what happens when we have DPW in charge of the port.
Shoot me the link of the picture you are trying to get.
Especially when you consider that they are going to a stinkhole of a country like the United States of America. Don't they know we are nothing but a bunch of immigrant hating bigots who have nothing better to do than start wars around the world and pollute the air, poison the water, drive SUVs, and rape exotic dancers?
Boy are these guys going to be red-faced.
Here is the FR thread on it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1350794/posts
The "protest" sites should be where INS allocates resources for rounding them up. Hell, makes it easy if they are all in one place!
Or we deport Elian Gonzalez back to that island Gulag known as Cuba.
"MIAMI - Bongs, onyx, metal pipes and other drug paraphernalia were among the 5,500 items seized last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents serving several federal search and seizure warrants.
The warrants were served at Smaya Smoke Shop, 1419 Washington Avenue; Bamboo Cigars, 1339 Washington Avenue; Shisha International, 1225 Washington Avenue; Aladdin Gift Shop, 857 Washington Avenue and High Tide Tobacco, 9814 South Dixie Hwy.
Many of the items seized were disguised as everyday items such as highlighters, pagers and women's lipstick.
“These shops sell a dangerous lie about drugs and drug use,” said Jesus Torres, special agent-in-charge for ICE in Miami. “It is obvious they want people to think its okay to take drugs. This is simply unacceptable.”
This seizure is as a result of Operation up in Smoke, a continuing ICE Miami initiative launched in Dec. 2003 designed to identify and prosecute businesses that illegally import, manufacture, and distribute drug paraphernalia in South Florida.
Since the inception of this initiative, ICE special agents have served approximately 25 federal search warrants, seizing more than 85,000 items of illegal drug paraphernalia worth more than $2 million.
Additional search and seizure warrants are anticipated as this operation is a top priority for ICE. The sale of drug paraphernalia is a violation of U.S. federal laws under Title 21, United States Code (USC), Section 863.
ICE has information that there are other businesses selling smaller amounts of drug paraphernalia items. They too are in violation of law and may be held accountable for their actions.
These seizures were made with the assistance of the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD)."
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/060330miami.htm
Be sure to report all those suspicious highlighters, lipsticks, onyx, metal pipes, and pagers. Ice does some good things, and some things like this. Local LE should never be involved on immigration issues, other than to notify federal LE.
That may be "a" word - but it isn't the only word!
The US Government is in negotiation with China to return some 39,000 Chinese illegal immigrants currently in the country.
So if we only catch 5% of the illegals coming into the US (thats a SW border figure-may not apply to container travelers), we really have 780,022 Chinese illegals in country.
Apply what ever fudge factor you wish - the problem is bigger than we want to contemplate and sending 22 back to China (from my home town) is no great step forward!!
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