Torres pleads not guilty in ICE case

Torres pleads not guilty in ICE case
By NICK GEORGIOU, LAREDO MORNING TIMES
06/17/2008

The investigation into a Bryan-based illegal immigrant smuggling operation continued to unfold in federal court Monday.Christopher Gene Torres, one of several alleged human smugglers named in a federal indictment, waived his arraignment and pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants within the United States.

"At this point we just have a very general allegation," said Torres' attorney, Javier Montemayor Jr. "We're anticipating starting the discovery process this week trying to find out exactly what the allegations and what the evidence to support those allegations are."

According to the criminal complaint, Torres is one of 10 people named so far as being a part of the Ortiz family smuggling organization.

Torres, the complaint states, has been apprehended twice for transporting undocumented immigrants, and in both instances, was linked to the Ortiz family.

During the first arrest, he was driving a vehicle registered to Calixtro Ortiz, who, along with Sandra Ortiz and Darcy Ortiz Quezada, was named in the indictment unsealed earlier this month.

In the second apprehension, the complaint alleges Torres was driving a vehicle registered to Bernardino Ortiz, who is also named in the indictment.

The final pre-trial on Torres' case is scheduled for Aug. 14 and jury selection is set tentatively for Sept. 22.

The investigation into the Ortiz family was launched by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in January 2005, the complaint states.

"Through investigation, it was discovered that the members of the (organization) are involved in a large-scale (illegal) immigrant smuggling operation that has transported significant numbers of undocumented (immigrants) from the Mexico border to Bryan, Texas."

Four of those named in the indictment were charged in 2005: Tyler Ross Severn, Maria Bazan, Porfirio Ortiz and Manuel Antonio Valles-Zamora.

Severn and Bazan pleaded guilty. Severn was sentenced to one year in prison, while Bazan is awaiting sentencing.

Zamora was found guilty by a jury in 2005 and sentenced to 2½ years in prison.

Porfirio Ortiz was just arrested earlier this year.

Most recently, Charles Salyers, yet another accused illegal immigrant smuggler named in the indictment, pleaded guilty to one count of transporting undocumented immigrants.

According to the criminal complaint, the organization has received about $800,000 in Western Union money transfers from individuals nationwide.

(Nick Georgiou may be reached at 728-2582 or by e-mail at nickg@lmtonline.com)

©Laredo Morning Times 2008
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