16 illegal immigrants apprehended in Sierra Vista on Highway 92

By Jonathon Shacat
Herald/Review
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008 - 12:19:35 am MST

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BISBEE — U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended 16 illegal immigrants from a vehicle in Sierra Vista on Tuesday morning.

The incident took place at about 6:20 a.m. when agents attempted to stop a Chevrolet Suburban, said Jesus Rodriguez, spokesman for Border Patrol’s Tucson sector.

“The driver fled in the vehicle from the agent, and then the agent terminated, and when he got to the intersection of Calle Mercancia and Highway 92 in Sierra Vista, the driver bailed out of the vehicle,” Rodriguez said.

“The suspect driver left the vehicle in drive, so the vehicle collided with another vehicle that was in the intersection,” he continued, adding the driver of the other vehicle, a female, was not injured.

A total of 15 passengers were inside the Suburban, Rodriguez said. Agents apprehended them and the driver. He said all of them are illegal immigrants.

Suburbans generally seat up to nine people. He said loading a vehicle over its capacity is dangerous because it causes the back end to sway a lot, especially at a high rate of speed.

“Believe me, that is a recipe for disaster right there,” he said.

Rodriguez said Border Patrol officials are noticing that some smugglers will intentionally jump out of a moving vehicle in order to cause chaos and help them escape.

“They are doing that quite a bit,” he said. “That is for sure. They are definitely doing that.”

For example, when agents made a vehicle stop on Feb. 12 along Interstate 10 near Benson, the driver of another Suburban accelerated, re-entered traffic and then exited and fled on foot.

An agent used his service vehicle to redirect the Suburban to the shoulder and thereby prevented the SUV from colliding with other vehicles traveling on the road. Six illegal immigrants were apprehended from that vehicle, but the driver and front-seat passenger got away.

HERALD/REVIEW reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached at 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathon.shacat@bisbeereview.net.

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Bobby wrote on Mar 22, 2008 7:22 PM:

" The truth is most Mexicans in the United States, with the exception of a few ten thousand or so, came here illegally. They simply crossed th border. I have at least three friends who have said that is how their parents came across. Draw you own conclusions as to why so many Mexicans have the attitude they do. They never did take the law seriously to beginn with. This may enrage some people, but it is what the situation is. "

To Anti-Illegal wrote on Mar 22, 2008 7:16 PM:

" Because out chief doesn't want to do that, even though they would get federal dollars to do it. "

Anti-Illegal wrote on Mar 22, 2008 5:23 PM:

" And why doesn't the City of Sierra Vista require their police officers to train under the 287(g) program to more effectively interact with immigration authorities? Or the county, for that matter? I think it is because business interests, backed by the Chamber of Commerce, won't allow the city to take this step. They will when a terrorist comes through and attacks the Fort, but otherwise they want the cheap labor. Notice how many Spanish-speaking people are working in the markets and shops? Ask the city council to mandate 287(g) training for local law enforcement. "

Fred wrote on Mar 20, 2008 2:24 PM:

" More ILLEGALS coming across to commit crimes Americans Won't. Another example of an American Citizen being assulted by Illegals. "

Bobby wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:32 PM:

" We have no leaders in this nation. "

dharc wrote on Mar 19, 2008 6:52 PM:

"
yes,the fence will not work ,right?They always say that because they know that it will work.It will stop the illegals aliens from mowing down Americans lawfully driving. "

sierravistan wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:52 PM:

" they should all be booked as acomplices to attempted vehicular manslaughter...if we started to prosecute these people perhaps they would think more seriously about just whose lives they are willing to take in order to enter this country illegally. "

the canyons are flooding wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:45 PM:

" Call in the news reporters, the canyons are full of illegal aliens and most of them are loading into the smuggling vehicles and heading north successfully!
Same ol' same ol’ here in Cochise County, AZ! Knowing that the illegal aliens have crossed at our unsecured border, Why not stop them at the border?
While 16 were caught and a citizen's vehicle was rammed, Why not also report on the "got away" numbers heading to every town U.S.A? Better yet why is every citizen not screaming for border security? Chasing illegal aliens all over the country side is insanity....
"

Curious wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:16 AM:

" If these people don't think there doing anything illegal, why do they try to outrun the police? Why do they jump out of a moving car if their not doing anything wrong?

OMG! Maybe they ARE doing something against the law! "

Lawlessness wrote on Mar 19, 2008 10:03 AM:

" Round up the criminals and send them to jail! Have them clean up the mess down by the river before they are deported. "