This kind of thing is happening all over - Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas - but criminy, only $600? An interstate trucker gets paid a lot better than that, doesn't he? And the cargo is usually legal...
Posted on 02/28/2006 8:04:16 AM PST by CedarDave
SANTA FE— The 11 Mexican nationals in an SUV that crashed outside Santa Fe last week— killing four and critically injuring five others— were headed to Atlanta from Phoenix with a driver who was paid $600 to make the trip, court records state.
The driver, Israel Munoz-Tello, 28, has been arrested at least 11 times since 2004 by the U.S. Border Patrol for being in the United States illegally, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed Monday in U.S. District Court.
Also, "on at least three occasions, he was identified as the driver transporting illegal aliens into the United States," the affidavit said.
The cross-country trip turned deadly shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday, when Munoz-Tello fell asleep at the wheel of his Chevy Suburban on N.M. 599 south of Santa Fe.
Of the 11 undocumented Mexican nationals in the Suburban, four are dead, including a 15-year-old boy, Libarde Salvador Gomez. Five remain in critical condition at area hospitals. The Chevy Suburban that Munoz-Tello was driving is designed to hold eight people.
Munoz-Tello, who was in the United States illegally when he rolled the SUV, is among the survivors. He faces a felony charge of transporting illegal immigrants and had an initial appearance Monday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.
Because of the deaths, he could theoretically face the death penalty, although prosecutors rarely seek capital punishment when fatalities resulted from an accident.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Norm Cairns said Munoz-Tello could face life in prison.
Thursday's rollover occurred on N.M. 599, about a mile north of Interstate 25 south of the Santa Fe city limits. Authorities have said they suspect that Munoz-Tello, of Michoacan, Mexico, fell asleep at the wheel, then overcorrected, flipping the Suburban several times before it came to rest on its wheels.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
The driver, Israel Munoz-Tello, 28, has been arrested at least 11 times since 2004 by the U.S. Border Patrol for being in the United States illegally, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed Monday in U.S. District Court.
So is anyone else outraged that the mission of the Border Patrol and immigration seems to be "catch and release"?
And another reason to ban SUVs!
Room for eight, and they only got eleven in there?
So get them all healthy enough to be transported, then deport them all to Mexico. At least they didn't plow into a US citizen's vehicle.
Not only do we have slave labor for Jorge's friends, he is now importing child slave laborers.
ping
With estimates of over 20 million illegal aliens now in the U.S., do we realize that is 1 in every 15 people? Yikes!
Tommy, I don't know where you live, but make a trip down to Texas if you want a real eye-opener.
The illegals were taking a curious route from Phoenix to Atlanta. Were they taking a northern sightseeing side-trip up to Santa Fe? Perhaps Governor Bill had invited them to breakfast to welcome them to the U.S.
Looks like the SUVs have had enough of this themselves, and are going to start fighting back. Maybe they sense that more illegals will mean more votes for democrats who will seek to ban their fellow SUVs.
ping
he driver, Israel Munoz-Tello, 28, has been arrested at least 11 times since 2004 by the U.S. Border Patrol for being in the United States illegally
Can a reasonable argument be made in front of a jury that the US government grossly failed to enforce immigration policy?
If so, should they be held partically liable>?
Their final destination may have been North Carolina. If so, I-40 is a straight shot. Also, too many eyes along I-10 and I-20. If you drive those roads you will know what I am saying.
This kind of thing is happening all over - Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas - but criminy, only $600? An interstate trucker gets paid a lot better than that, doesn't he? And the cargo is usually legal...
Tyson Chicken hawks...
Clintonista buds....
imo
They were headed in the right direction...
Good idea. If possible legally and financially, we should start making the government (border patrol and other law enforcement) liable for the repeat crimes these illegals commit. This might finally get some action from these groups and those making the decisions.
Another thought I had when I as recently summoned for jury duty here in S. Cal - I intend to ask if the defendant is here illegally, and if so, use the fact that they've already committed a crime by being here to influence my decision on the case. I'm sure I'll be told not to - or to go home - but that's too bad. It will and does influence how I see the person.
I'd think the hospital that has all these injured illegals racking up thousands per day in costs should be able to bill the fedgov for the $ instead of sticking it to local taxpayers.
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