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7th bust for human smugglers

By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 23, 2008 at 11:45 a.m.
Updated January 23, 2008 at 1:28 p.m.

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Eagle County sheriff deputies arrested two men for attempting to transport 13 illegal immigrants into Colorado this week.

Carlos Ortiz-Lazcano, 29, and Saul Hernandez-Lopez, 27 were arrested and charged with human smuggling and reckless endangerment. The pair already had been arrested and deported six times for smuggling people into the United States

Lopez was also charged with criminal impersonation, driving a vehicle without a valid driver's license and insurance.

Both men are being held at the Eagle County Detention Facility on a $100,000 bond.

"Our deputies spent 20 hours working on this incident. It's the first time in Eagle County we've been able to hold and charge the suspects for human smuggling," said Shannon Cordingly, spokeswoman for Eagle County Sheriff's Office.

"Before we would call ICE, which was shorthanded or didn't have the space, and we would have to let them go on their way."

Twelve of the 13 people found in the blue Chevrolet Venture minivan are being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending deportation to Mexico. The other person, a juvenile boy, was deported and exported back to Mexico.

The high-profile arrests comes a month after law enforcement agencies on the Western Slope, in partnership with ICE and 5th Judicial District, enacted a policy to enforce and prosecute state and federal immigration laws within their respective agencies.

ICE has ramped up operations in Colorado and Wyoming, capturing more than 438 fugitive immigrants in the region in fiscal year 2007.

Nationwide, more than 30,400 fugitive immigrants were apprehended last year, nearly double the number of arrests in 2006, according to the government's data.

The first group of Colorado troopers trained to look out for illegal immigrant smugglers, particularly along Interstate 70, hit the ground in July, leading to more arrests of coyotes and deportations of undocumented immigrants.

"We're so happy were able to start doing something about this problem," said Cordingly. "I-70 is a major corridor for human smuggling activity."

Comments

  • January 23, 2008

    12:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ItsJustme writes:

    Let's see...30000 deported divided by 20,000,000 minimum here illegally = 0.15%. That's 15/100 of one percent, not 15%. At this rate we'll have all the current illegal immigrants deported by the year 2675. Good to know we're getting serious about the illegal immigration situation.

  • January 23, 2008

    12:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Wapitislayer writes:

    No license no insurance. 13 illegals in one minivan. Think about that next time your on the road.

  • January 23, 2008

    1:31 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Ricky62 writes:

    Now there's a problem....7 times? Yep, they will be back in less than a month and will be bringing just as many with them!

  • January 23, 2008

    1:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    vudumom writes:

    I think it is time to build a new prison way out in a desert area with no air conditioning except the gaurds unit.
    Everytime we catch an illegal criminal alien they go directly there.It is so far out in the desert they would die and be in the open if they tried to escape.Make all convicts wear black prison issues.Let them fight among themselves.I like the idea after seeing Prison Break this year.You can get in but you can't get out.If someone has seen the show they will understand.Throw the chicken foot.
    Lock them up in prison until the wall is built.Electrify the wall with solar and heat power.They wont be coming over the wall.
    Let's stop giving these people anymore rights to break laws in this country.

  • January 23, 2008

    2:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Elwood writes:

    Instead of deporting these coyotes, can't we just throw them in jail for 5-10 years? We just passed a law last year to cover this type of crime. Are we going to enforce this law or just ignore it like so many others?
    Let's see what Ritter does now.

  • January 23, 2008

    2:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    denverinfidel writes:

    Wapitislayer - excellent point. If that doesn't send chills down your spine, nothing will. We all pay a lot for the privilege to drive and then get this crap shoved in our face.

    Si Se Puede is more than just a slogan folks. Where are all the bleeding-heart "human rights" activists when this sh*t comes out???? I forgot, they only care about human rights when it makes whitey look bad. If you're brown, you can do whatever you want to your own. How many women/girls/daughters have had to pay these scumbags with their bodies??

    The illegals in this country are winning, and they know it. Johnny get your gun.

  • January 23, 2008

    2:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    rmnreader writes:

    If they have been caught 7 times how many times do you think they have had success?! I am not usually one to spew immigration hatred on these threads but are you kidding me with this one?! They are laughing at us every time we deport them. Lock them up here & we'll see who's laughing then....

  • January 23, 2008

    3:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Bob299 writes:

    Seven times!

    Where are the feds in all of this? Isn't it the federal government's mandate to protect this country's borders! We don't pay a federal income tax for nothing. Of course, the feds aren't going to do anything to keep them out - gotta love that cheap labor for the corporate bottom line.

  • January 23, 2008

    3:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    leech67 writes:

    You guys and the government are hypocrites!!!
    Yeah you guys dont want illegals here but, damn you sure use their services when you need them.

  • January 23, 2008

    3:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Shoonk writes:

    If every illegal immigrant in this country was deported then the economy would fail completely. We are completely reliant on the services that illegal immigrants provide. I think you are all forgetting that this isn't even YOUR country to begin with. Im sure that if there was a surge of Swedish and Polish immigrants then this wouldn't be nearly as big of an issue as it is with Mexican Immigrants.

    Perhaps every real immigrant in this country should be deported back to where they came from and America should be restored to who it was stolen from.

  • January 23, 2008

    3:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    And what services would that be, leech67? Do you personally know all of these people in this string to know what services they use??

  • January 23, 2008

    3:38 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    leech67 writes:

    Heidi... yes i do. :)
    First of all EVERYONE!!!!!
    if you guys really want "YOUR" country illegal free. The government MUST stop giving VISAS to everyone. Because people OVERSTAY their VISAS and once they do that the are considered "illegal". So the government has to stop giving out visas. I also agree with Shoonk, everyone is hating just because they are ILLEGAL and hispanic, but if they were a different race, it would be different.

  • January 23, 2008

    3:48 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    leech67 writes:

    Fresh.. i am not saying anything bad... all i am saying if you want to stop the problem stop giving out visas... WTF im giving you guys an idea! LOL

  • January 23, 2008

    3:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    rmnreader writes:

    Shoonk - this is MY country - I am a legal citizen born of legal citizens. I pay taxes, health insurance, car insurance AND home insurance!

    Don't be ridiculous - I don't think anyone with any brains or sense of reality wants to deport all illegal immigrants in one fail sweep. However a call for change is obviously necessary.

  • January 23, 2008

    4:29 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Devil_Dog writes:

    leech67 and Shoonk

    The two of you are idiots! First of all EVERYONE's ancestors in this country came from somewhere else. (including the Indians) Read a book! A real book about real history not the revised crap you spout from. Everyone in the world originated from one place.

    Now about the stupid argument of who was here first, doesn't matter! History is replete with the invasion and conquering of foreign soil. Every one on this planet has an ancestor that Conquered someone else's land, bought or owned a slave, made war on another society, ect. So shut up! That was in the past when everything was different in the world, we have all supposedly advanced and have common laws (worldwide). We are required to respect the laws of the country we are in. All of US! Visit Thailand, China, Cuba (to name a few) and break their laws see what you get.

    Now about the "services" they provide. What do you think drives the wages for EVERY job in this country down? Wake up! And any service they provide is far outweighed by all the "Social Services" they suck up! My tax dollars. So yeah I have a right to complain!

    Now about your reverse bigotry. Yeah I'm calling you bigots! I don't care what color someone is, nor do I care where they come from! They need to obey the laws of MY country when their here or leave (better yet go to prison). If your are here illegally get out! Go back to where ever you came from and come back the right way (fallowing the laws of my country just like I do). Show respect for my country, or get out!

  • January 23, 2008

    4:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Mike1969 writes:

    7 Times??? Really???

    The ILLEGAL aliens laugh at us and mock our laws!

    Yes we need to;
    Stop the Handouts, Stop the problem!
    Remove the jobs, remove the magnet!

    But we also actual enforcement and tougher laws..and for the love of god let's feed the ILLEGAL ALIENS to lions on their 3rd offense. It will not only serve as an appropriate punishment, but as a deterrent to others. It will also help with the Big Cat Sanctuary Crisis of not having enough food for all the Cats in the Sanctuary that need to be taken care of.

    1st offense of being here ILLEGALLY, brand them for easy identification if they try to come back ILLEGALLY.
    2nd offense. Jail them
    3rd offense, feed them to lions!!

  • January 23, 2008

    5:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    denverinfidel writes:

    The argument that they are all just here to work and happened to overstay their visas is borderline retarded.

    leech67 - How does a smuggling coyote transport people who overstayed their visas? I'll bet all 13 of those people were on work visas, right?

    If the people of Mexico put half the effort into cleaning up their gov't and modernizing their economy as they do breaking our laws they wouldn't have to leave. Its all about laws and enforcing them. We do (or did), and Mexico doesn't. Where would you rather live?

  • January 23, 2008

    5:18 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    reddog writes:

    Do what they used to do in the wild west days, cut off an ear to identify them as illeagal's. 7 times, that's ridiculous

  • January 23, 2008

    5:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ham writes:

    Folks, we need to email our representative in Washington and tell them this is enough. The funding for the wall that we were told was going to be built? They cut the funding down to nothing after the hubub died down. They are ignoring the will of the people. We need to stop this invasion! Tell your Senator and Congressman(woman). Enough!!!!

  • January 23, 2008

    7:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    broker writes:

    friggin wetbacks

  • January 23, 2008

    7:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    broker writes:

    Unreal. We have 2 US Border Patrol Agents in jail because they allegedly shot at an illegal.

    Shouldn't we reverse this and put the REAL criminals in jail. I'll be glad to throw the keys away when they are in the slammer.

  • January 23, 2008

    9:30 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    somebunnyluvsme writes:

    Well sounds like the upcoming elections are going to be a test of all of these ideas. We need to hold these politicians feet to the fire . This topic needs to be brought front and center at every opportunity. If we fail to participate in the electoral process, we get the government we deserve. Stand up and speak at every rally ,caucus, and the upcoming conventions. Only vote for candidates who take a hard line on this issue. And, let them know, that they will be impeached if they fail to act on their campaign promises. We are all apparently sick and tired of all the BS. that has surrounded this issue. 7 times 15people in a minivan, no insurance, can you spell tragedy waiting to happen!

  • January 24, 2008

    12:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Shoonk writes:

    Whether you like it or not, they do jobs that no other american is willing to do.

  • January 24, 2008

    1:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Heidi writes:

    I would be willing to pay more for products that supposedly the cheap illegal labor provides, just for peace of mind that our tax dollars are going to those who deserve it and to force those lazy Americans to go to work.