LAREDO, Texas - Five members of the Ortiz family alien smuggling organization, based in Bryan/College Station, Texas, pleaded guilty here Thursday to federal alien smuggling charges. U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle, Southern District of Texas, announced the pleas; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated the investigation into the organization in January 2005.
The ICE investigation ultimately revealed a large-scale alien smuggling operation that since 1999 has transported hundreds of illegal aliens from the Mexican border to the Bryan, Texas, area.
Defendants Porfirio Ortiz, 37, Calixtro Ortiz, 52, Bernardino Ortiz, 49, and Sandra Ortiz, 32, all of Bryan; and Christopher Gene Torres, 24, of Kingsland, Texas, all pleaded guilty Aug. 21 to count one of the Indictment, charging them with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20.
On Jan. 17, 2005, a black 1990 Ford F-250 hauling a horse trailer driven by Tyler Ross Severn, 28, of Bryan, arrived at the highway 16 Border Patrol checkpoint south of Hebbronville, Texas. The inspecting border patrol agent noticed a suspicious arrangement of hay blocking his view of the front area of the trailer. The agent peered inside and observed four adults and an infant, who were later identified as illegal aliens from Mexico.
The driver told agents that Porfirio Ortiz hired him to transport illegal aliens from Rio Grande City to Hebbronville, Texas. Severn drove the truck and trailer to Rio Grande City and loaded the five aliens into the trailer. The aliens were to pay Porfirio Ortiz $2,500 each, of which Severn was to receive $300 per person. Severn was to deliver the aliens to Manuel Antonio Valles, 36, also of Bryan, in Hebbronville. After locating and arresting Valles, agents searched his vehicle and found a notarized letter, handwritten by Porfirio Ortiz. The letter requested the return of his horse trailer that had been seized in a previous alien smuggling apprehension in December 2004 in Laredo, Texas.
Severn explained that by the time he was apprehended in 2005, he had made numerous trips transporting illegal aliens for the Ortiz family. Calixtro Ortiz served as a guide for the aliens and transferred the aliens to Severn at a house in Rio Grande City. Severn then transported the aliens to Bryan, Texas, where Porfirio or Bernardino Ortiz paid him. Severn took agents to the house in Rio Grande City where they spoke with the owner, Maria Bazan, 35, of Bryan, and Calixtro Ortiz. Bazan admitted she ran the stash house in Rio Grande City and that Calixtro Ortiz paid her $30 per day per alien she housed.
Valles was convicted by Jury on June 2, 2005 and sentenced to 30 months in prison. Severn pleaded guilty March 8, 2005 and was sentenced to 12 months. Bazan also pleaded guilty March 8, 2005, but has not yet been sentenced.
In this criminal organization's typical mode of smuggling, the defendants either drove loads themselves or recruited drivers, such as Torres and Charles Salyers, 30, of College Station. They routinely transported aliens in a horse trailer with a live horse, designed to make the trip look legitimate. The aliens were then transported through one of the South Texas Border Patrol checkpoints on the way to Bryan, normally hidden in the tack room at the front of the trailers. Often, drivers transported multiple loads of aliens to Bryan in a single day. Drivers hired by the defendants revealed to investigators they had been paid as much as $70,000 each for their services.
From Bryan, Texas, the illegal aliens then traveled to their destinations throughout the United States. Family members of the smuggled aliens paid the smuggling fees by Western Union wire transfer to Ortiz family members or associates in Bryan. In total, investigators recovered receipts for about $800,000 in Western Union money transfers from families of smuggled aliens to the Ortiz organization in Bryan.
More than 40 U.S. Border Patrol and Texas Highway Patrol seizures of illegal aliens in South Texas have been linked to the Ortiz organization.
Darcy Ortiz Quezada, 24, of Bryan, and Salyers previously entered guilty pleas in Laredo to the same count of the indictment and are scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 3, 2008. The alleged leader of the conspiracy, Baudel Ortiz, 31, of Bryan, until recently was a fugitive. However, on Aug. 17, he was apprehended in Bryan and was presented for initial appearance in federal court in Laredo on Aug. 19. His detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26.
The statutory maximum penalty for each alien smuggling violation is a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
ICE conducted the investigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.
-- ICE --
Showing posts with label Hebbronville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hebbronville. Show all posts
August 7, 2008
Operation Lone Star Comes to Hebbronville
Manuel De La Rosa
(August 7, 2008)
HEBBRONVILLE--A three-day free medical program called Operation Lone Star just wrapped up in one Coastal Bend town. It's a program that provides free medical services for needy families and this was the first time that it was offering those services in the small town of Hebbronville.
Operation Lone Star is in its tenth year of operation. In the past, the operation has been held in several border towns in the Rio Grande Valley, but this year, they decided to expand the program to Hebbronville.
The Texas military forces gave free medical checkups, immunizations and health education for three days in Hebbronville. More than 500 people, including the Dominguez family, came to check out Operation Lone Star.
"It's good because it's something free that we can take advantage of," said Erica Dominguez, who brought her daughter to get immunized.
Operation Lone Star comes to towns in South Texas where residents either don't have health insurance or lack access to doctors.
"I had an immunization and I also had a physical done," said Adriana Miller, a Hebbronville resident. "The doctor was very thorough and it helped me from having to travel out of town as many other people in the area."
Doctors and medical staff are soliders for the Texas National Guard who saw a little bit of everything while seeing patients.
"They're telling us if we weren't here maybe their diabetes would go unchecked or maybe they wouldn't be diagnosed with that high blood pressure that we are able to diagnosed them with," said Dr. Mona Khanna, one of the doctors from the Texas National Guard.
Military commanders said they use this operation as an exercise.
"It allows us to get a hands on experience with dealing with lots of people over a short period of time, just like we would do in a real disaster if we were called into service," said Colonol Frank Stead, who is the military commander overseeing this Operation Lone Star in Hebbronville.
Doctors said educating these underserved communities about healthier living and given them checkups will lead to a longer life.
"We do this because we want to do it," Col. Stead said. "We have a heart for it because we see we can provide care and assistance for folks who need that who wouldn't get it otherwise."
These residents are thankful Operation Lone Star came to Jim Hogg County and they can't wait for it to return next year.
--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com
(August 7, 2008)
HEBBRONVILLE--A three-day free medical program called Operation Lone Star just wrapped up in one Coastal Bend town. It's a program that provides free medical services for needy families and this was the first time that it was offering those services in the small town of Hebbronville.
Operation Lone Star is in its tenth year of operation. In the past, the operation has been held in several border towns in the Rio Grande Valley, but this year, they decided to expand the program to Hebbronville.
The Texas military forces gave free medical checkups, immunizations and health education for three days in Hebbronville. More than 500 people, including the Dominguez family, came to check out Operation Lone Star.
"It's good because it's something free that we can take advantage of," said Erica Dominguez, who brought her daughter to get immunized.
Operation Lone Star comes to towns in South Texas where residents either don't have health insurance or lack access to doctors.
"I had an immunization and I also had a physical done," said Adriana Miller, a Hebbronville resident. "The doctor was very thorough and it helped me from having to travel out of town as many other people in the area."
Doctors and medical staff are soliders for the Texas National Guard who saw a little bit of everything while seeing patients.
"They're telling us if we weren't here maybe their diabetes would go unchecked or maybe they wouldn't be diagnosed with that high blood pressure that we are able to diagnosed them with," said Dr. Mona Khanna, one of the doctors from the Texas National Guard.
Military commanders said they use this operation as an exercise.
"It allows us to get a hands on experience with dealing with lots of people over a short period of time, just like we would do in a real disaster if we were called into service," said Colonol Frank Stead, who is the military commander overseeing this Operation Lone Star in Hebbronville.
Doctors said educating these underserved communities about healthier living and given them checkups will lead to a longer life.
"We do this because we want to do it," Col. Stead said. "We have a heart for it because we see we can provide care and assistance for folks who need that who wouldn't get it otherwise."
These residents are thankful Operation Lone Star came to Jim Hogg County and they can't wait for it to return next year.
--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com
June 25, 2008
Border Patrol agents nab immigrants, marijuana
Border Patrol agents nab immigrants, marijuana
Special to the Times
06/25/2008
Border Patrol agents from the Laredo North station caught 23 undocumented immigrants early Tuesday, while agents from the Hebbronville station seized more than 440 pounds of marijuana Monday.
Just after midnight Tuesday, agents manning the Interstate 35 checkpoint north of Laredo conducted an immigration inspection of the driver of a tractor-trailer.
A service canine alerted agents to the trailer and indicated to the presence of people or contraband.
Agents opened the trailer and found 23 people inside. All of the people were determined to be illegal immigrants from Mexico.
Border Patrol Agents from the Hebbronville station seized 443 pounds of marijuana.
Agents manning the checkpoint on Texas 1017 conducted an immigration inspection of the lone occupant of a 1992 Dodge pickup that was towing a flatbed trailer.
A service canine alerted agents toward the trailer, indicating the presence of hidden people or contraband.
Agents examined the trailer, which was carrying a load of fencing materials.
A close inspection of two banded stacks of metal fencing posts revealed that the stacks had been modified to conceal large metal boxes.
Agents opened the boxes and found 22 cellophane-wrapped bundles.
The bundles contained marijuana with a weight of 443.15 pounds and an estimated street value of $354,520.
Special to the Times
06/25/2008
Border Patrol agents from the Laredo North station caught 23 undocumented immigrants early Tuesday, while agents from the Hebbronville station seized more than 440 pounds of marijuana Monday.
Just after midnight Tuesday, agents manning the Interstate 35 checkpoint north of Laredo conducted an immigration inspection of the driver of a tractor-trailer.
A service canine alerted agents to the trailer and indicated to the presence of people or contraband.
Agents opened the trailer and found 23 people inside. All of the people were determined to be illegal immigrants from Mexico.
Border Patrol Agents from the Hebbronville station seized 443 pounds of marijuana.
Agents manning the checkpoint on Texas 1017 conducted an immigration inspection of the lone occupant of a 1992 Dodge pickup that was towing a flatbed trailer.
A service canine alerted agents toward the trailer, indicating the presence of hidden people or contraband.
Agents examined the trailer, which was carrying a load of fencing materials.
A close inspection of two banded stacks of metal fencing posts revealed that the stacks had been modified to conceal large metal boxes.
Agents opened the boxes and found 22 cellophane-wrapped bundles.
The bundles contained marijuana with a weight of 443.15 pounds and an estimated street value of $354,520.
June 10, 2008
Border agents discover 131 lbs. of pot in truck
Border agents discover 131 lbs. of pot in truck
Drugs have a street value of more than $100K
Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 6:05 PM CDT
Border Patrol agents from the Hebbronville station seized 131 lbs. of marijuana over the weekend, according to an issued press release.
On June 7, agents manning the checkpoint located on Highway 16 conducted an immigration inspection of one male occupant in a Ford F-550 flat bed pick-up truck. A service canine alerted and indicated to the presence of people or contraband.
Further inspection revealed an after-market trap door leading to a compartment in the bed of the pick-up truck. Inside the compartment agents located 10 bundles wrapped in gray vacuum packaging containing marijuana. The total weight of the marijuana was about 131 lbs. with an estimated value of $104,800. The driver, vehicle and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. To report suspicious activity such as drug and/or alien smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol at 1-800-343-1994.
http://www.aliceechonews.com/articles/2008/06/10/news/doc484eddc92df99802112937.txt
Drugs have a street value of more than $100K
Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 6:05 PM CDT
Border Patrol agents from the Hebbronville station seized 131 lbs. of marijuana over the weekend, according to an issued press release.
On June 7, agents manning the checkpoint located on Highway 16 conducted an immigration inspection of one male occupant in a Ford F-550 flat bed pick-up truck. A service canine alerted and indicated to the presence of people or contraband.
Further inspection revealed an after-market trap door leading to a compartment in the bed of the pick-up truck. Inside the compartment agents located 10 bundles wrapped in gray vacuum packaging containing marijuana. The total weight of the marijuana was about 131 lbs. with an estimated value of $104,800. The driver, vehicle and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. To report suspicious activity such as drug and/or alien smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol at 1-800-343-1994.
http://www.aliceechonews.com/articles/2008/06/10/news/doc484eddc92df99802112937.txt
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