2 stories about Illegals in Arkansas

Police say illegal aliens found in Van
By Ginny LaRoe
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A routine traffic stop in the Lafayette County town of Lewisville led to the detention of 18 suspected illegal aliens who police said were being smuggled through the state. Police stopped a speeding van along U.S. 82 Tuesday morning and discorved it was full of men from several countries who had little or no identifying documents, said Police Chief Jason Tomlin. Some of the men fled during the stop, Tomlin said. After a search, four men were captured later that day. Six men facing local misdemeanor charges are being held at the Lafayette County jail. The U.S. Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed detainers on the men. The remaining 12 are being deported.

Interviews with the men, who spoke little or no English, led Tomlin to believe the driver of the van, Eulogio Casas, 36, of Mexico, is a "coyote" a term for someone who is paid to smuggle illegal aliens. He was cited for speeding, driving without a license and having no vehicle insurance. It's unclear if he will face federal charges. One of the men who fled during the stop was arrested in nearby Stamps after asking someone if he could take shelter from the cold in a truck. Three others were found covered in cobwebs in an abandonded grocery store. Tomlin believes a 19th person may be unaccounted for, though he didn't have an exact count of how many were in the van. Police said the men who face fleeing charges are: Jose Balderas, 42 of Mexico; Gregorio Diaz, age unknown, of Guatemala; and Eruol Aprecique, age unknown, of Mexico. One man was booked as "John Doe" because authorities could not determine his identity. The front-seat passenger, Arturo Rodrigues, 37, had a Texas identification card, but was charged with obstruction after Tomlin said he stopped speaking English during questioning. He also faces a citation for failing to wear a seat belt. The 12 men taken into custody by immigration agents are from Mexico, El Salvador, Sudan, Nicaragua and Honduras, said Temple Black, a New Orleans-based spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "If they haven't committed any crimes, we're still going to process them to go home," he said Wednesday. The van was headed east when police stopped it, but the men's destination was unclear.
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Sunday, February 24, 2008
LITTLE ROCK — 4 illegal aliens face drug, gun charges
www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/feb/24

After serving a search warrant seeking drugs and weapons Friday, Little Rock police arrested four illegal aliens and seized half a kilogram of cocaine and four guns. Officers from the Police Department’s SWAT and narcotics units served the warrant at 5511 Base Line Road, Lot 14, home to three of the people arrested, police said. Each person arrested faces felony charges of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, maintaining a drugpremises, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a defaced firearm and theft by receiving.

In addition to the cocaine, three handguns and a stolen rifle found in the home, police said they seized $4,500 in cash and plastic baggies used to package drugs. Those charged were Francisco Rodriguez, 23, of 3725 W. 98th St., and Hugo Villalobos, 33, Jorge Rodriguez, 17, and Jose Perez, 18, who police said lived at the address on the warrant. Information about their bail amounts and whereabouts wasn’t available Saturday.

Arkansas, Pages 20 on 02/24/2008
Copyright © 2008, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.All rights reserved.This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
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Sorry about not posting this earlier, I had my birthday Saturday and celebrated with some friends and family. This should be front page news but of course we know the media does everything in it's power to downplay the importance of this problem. The first story mentions that at least some of the illegals were from Sudan, a muslim regime responsible for the deaths of thousands of Christians. At least one illegal was from Nicaragua, the home country of my mom which is now under the communist dictator Daniel Ortega. The second story shows how the narcotics trade benefits from illegal immigration. This is yet another price for the "cheap labor" that is "needed" by companies like Tyson Foods.