Posted on 03/09/2004 12:39:52 AM PST by yonif
LOS ANGELES -- Twenty suspected illegal immigrants were found crammed inside the sweltering camper compartment of a pickup truck on a freeway Monday.
Seven were taken to the hospital. The discovery came amid a hot spell, with temperatures already into the 80s at midmorning.
"They were suffering from dehydration, shortness of breath and chest pains," Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said. "Their illness did not appear life-threatening."
California Highway Patrol officers stopped the pickup on a Harbor Freeway exit south of downtown, tipped off by a motorist who noticed people in the back of the pickup waving, possibly asking for help, CHP Officer Alex Delgadillo said.
"He called us and he stayed on the phone with us until we were finally able to catch up with the truck," Delgadillo said. "They were in very cramped spaces, in need of medical attention."
Immigration investigators planned to interview the driver and passengers.
Delgadillo said one of the passengers indicated the group came Sunday night from Mexicali, a Mexican border city about 90 miles east of San Diego. Immigration agent Robert Goetsch said, however, the group was believed to have been smuggled through Arizona.
"It's the active place right now," Goetsch said. "This is a very active season for being smuggled in because it's before the hot weather and after the holidays."
At least four other trucks carrying illegal immigrants were found in Los Angeles in the past month, he said.
One passenger told KNBC-TV he had been in the back of the vehicle for 12 hours with his wife.
| California Highway Patrol officers stopped the pickup on a Harbor Freeway exit south of downtown, tipped off by a motorist who noticed people in the back of the pickup waving, possibly asking for help, CHP Officer Alex Delgadillo said. "He called us and he stayed on the phone with us until we were finally able to catch up with the truck," Delgadillo said. "They were in very cramped spaces, in need of medical attention."
|
Lets see, there are 5 million trucks criss crossing the LA area every hour or so and they found four trucks with illegals in the last month? They are really on the case!
Who could blame these people from coming, considering they all read the articles in the Mexican press how Presidente Boosh was announcing amnesty?
What I heard yesterday afternoon via LA radio was that they were given food and water, passerbys were buying them hamburgers and cokes, the worst ones were taken to the hospital, and they were questioned if they wanted to stay in the U.S. If they wanted to remain, they would have to go before an Immigration Board.
It appears they now have a choice to stay or return. At least that was what I gathered from that news clip...
Thanks to the efforts of a few California grocery store chains, there will be 70,000 more jobs in the future that won't pay enough and offer too few benefits for American citizens to be willing to do them anymore.
Twenty suspected illegal immigrants were found crammed inside the sweltering camper compartment of a pickup truck on a freeway Monday. Seven were taken to the hospital. The discovery came amid a hot spell, with temperatures already into the 80s at midmorning.
Ahh spring.
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