Posted on 02/08/2005 6:24:38 AM PST by txdoda
FEBRUARY 7, 2005 - Action 4 News undercover cameras catch Border Patrol agents dropping off illegal immigrants at a local bus station by the van load.
How do we know the immigrants are not possible terrorists? You'll soon find out we don't! Could this be a sign of border breakdown?
New Year's Eve morning agents pull up to the Valley Transit bus station in Harlingen, open the back of their van and a hand full of illegal immigrants jump out.
But that's just the beginning, six days later more illegal immigrants were set free, free to travel anywhere they want in the U.S. Why should you be concerned?
They are residents from what Homeland Security calls special interest countries - countries like Brazil and Argentina. The U.S. government has identified the countries as supporters of terrorism.
Luther Jones owns the Harlingen Valley Transit Bus Station.
"We offer them transportation via the bus to the destination they're traveling."
He says the unsupervised transportation of recently captured illegal immigrants is common.
"Immigrations will drop off, I call them entrepreneurs that are people seeking a better life. They come through the doors, we meet them and start them off with phone card, so they can call their family, if they're in need of money, we assist them with retrieving money through Western Union here at the bus station."
Some fear the illegal immigrants could be possible terrorists. Several U.S. Border Patrol agents who don't want to be identified tell Action 4 News they want people to know they're being told to drop off the immigrants at the bus station.
They say they do it at all times of the day. Even at night. The trips to the bus station they say just don't stop!
On January 17, the Border Patrol releases a dozen or so illegal immigrants. We're told they're from El Salvador.
Four months ago, law enforcement in El Salvador warned the U.S. that Al Qaeda may be recruiting gang members there.
"No, these people they're so friendly and it's such need is what I see coming through the door," Jones said.
On another day, Action 4 News cameras caught four men from Brazil sitting at the bus station.
Jones says they also entered the country illegally. He says they're waiting for family to wire them money for bus fare.
27 year-old Fernando Tello-Huila from southern Colombia doesn't have any problems telling his story.
He says he traveled to Matamoros and paid a coyote $900 to show him where and how to cross the Rio Grande. Coyotes are paid handsomely to smuggle immigrants illegally into the country.
Border agents apprehended Fernando in McAllen.
"The immigration police gave me the information fast so I could quickly get my permission to stay in the U.S.," said Tello-Huila.
Fernando's talking about his walking papers. Border agents say federal jails are so overcrowded, illegal immigrants without a criminal background may be released.
They're given a future court date to appear before an immigration judge and if they promise to appear, they're set free.
Fernando's court date is March 30 in Houston.
"I'm thankful for the services and information the agents provide to help me travel freely through out the United States."
The problem is nearly 70 percent of the illegal immigrants never show up for their court date.
Congressman Solomon Ortiz says the illegals then simply get lost in the government's red tape.
"They're not about to show up, they spend money, they paid money to the coyote to come across and then to be here two months and then show up to be sent back, that's not going to happen."
We showed Congressman Ortiz the video of border agents at the bus station.
We ask him "how do you know these guys are not possible terrorists?"
Ortiz answers, "there's no way because we do not have any records. We need to have records from the country they're coming from and I know there's no records. What I am trying now to establish, it has been an uphill battle, is to talk to the embassies in those countries to come up with a program where we can exchange information until we have that, we don't know who they are."
In approximately six months, 15,000 illegal immigrants have been released in Texas with only a promise to return for their court hearing.
Ortiz says it's hard for the government to keep track of them because they usually change their names or buy someone else's identity.
"A terrorist is not going to come through the border with a "T" on their forehead, we don't know who they are and this of course concerns me very very much."
Congressman Ortiz says he's going to take the video of the illegal immigrants to Washington. He says he going to show it to congress to show them the breakdown at the border.
What procedures does the Border Patrol follow before releasing illegal immigrants.
Border Patrol supervisor Roy Cervantes says before the agency releases anyone from a special interest country, agents make sure they don't have a criminal history.
He says they run extensive background checks including fingerprints through numerous FBI data bases. He admits there's always room for error.
Because of Action 4 News investigation, Cervantes says they're looking into a new way of releasing illegal immigrants.
"Well because of this, the media attention, we're always looking for ways to do things better. Sometimes doing the right thing is not always the popular thing, we're going to continue doing the right thing and that's protecting America and enforcing immigration laws in the U.S."
Cervantes was instructed by the Border Patrol in Washington D.C. not to talk about the number of illegal immigrants from special interest countries being released on a daily bases.
In March we'll find out if Fernando, who traveled to the U.S. from Colombia shows up for his court date in Houston.
So WHERE are they now ???
In the Lounge of the local Social Services office. Being waited on by government employees and handed their bag of cash before leaving to their government subsidized homes or having their anchor babies in County Hospitals across the country. . .
Oh, and doing the jobs no American will do.
Yeah, I'm sure millions of illegals are laughing.........:o(
I think this is the most laughable example of failed law enforcement that I have ever been witness to.
Yep, considering we *claim* to be a nation of laws.
The mexican illegals simply get released to try again, & the OTM's get a free ride to the bus station.
This sure teaches them to 'respect' & 'obey' US laws....NOT
looks like the border patrol is nothing but a welcoming committee?
More 'wasted' tax dollars for airfare.
How about border 'tent jails' & make them serve that 6 months the existing law *says* they're are supposed to serve ??
With interior jails @ 30% illegal, I wonder how many of those made this same promise to appear ??
They were 'criminals' the first time they crossed.
TX border counties are some of the 'poorest', with highest unemployment.
So how do these illegals 'fund' their trips further into the US ??
AMAZING, I guess we have a "Catch & Release" law.
So is the *bus stop manager* then in charge of these guys until they receive *legal* funds to continue their trip north ??
and *taxi* service.
un-frickin-believable
Yep, I was wondering how many 'anchor babies' these 20K (plus) a year could birth.
Keep in mind these 20K (plus) are *only* the OTM's & are *only* the OTM's that were caught.
The "joke" I see these days is that the OBL tries to make this criminal act a racial thang. The other laugh is that the border patrol claims they don't have enough people yet they open offices in cities as far from the border as Amarillo Texas , Kansas City, etc etc ?
Put the border patrol "back" on the border's, allow local LEO's in country to ask as to citizenship when they ask for drivers license and proof of insurance. Let them arrest folks committing ILLEGAL ACT's (What a friggin concept).......
Stay Safe Ya'll !
Oh sheesh February sweeps for the local news programs spewing hyperbole.
Brazilians and Argentines are not islamofascists and I doubt HS has them as hotbeds of terrorism, but what the hey can't let that get in the way of a good story to boost ratings.
any reports on this from your *bus station* ??
But you see King Bush has said that we need these people to do our jobs. Oh thank you Senor King Bush for your elitist and enlightened wisdom we Americans love the extra crime, and poverty, crappy schools and hospitals these ILLEGAL people bring with them. Thank you thank you (originally from Massachusetts) Bush family.
But you see King Bush has said that we need these people to do our jobs. Oh thank you Senor King Bush for your elitist and enlightened wisdom we Americans love the extra crime, and poverty, crappy schools and hospitals these ILLEGAL people bring with them. Thank you thank you (originally from Massachusetts) Bush family.
*Febuary Sweeps* ???
try searching "Ortiz", he's been in the TX news the last several months complaining about these OTM's being released.
"Congressman Ortiz says he's going to take the video of the illegal immigrants to Washington. He says he going to show it to congress to show them the breakdown at the border."
It is amazing. And if the law isn't there they appear to be making them up as they go along.
Tell that to the State Department who considers those two nations among those listed as Special Interest Countries. Channel 4 used the intruders from those countries as an example. Agents will tell you that catch and release happens for countries a lot more scarier sounding than Brazil and Argentina.
Why is local news the first sign that sweeps are upon us? Susie Hampton, advertising and marketing director for Freedom Dodge in Lexington, explains: "The heaviest local advertising comes in news, because it's the highest rated local programming that's affordable for local advertisers to buy."
And stations work hard to make sure those newscasts are watched during the four sweeps periods every year-February, May, July and November. Local stations around the country have been known to give away houses, cars and cash prizes.
All that in addition to the usual tactic of deploying those "shocking" stories that only the National Enquirer could love.
"Sweeps" is when local TV news stations try to put the most sensational news stories to gain ratings so they can set advertising rates.
JMO, this story you posted falls into a "sensationalizied" sweeps period story.
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