BY JAY ROOT Knight Ridder Newspapers ALTAR, Mexico - Some towns thrive on manufacturing. Others are known for their fertile soil or tourist attractions. In Altar there is only one industry of any visibility and consequence: immigrant smuggling. A 60-mile drive along the back roads to the United States, this dusty town is the last stop on the line, a place to buy water, food and the accoutrement of choice for illegal desert crossers - a backpack. "Altar is just like a big Wal-Mart for smugglers," said Sean King, spokesman for the Tucson, Ariz., sector of the U.S. Border Patrol,...
