EL PASO, Texas, June 12, 2007
3 Guardsmen Face Immigrant Smuggling Rap
U.S. Alleges Troops Ran Smuggling Ring Communicating By Text Message
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In a series of text messages uncovered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after Pfc. Jose Rodrigo Torres was arrested on Thursday, the three soldiers allegedly negotiated the details, price and number of people who would be smuggled north, the complaint said.
"Tell them ill only do 1 run no more than 20 people $150 a person and i want 2 leave 1930 hrs and ill go 2 San Anto if they want," Torres typed to Sgt. Clarence Hodge Jr. hours before Torres was arrested along Interstate 35 near Cotulla, Texas, about 68 miles north of the border, according to the complaint.
A message later that day from Sgt. Julio Cesar Pacheco instructed Torres that a trip was a go, with a promised payment of $3,500 for the delivery of 24 illegal immigrants.
"24 will b tuff 2 fit but ill try," Torres wrote in response, the complaint said.
The 24 immigrants, at least five of whom were Mexican nationals, did fit in the van that was waved through a Border Patrol checkpoint before later being stopped along the highway.
Torres, 26, of Laredo, told federal investigators that it was his seventh immigrant smuggling trip. Torres implicated 36-year-old Hodge, a Fort Worth resident, as the soldier who waved his van through the checkpoint.
According to interviews immigration authorities conducted with some of the immigrants, Torres told the group to stay down and be quiet inside the vehicle. One woman, a Mexican national, told investigators she paid $1,500 to be taken to Dallas.
Investigators say Hodge pointed to Pacheco, 26, of Laredo, as the man who recruited and paid him. Hodge told investigators he had been paid for helping smuggle a load of immigrants in May but the men had not worked out payment for the most recent load.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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countries against the countrey's will and destroging the country and killing the people.
The Mexicans are honnest hard working people. (by the way I am a vet. (korean war) G I's died for the country around me in one day 64....SIXTY FOUR.
EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP WITH THIS SHOULD BE TALKING TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS AND TELLING THEM THAT AMERICANS ARE READY TO TAKE WASHINGTON ON AND ITS NOT A FEW AMERICANS ITMILLIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WILL TAKE BACK THERE COUNTRY..
I AM WILLING TO GIVE MY BLOOD FOR ALL AMERICANS TO GET OUR COUNTRY BACK TO WHAT OUR FORFATHERS WANTED.
AM A VET AND AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS AMERICAN BOYCOT/COOP IF WE THE PEOPLE DONT DO THIS NOW WE WILL BE GIVENING UP ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND WHAT ALL OUR VET HAVE DIED FOR..
DAVID A BELANGER,VET US ARMY,for-america@hotmail.com
ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION
they cant kill millions of americans at once so if we charge them all at once we will win and take them out and hang them all..
just like in the old days of the west...hang them from the trees in front of the whitehouse and see how many start telling the truth about what they have done to all us americans..
if the american NOW dont stand up and start a NATIONAL REVOUTION ON THIS WASHINGTON BULL S/H/I/T/ THEN we as TRUE AMERICANS can say nothing!!!
its time to take all this *** and take our government back now..
they are the ones that started this and we will finnish it now..we the people will take our country back and everyone in washington can sit there and thinks we the people are ok with what they are doing..go ahead and let them think that we are comming to take them out
These "soldiers" were selling a service. If the illegals hadn't ponied up the cash, there would have been no ride into America Land.
I hope the Army throws the book at these three soldiers, and put them away for a long time.
Sgt. Julio Cesar Pacheco
Sgt. Clarence Hodge Jr.
That's who's watching the border???? Two messkins from Laredo and a redneck from Fort Worth???
Great job. Now release them so they can run for president or congress.
Bulls-hit, fella. Illegal is illegal no matter how it is said or how it is meant. You know,
you have, right is right
left is left
black is black
illegal is illegal
legal is legal
What the hell do you not comprehend?
If a person enters the United States without proper authority....Period, simple, the buck stops here, then they are ILLEGAL, that is
I L L E G A L , UNDERSTAND BUCKO?, well if not, then pick from the diminutive list below,
Against the law
Unlawful
Prohibited
Banned
Illegitimate
Illicit
Dishonest
Criminal
Unauthorized
Improper
Fraudulent
Corrupt
Insincere
False
Cunning
Untrustworthy
You almost do not sound like a U.S. Citizen, are you communist?
Me thinks the Guardsmen should be given a Hero's welcome for their brave actions. They were doing the Lords work as they smuggled!
Reward them. As Senator Reid said very recently, "...bring the undocumented Americans out of the shadows..."
Isn't that what the guardsman did? Sure it is! The guardsman heroically rescued the "undocumented Americans" living in the shadows of...well, Mexico, Costa Rica, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Ecuador, Chile, China, Korea, India, New Zealand, Russia, Iraq, Iran, Italy, the Moon, Mars, Alpha Centuri, Neverneverland, Middle Earth, OZ, Frost Bite Falls, Des Moines, Cleveland, etc., etc. and etc.
The poor guardsman were just trying to do their part by smuggling the WORLD'S "Undocumented Americans" into America! They were trying to save the world!
Those guardsmen should have statutes erected in their honor!!!!!
Yeah, let's get started on that super hwy. The lame azz congress is letting Mexican truckers come up here now. We don't want lame azz Mexican drug addicted truck drivers on our freeways. No MEXICAN TRUCKERS
Posted by middleman8 at 11:50 AM : Jun 12, 2007
What part of "illegal" do you not understand?
By that standard, bank robbers should be assisted by bank tellers. And, no one should be prosecuted since they are only trying to have a "better life."
Illegal immigrants have corrupted the entire justice system based on comments such as yours that accept criminals and crime as normal, acceptable behavior.
Illegal means "CRIMINAL" and criminals should not be coddled, assisted or given amnesty.
The Prez should be proud and pardon them.
- by cantshutup June 12, 2007 1:58 PM EDT
- that's what happens when you let the rats guard the cheese!
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