AZ GRAMMY
03-15-2005, 10:01 AM
Smuggling suspected in deadly truck crash
By Hector Gutierrez And John Aguilar, Rocky Mountain News
March 15, 2005
Federal agents have evidence that some illegal immigrants paid to be smuggled into the U.S. before the truck transporting them crashed in southwestern Colorado on Saturday, killing two men.
Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating whether the driver of the 1991 Chevrolet pickup was part of the illegal smuggling operation, Carl Rusnok, ICE spokesman, said Monday.
The driver was one of five passengers who was seriously injured in the Saturday morning wreck, which occurred when he tried to take a mountain curve at more than 30 mph over the speed limit, the Colorado State Patrol said.
The driver, who was not identified, remained hospitalized Monday.
"It's classified as a smuggling operation," Rusnok said. "We can say that people we have interviewed have indicated that they paid someone to get into our country. We will be presenting to the U.S. attorney for prosecution any smugglers that have been identified."
Agents are still trying to interview immigrants who were badly hurt in Saturday morning's wreck. Three remain hospitalized at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, one at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver and another at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, N.M.
"Unfortunately, there are several characteristics in this accident that are similar to other accidents that have occurred dealing with human trafficking in terms of people paying to get across," said Vanessa Calva, Mexico's consul of protection in Denver.
Fifteen of the immigrants were in custody at the Las Animas County Jail on Monday evening after being released from hospitals where they were treated for less serious injuries, said Colorado State Patrol Sgt. George Dingfelder.
It appears the 22 immigrants who were riding in the overloaded truck were from Mexico. No one in the truck had a valid U.S. driver's license, Dingfelder said.
Mexican government representatives said that based on interviews they have conducted with the victims who remained hospitalized, several of them were related. "We were able to detect five people related among them as brothers and cousins," Calva said.
Mexican officials trying to ID dead men
The truck's human cargo was traveling early Saturday morning on U.S. 160 on Wolf Creek Pass northeast of Pagosa Springs in Mineral County, about 50 miles west of Alamosa.
Colorado State Patrol troopers said they believe that the driver was speeding when he lost control of the truck on a curve, hit a guardrail and flipped on its top, ejecting 14 immigrants who were in the truck's camper-shell covered bed. Mexico's consular representatives still were trying to determine the identities of the two men who died.
Consular officials were trying to identify the first male victim who died at the scene on Saturday. The second man, who died Sunday night, appeared to be between 25 and 35 years old, Calva said. The immigrants appeared to be between 18 and 53 years old. Only one of the people in the truck was a woman.
Information provided by some of the illegal immigrants and evidence found at the crash scene, including telephone numbers, indicated that their destinations were in Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas, state, federal and Mexican officials said.
Mexico's consular representatives said the immigrants came from as far away as Mexico City, Guanajuato and Veracruz. Initially, officials thought their hometowns were from the border state of Chihuahua. However, Calva said only one immigrant was from Chihuahua and many of the others were from Mexico's central states.
Other illegal immigrant crashes in Colorado
• Jan. 27, 2004: Six illegal immigrants, including a pregnant woman, die from a GMC Yukon roll-over on Interstate 76 in Weld County. The baby is saved. Driver Francisco Tomas-Andres, 28, is sentenced to 46 months in prison.
• July 17, 2003: One person is killed and seven injured when a smuggler crashes a minivan on Interstate 70 in Lincoln County. Luis Vazquez Sandoval, 27, of Phoenix, is indicted on charges of smuggling resulting in death.
• July 10, 2002: An 18-year-old immigrant is killed and four others injured when a van crashes 20 miles south of Alamosa. Miguel Rendon Giles, of Florida, is sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
• March 11, 2002: A Mexican national dies when the minivan he was in rear-ends a trash truck being towed on I-70 near Golden. Four other undocumented workers were injured.
• March 12, 2001: A van carrying 19 illegal immigrants from Mexico is hit by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 76 in Sedgwick County, killing six passengers and injuring 13. A federal grand jury indicts driver Teodulfo Cardena Garcia, 23, Cristobal Garcia Suarez, 32, and Felix Flores Lopez, 19, for transporting illegal immigrants and causing the deaths. Suarez, identified as the ringleader, was sentenced to five years and eight months in federal prison. Garcia was sentenced to four years and nine months, and Lopez was sentenced to 21 months.
• Jan. 22, 2000: A van packed with 18 Mexican nationals crashes about 38 miles east of Walsenburg, killing three people and leaving eight others in critical condition. The van drifted off Colorado 10, flipped and landed in a ravine.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/dr...3622043,00.html
By Hector Gutierrez And John Aguilar, Rocky Mountain News
March 15, 2005
Federal agents have evidence that some illegal immigrants paid to be smuggled into the U.S. before the truck transporting them crashed in southwestern Colorado on Saturday, killing two men.
Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating whether the driver of the 1991 Chevrolet pickup was part of the illegal smuggling operation, Carl Rusnok, ICE spokesman, said Monday.
The driver was one of five passengers who was seriously injured in the Saturday morning wreck, which occurred when he tried to take a mountain curve at more than 30 mph over the speed limit, the Colorado State Patrol said.
The driver, who was not identified, remained hospitalized Monday.
"It's classified as a smuggling operation," Rusnok said. "We can say that people we have interviewed have indicated that they paid someone to get into our country. We will be presenting to the U.S. attorney for prosecution any smugglers that have been identified."
Agents are still trying to interview immigrants who were badly hurt in Saturday morning's wreck. Three remain hospitalized at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, one at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver and another at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, N.M.
"Unfortunately, there are several characteristics in this accident that are similar to other accidents that have occurred dealing with human trafficking in terms of people paying to get across," said Vanessa Calva, Mexico's consul of protection in Denver.
Fifteen of the immigrants were in custody at the Las Animas County Jail on Monday evening after being released from hospitals where they were treated for less serious injuries, said Colorado State Patrol Sgt. George Dingfelder.
It appears the 22 immigrants who were riding in the overloaded truck were from Mexico. No one in the truck had a valid U.S. driver's license, Dingfelder said.
Mexican government representatives said that based on interviews they have conducted with the victims who remained hospitalized, several of them were related. "We were able to detect five people related among them as brothers and cousins," Calva said.
Mexican officials trying to ID dead men
The truck's human cargo was traveling early Saturday morning on U.S. 160 on Wolf Creek Pass northeast of Pagosa Springs in Mineral County, about 50 miles west of Alamosa.
Colorado State Patrol troopers said they believe that the driver was speeding when he lost control of the truck on a curve, hit a guardrail and flipped on its top, ejecting 14 immigrants who were in the truck's camper-shell covered bed. Mexico's consular representatives still were trying to determine the identities of the two men who died.
Consular officials were trying to identify the first male victim who died at the scene on Saturday. The second man, who died Sunday night, appeared to be between 25 and 35 years old, Calva said. The immigrants appeared to be between 18 and 53 years old. Only one of the people in the truck was a woman.
Information provided by some of the illegal immigrants and evidence found at the crash scene, including telephone numbers, indicated that their destinations were in Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas, state, federal and Mexican officials said.
Mexico's consular representatives said the immigrants came from as far away as Mexico City, Guanajuato and Veracruz. Initially, officials thought their hometowns were from the border state of Chihuahua. However, Calva said only one immigrant was from Chihuahua and many of the others were from Mexico's central states.
Other illegal immigrant crashes in Colorado
• Jan. 27, 2004: Six illegal immigrants, including a pregnant woman, die from a GMC Yukon roll-over on Interstate 76 in Weld County. The baby is saved. Driver Francisco Tomas-Andres, 28, is sentenced to 46 months in prison.
• July 17, 2003: One person is killed and seven injured when a smuggler crashes a minivan on Interstate 70 in Lincoln County. Luis Vazquez Sandoval, 27, of Phoenix, is indicted on charges of smuggling resulting in death.
• July 10, 2002: An 18-year-old immigrant is killed and four others injured when a van crashes 20 miles south of Alamosa. Miguel Rendon Giles, of Florida, is sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
• March 11, 2002: A Mexican national dies when the minivan he was in rear-ends a trash truck being towed on I-70 near Golden. Four other undocumented workers were injured.
• March 12, 2001: A van carrying 19 illegal immigrants from Mexico is hit by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 76 in Sedgwick County, killing six passengers and injuring 13. A federal grand jury indicts driver Teodulfo Cardena Garcia, 23, Cristobal Garcia Suarez, 32, and Felix Flores Lopez, 19, for transporting illegal immigrants and causing the deaths. Suarez, identified as the ringleader, was sentenced to five years and eight months in federal prison. Garcia was sentenced to four years and nine months, and Lopez was sentenced to 21 months.
• Jan. 22, 2000: A van packed with 18 Mexican nationals crashes about 38 miles east of Walsenburg, killing three people and leaving eight others in critical condition. The van drifted off Colorado 10, flipped and landed in a ravine.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/dr...3622043,00.html