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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 20 June 2018

5 charged in immigrant smuggling

scheme after Texas crash

By RYAN TARINELLI charged, along with the Daryl Fields, a spokesman
Associated Press driver of the vehicle that did for the U.S. Attorney's Office,
DALLAS (AP) — Feder- not take off when agents said in an email that four
al prosecutors charged approached, 55-year-old of those charged made
five people Tuesday in a Marcial Gomez Santana. their initial court appear-
scheme to smuggle im- Two of the others charged ances on Tuesday in Del
migrants illegally after an are Santana's children. The Rio, Texas, and Monsivais is
SUV driven by one of them fifth person charged was a expected to have an initial
crashed in Texas while flee- passenger in the convoy. appearance Wednesday In this image tweeted by David Caltabiano of KABB/WOAI, a
ing Border Patrol agents, They are charged with morning. It was not imme- heavily damaged SUV is seen on Texas Highway 85 in Big Wells,
killing five passengers. transporting and conspir- diately clear if they have Texas, after crashing while carrying more than a dozen people
fleeing from Border Patrol agents, Sunday, June 17, 2018.
The crash happened Sun- acy to transport and har- defense attorneys.q Associated Press
day after Border Patrol be- bor "illegal aliens resulting
came suspicious of three in serious bodily injury and
vehicles traveling in a con- death."
voy between El Indio and The driver of the other ve-
Carrizo Springs, Texas, ac- hicle that tried to elude
cording to a statement agents, a 17-year-old un-
from the U.S. Attorney's Of- identified U.S. citizen, was
fice for the western district detained and is in the cus-
of Texas. When agents tried tody of Dimmit County au-
to make "immigration in- thorities. The teenager has
spections," two of the three not been charged by fed-
vehicles — a 2007 Subur- eral authorities.
ban and a 2008 Tahoe — Prosecutors said Tuesday
led authorities on a high that nearly two dozen
speed chase. people believed to be in
The Suburban, carrying 14 the country illegally were
people and traveling more involved in the smuggling
than 100 mph (161 kph), lost scheme.
control and overturned on The incident comes amid
Texas Highway 85 as it was heightened tensions over
entering Big Wells, a town the treatment of immi-
about 100 miles southwest grants at the southern U.S.
of San Antonio. Most of the border. The Trump admin-
occupants were ejected. istration has announced
Four passengers died at the a "zero tolerance" policy
scene and another died toward illegal immigration
enroute to the hospital. The that includes separation of
names of the victims have children from their families
not been released. in some cases. The policy
The man driving that SUV, has sparked outrage from
20-year-old Jorge Luis Mon- Democrats and some Re-
sivais Jr., was among those publicans.

linda.reijnders@cspnv.com