More border follies. From the Arizona Republic, with thanks to Robert T.:
TUCSON - A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted two Syrian men on charges of impersonating U.S. citizens after Border Patrol agents stopped them in southern Arizona and found an undocumented Mexican immigrant in their car.According to a criminal complaint, Ala Salem Mamoud Al-Kurdi and Mohamed Tamman Nakchgandi, both citizens of Syria, were pulled over by Border Patrol agents on Feb. 18 on Arizona 86, a highway that runs through the Tohono O'odham Nation, a vast reservation southwest of Tucson.
In the back seat of the Cadillac, driven by Kurdi, agents spotted a Mexican man who later admitted to crossing the U.S.-Mexican border illegally three days earlier, according to Border Patrol reports. Kurdi and Nakchgandi, the passenger, said they were naturalized U.S. citizens born in Syria, but agents found they were in the country illegally, according to court records.
The agents reported that a second Cadillac was spotted traveling in tandem with Kurdi's along the highway, but got away. The Mexican man later told authorities he crossed the border with five other undocumented immigrants, who were in the second car, the Border Patrol reported.
A check of immigration records showed that Nakchgandi had entered the country legally in 1999 with a temporary visitor's visa, but overstayed, according to the Border Patrol. The agency reported that Kurdi also entered legally with an employment-authorization card that recently was canceled....
The illegal Syrians were caught on
Perhaps I don't have a clear understanding of the descriptive term used :
'vast reservation'.
I see it as meaning a fairly large community that is widespread in what would be described as desert southwest terrain. If that is the picture, then how does one loose a second 'cadillac'? I'm assumming that AZ hwy 86 cannot be confused with the Jersey Turnpike, or I75 in Atlanta, where it is conceivable that a second cadillac can be lost in a stream of traffic with frequent exits.
This article also states that these illegals were in the US for a few days . They obviously had help, since they didn't drive the Cadillacs from Mexico. Have they identified where the auto is registered and to whom? In the very least, was the registered owner of the vehicle brought in for questioning? Are border patrol officers responsible for investigating where each of the apprehended illegals received support? Or is another investigative agency responsible?
I'm relieved to see that these individuals were apprehended, but I would feel a lot better knowing that law enforcement is pursuing the 'safe houses' that illegals use to obtain the support that provide false documents, vehicles etc.
What consequences do 'enablers' receive?
The only thing that keeps me from throwing up every time I read something about the borders is that in my rich fantasy life, I imagine all these violations of border security as part of some sort of massive, extremely clever anti-terrorist "sting" operation that will be unveiled soon.
Please say it's so.
All I can say is thank heavens they weren't working for the University of Colorado @ Boulder impersonating Indians .. They'd be looking at very lucrative contract settlements instead of jail time!
Well, maybe I can say this too ... we need to get very serious about our border protection // good observations (I'm sorry .. is it .. miira?)
The agents reported that a second Cadillac was spotted traveling in tandem with Kurdi's along the highway, but got away. The Mexican man later told authorities he crossed the border with five other undocumented immigrants, who were in the second car, the Border Patrol reported.
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I have a dear friend who received a twenty year sentence for not cooperating with federal authorities, i've seen a 90 sentence handed to an illegal convicted of aiding terrorists, oh yeah when his sentence was up he was to be transferred to the front lines (deported).
These guys will have hands slapeed and transferred to front lines as well.