3 Guardsmen Face Immigrant Smuggling Rap

U.S. Alleges Troops Ran Smuggling Ring Communicating By Text Message

(CBS/AP) 
Pacheco, in an interview a year ago with The Associated Press when he was first deployed to the border, said he was eager for the assignment in his hometown of Laredo.

"That's why we're here, to help them out," said Pacheco, who has served in Iraq and Europe. "I'm very lucky because they're (fellow soldiers in Europe) going back to Iraq and I get to serve here in my hometown."

In another text message exchange Thursday allegedly between Hodge and Torres, Hodge allegedly asked Torres to make a trip on Friday, and said "they suplyin da van," according to the court records.

All three soldiers, who were arraigned Monday in Laredo on charges of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants, are assigned to border duties as part of Operation Jumpstart, President Bush's initiative to place Guard troops at the border to help local and federal authorities with immigration enforcement. All the soldiers are volunteers.

Pacheco has been accused of recruiting soldiers to transport the migrants for $1,000 to $3,500 a trip. He and Hodge were arrested Friday.

The trio are not the first Operation Jumpstart troops in Texas to be accused of illegal activity. In September, three other soldiers were arrested on charges that they opened fire in a neighborhood near Eagle Pass. According to local police, the soldiers claimed that boredom was at the heart of a joyride with two cases of beer and a loaded 9 mm pistol.

Torres, Pacheco and Hodge were being held Monday by civilian law enforcement authorities on $75,000 bond. It was unclear if the men had hired lawyers.

A man who answered the phone at Pacheco's house said no one would be talking to reporters. Attempts to reach the other Guardsmen Monday were unsuccessful.

Texas military forces will determine whether the men will be charged under military justice as well, according to a statement issued by the Texas National Guard. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 19 in Laredo.

Texas Adjutant General Lt. Gen. Chuck Rodriguez said he was extremely disappointed to learn of the arrests.

"Our military service members have an affirmative obligation to be actively supportive of our law enforcement partners at every level of government," Rodriguez said. "This is our duty. Any breach of the public's trust and military law by our soldiers will be thoroughly investigated."

Smugglers' have been successful at recruiting U.S. agents in the past. In California, at least nine border agents have been arrested or sentenced in the last 18 months on corruption charges. In Texas, at least 10 agents, including four Border Patrol agents, have been charged or sentenced in border corruption schemes.

For Lee Morgan, a retired Customs agent from Arizona, the statistics, including last week's arrest, attest to how difficult the job has become.

"Any time the money is easy, you are going to find someone," Morgan said.

[middleman8]

How in deep blazes can u people cry about a few Mexicans entering The U S when hundreds of thousands of U S soliers are entering foregin
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.

[forthepeopl1]

time to take up ARMS and take them all out.

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,[e-mail]

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

[anonyma-2009]

"Helping people to a better life?"

These "soldiers" were selling a service. If the illegals hadn't ponied up the cash, there would have been no ride into America Land.

[frankinaz]

The forces that drive illegal immigration to this country (greed and corruption) have now managed to turn three U. S. soldiers into criminals as well. Just as police go crooked sometimes, those who are supposed to defend this country from this all but invasion of illegal immigrants are now caught-up in its greed, and have been corrupted to the point where they put money over the well-being of this country, and of their own careers.
I hope the Army throws the book at these three soldiers, and put them away for a long time.

[lars008-2009]

deport them to iraq and afghanistan...

[olebd]

They probably had this little operation running for quite some time and our "keepers of the gate" finally got around to catching them. Real fine work.

[cpaide]

Pfc. Jose Rodrigo Torres
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.

[annd2302]

middleman8

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?

[wordamus]

Wait a minute...hold up!

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!!!!!

[cbgb31]

Posted by JetRanger7 at 11:18 AM : Jun 12, 2007

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

[rharrin1]

They will start coming faster and faster so they can get the automatic citizenship. ( amnesty )

[tuckerndfw]

This I don't understand, soldiers helping people to a better life. . .

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.

[middleman8]

This I don't understand, soldiers helping people to a better life are charged as crimnals and soldiers murdering helpless,innocent, people overseas are hero's. Somewhere the countries priorites got reversed.

[archerollie]

Good ol' republican business.....it seems to me.

The Prez should be proud and pardon them.

[jetranger7]

YA,, WELL WHENS THE TRAFFIC SMUGGING GONNA STOP ALONG I-35 ??? EVERYDAY AND NITE ALONG I-35 IN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA, THERES VEHICLES BEING TOWED SOUTH WITH TOW BARS PULLING ANOTHER CAR BEHIND IT, ALWAYS HEADED SOUTH AND BEING DRIVIN BY MEXICANS,,, EVERYDAY AND NITE,, I SEE IT EVERYDAY,,THEY'RE ALWAYS HEADED SOUTH AND NOBODYS DOIN ANYTHING ABOUT IT EITHER,, NEVER DO YOU SEE THEM HEADED NORTH PULLING ANOTHER CAR WITH A TOW BAR,, ONLY SOUTH,,,, WISH SOMEBODY WOULD PUT A STOP TO IT, OHHH YA,,, GET THIS,, JUST LAST WEEK, TROOPERS STOPPED A FULLY LOADED TRACTOR TRAILER, GUESS WHAT IT WAS LOADED WITH,,, YIP, A FULL-LOAD OF, "DOPE" MARIJUANA,, THE BIGGEST DRUG BUST IN THE COUNTRYS HISTORY !!! WWW.KCTV5.COM

[sasi1-2009]

They should be shot.

[cantshutup]

that's what happens when you let the rats guard the cheese!