INS special agent found [shot] dead in car

Arizona Republic ^ | 16 March 2004 - 8:50pm | David J. Cieslak & Daniel Gonzalez

[Spiff]

The special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix was found dead Tuesday in his government car north of Tucson, an apparent suicide victim.

Thomas DeRouchey, 45, interim special agent charged with dismantling violent criminal operations associated with immigrant smuggling, was on his way to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson to participate in a press conference announcing the federal government's latest efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration.

[Squantos]

Marana AZ used to be a secret squirrel base for christians in action aircraft. I worked a lot of the titan missle sites around there in the 70's and remember the customs air branch on DM and that little field the cia used.

Stay safe !

[Teacher317]

Not that I wish to belittle the man's death but....."suicide victim"?

Yes, he was suicided against his will! ;^)

[archy]

Marana, especially 20 years ago, was a spook town. Lots of CIA types hanging around. A lot of the dirty operations, both official and not so official, in Central America were run from the airport and it drew in some of the nastiest people in the world. Think Mena writ large.

Indeed it was, and not just from the planes coming in, but also truckload shipments to numerous various other distribution centers after the planes had been unloaded. The presence of the boneyard at Davis-Monthan was real handy for keeping some of those former USAF *Forest Service contract fire bombers* flying, and some of those other airports you mentioned- Wickenberg was one- came in handy too.

Evergreen got all kinds of different aircraft into Marana, not just cargo birds, either. And Lufthansa staff from Ajo used to fly in there. I think there was even a Janet Terminal 737 flight from Las Vegas that made a run a couple of times a week back around August '83. And there was that weird train sabotage derailment thereabouts in October 1995 in which a passenger was killed, as well as the crash of that Marine Osprey at Avra Valley in early April of 2000.

[Redbob]

"Not that I wish to belittle the man's death but....."suicide victim"?"

Interesting point!
Right in line with the prevailing attitude that everyone is a victim of someone or something outside their control, conveniently absolving them of all responsibility.

[VadeRetro]

Nobody is going to shoot themselves while driving at 75mph!

Sounds very unsafe.

[Not A Snowbird]

Not to nitpick, but the INS no longer exists. Title should be "ICE" special agent, not "INS" special agent. (Sorry, us DHS types are hyper-sensitive these days.)

Regardless of title, a tragedy. Prayers for his family.

[swampfox98]

About three years ago a helicopter was being tested at Marana. It went down with about 20 men on it,they were all killed. It gave me the chills and I remembered how spooked I was in that eerie little town.

My husband says the entire illegal immigration mess is very much like something on the X Files. Our government knows the evil that is happening in America, but will destroy anyone who tries to expose it.

I would imagine this man was murdered and the government will cover it up.

It's amazing that we worry and fret over radical Muslims and simply chose to ignore the greater threat to our country - illegal immigration, and our politicians who are promoting it.

[MARTIAL MONK]

I skirted the fringes a few times. These were the kind of guys who would die for you in a tight spot, with the bodies stacked in front of them. They were also the kind of guys that would slit your throat and dump you down a mine shaft on a rumor. I took my measure and ran like hell. A man's gotta know his limitations.

[Spiff]

I agree. The title came directly from the Arizona Republic. They got it wrong, not me.

[Bella_Bru]

Very odd ping.

[Not A Snowbird]

I agree. The title came directly from the Arizona Republic. They got it wrong, not me.

Figures! You'd think the Arizona Republic could have figured out by now that the INS disbanded over a year ago!!! (I figured it was them, not you.) It's just so annoying when journalists who are supposed to be up on these things, especially those who work the immigration/customs/border beat, can't get it right.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0610operationtriplestrike.html

"That's what we would anticipate seeing is an increase in the use of drop houses" as smugglers are cut off from using the airport to transport undocumented immigrants, DeRouchey said

http://aztrib.com/index.php?sty=12522

Valley, the men in the Caravan may have been trying to abduct the group of immigrants
to extort money from their families, said Thomas DeRouchey, special agent


http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=border_news&story_id=112903a1_coyotes

"The community needs to be cognizant that here (in Arizona) we have this type of violence associated with immigrant smuggling and these people need to be dealt with judiciously," DeRouchey said. "They need to be identified, prosecuted and if they are guilty, convicted and put in prison."

http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsrel/articles/humansmuggling110403.htm

"This tragic incident underscores how ruthless and violent organized smuggling has become," said Thomas DeRouchey, Special Agent-in-Charge of ICE investigations in Phoenix. "The smugglers’ only motive is money. They don’t care about the human cost."

http://www.ag.state.az.us/press_releases/sept/2003/090203.html

Yuma drug bust leads to forfeiture

The smuggling organization, with Yuma County, AZ and Fresno, CA locations, was operated by the Gonzalez brothers: Alberto Gutierrez, Ismael, Gabriel, Pablo and Jaime. Also involved were Ricardo Carranza, Linda Francisca Gonzalez, and Martha Sestiaga Gonzalez. The cocaine and marijuana was smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico.


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0722b2profile22derouchey.html

A smuggling battle zone

[B4Ranch]

"A man's gotta know his limitations. "

Understatement of the month!

[dalebert]

Looks like corruption is the norm. Thanks. Makes me even more sure the agent was bumped off and the investigation may take awhile.

[dalebert]

Or maybe someone was in the car.

[AnimalLover]

I would imagine this man was murdered and the government will cover it up.

Just like they covered up the truth on TWA Flight 800!

[archy]

As an aside from this story, there is zero sense in the policy which allows federal agents to use the most "shadowy informants" and methods in crime work but the CIA, working only in foreign countries, can only recruit Boy Scouts in their undercover work.

You familiar with Operation Canton Song in Panama and the Justice Department's De Feo report on DEA plans to assassinate Panamanianian Head of State Omar Torrijos and customs department head Manuel *Noryago*? Before the canal treaties were signed...?

That one cost a DEA Administrator his job...