Posted on 08/09/2003 12:13:28 PM PDT by GoRepGo
Illegals held at gunpoint discuss ordeal
By Louie Villalobos Aug 9, 2003
SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. — The two female illegal immigrants who authorities said were detained at gunpoint by three American citizens a week ago said they initially thought the men were U.S. Border Patrol agents.
But when two of the men pointed guns at them and the three boys traveling with them, Lorena Ocampo said she knew something was wrong.
"(The Border Patrol) doesn't do that to women and children," she said.
More than a week after the incident, Ocampo, 26, her friend Guadalupe Lopez Rodriguez, 31, and the three boys were sent back to Mexico under the agreement that they would return at a later date to testify against Matthew Hoffman, 23, and Alexander Dumas, 26.
The men are each facing six counts of aggravated assault and five counts of unlawful imprisonment and one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment, after the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said they handcuffed the group of illegal immigrants and held them at gunpoint until Border Patrol agents arrived.
Authorities said a third man, Martin Hoffman Jr., was with the two suspects but isn't facing charges because he was unarmed and didn't take part in the detention of the illegal immigrants.
Bond for Hoffman and Dumas was recently set at $68,000 and $88,000, respectively. The incident remains under investigation.
Both officials and the women said the incident began just after 1 a.m., a few minutes after the group entered illegally through the Colorado River at County 18th Street.
Rodriguez said they were traveling with a larger group that included the two women's husbands, but the smugglers decided to split everyone up to allow the children to cross at a shallow part of the river. The women said they wanted to go with their children.
"It wasn't that deep," Ocampo said of the river. "The kids crossed easily."
Minutes after crossing, the women said they heard a noise and were told to duck down behind some bushes by the 16-year-old smuggler who was guiding them. After waiting for a while, they decided it was safe to continue, Ocampo said.
"Then these men came out," she said. "I don't know where they came from."
The men started yelling directions in English and motioning the group to get on the ground, Ocampo said. At first, because one was wearing military-style clothes and they all hand handcuffs, the women thought they had been caught by agents and told their boys not to worry.
But when the guns were pointed at them, Ocampo knew the men weren't agents.
"We were all scared," she said. "We didn't know what they were yelling."
After Ocampo said the men handcuffed the women, the smuggler and two of the boys, a helicopter — which belonged to the Border Patrol — arrived at the scene and the men began to flag it down with a flashlight.
Soon after that, the women said agents arrived, uncuffed the group and put them in the back of their vehicles.
"(The agents) told us what those men did was against the law," Ocampo said.
After being taken to the Border Patrol's station house and being questioned about the incident, the women said they were kept in an area hotel and eventually given the option of staying in the United States until it was time for them to testify against the suspects.
Ocampo said they decided to return to Mexico because they are still scared that something will happen to them. She said the group will most likely not try another illegal entry into the United States because of the incident. Their husbands were caught and deported, Ocampo said.
She said they were headed to New York, where they planned to live with family members, get a job and put their children into public school.
Ocampo did promise to return when it came time to testify, though, saying she wants to make sure Hoffman and Dumas are punished.
"What they did was wrong," she said.
--- Louie Villalobos can be reached at lvillalobos@yumasun.com or 539-6858.
© Copyright, YumaSun.com
The three children who were held at gunpoint by Matthew Hoffman and Alexander Dumas sit in the back of a van waiting to be taken back to Mexico at the U.S. Port of Entry at San Luis, Ariz., Friday. Photo by Alfred J. Hernandez
In New York City it's now over $ 12,000.00 per year per child.
That one comment speaks volumes about the American government's intentions regarding illegal immigrants.
Yikes!
The Supremes need to be forced to revisit Plyler v. Doe. No way can this nation afford to squander that kind of money on these thrid world criminal leeches.
How pray tell would she know unless this isn't the first time she has broken our laws.
I'm sure that slave traders used the same argument.
He he he... "thrid world"? Ooops! It's been a long day already!
They had better arguments.
Colossians 3
22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Were Christians told in the Bible to free their slaves?
APPARENTLY, they KNEW how US Border Patrol agents were SUPPOSED to act/treat them.
But when two of the men pointed guns at them and the three boys traveling with them, Lorena Ocampo said she knew something was wrong. APPARENTLY, they KNEW how US Border Patrol agents were SUPPOSED to act/treat them.
"(The Border Patrol) doesn't do that to women and children," she said. APPARENTLY, they KNEW how US Border Patrol agents were SUPPOSED to act/treat them.
Can SOMEONE tell me HOW they KNEW how they were to be treated????
Can SOMEONE tell me HOW an illegal ANYTHING has the right to testify in a LEGAL system????
And lastly, can SOMEONE tell me WHO told the illegals WHAT to expect/WHAT will happen when CAUGHT/ and WHAT LEGAL AUTHORITY verified/reinforced that info????
WHEN do we reach the threshold of illegals before we become ANOTHER third world country????
If you think you are more moral than the Bible writers, then that's your problem.
No. But one must be careful when dealing with such a broad topic with a single concept word. For example, slavery in Jewish society was very different than the cruelty of slavery in Roman society. It was conceptually closer to indentured servitude.
That pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Which slavery does the New Testament address?
I quoted a verse from the New Testament, do you need more?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.