*EPF206 12/14/2004
Arrests Made in Case Involving Smuggling of Ecuadoreans, Chinese
(United States reiterates commitment to disrupting smuggling trade) (440)

By Eric Green
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Sixteen arrests have been made in a case that involved the smuggling of Ecuadorean and Chinese nationals into the United States, says the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

In a December 13 statement from its office in Miami, ICE said it made the arrests stemming from an investigation known as "Operation Palmdale," which was conducted in Miami, New York, and Ecuador.

ICE said that beginning in early 2004, the defendants in the case used immigration documents provided by undercover agents to smuggle the Ecuadorian and Chinese nationals into the United States by commercial airline from Ecuador. ICE said the defendants paid agents smuggling fees ranging from $9,000 to $20,000 for each person being smuggled.

If convicted of various alien-smuggling charges, the defendants face the possibility of being sentenced from five years to 15 years in prison.

ICE Special Agent in Charge Jesus Torres said the case involved a "major human-smuggling enterprise that funneled individuals from China and Latin America" into the United States. The "criminal organizations behind this scheme profited enormously at the expense of their human clients, in some cases charging as much as $20,000 per person," Torres said. "Targeting the multi-billion-dollar human-smuggling trade is a key priority for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security."

Marcos Jimenez, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, added: "together with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to disrupting the smuggling trade, and holding smugglers accountable for their illegal acts, no matter where in the world they may operate."

John Torres, ICE's deputy assistant director for smuggling and public safety, says the United States is a "primary target destination for smugglers and traffickers ... literally tens of thousands of men, women and children are entering this nation illegally each year -- undocumented, undetected, and unprotected."

In May 18, testimony before the U.S. Congress, Torres said the international criminal market is extraordinarily lucrative for smugglers and traffickers, generating an estimated $9.5 billion in profits for criminal organizations worldwide.

"In many cases, these profits fuel additional criminal enterprises, such as the trafficking of drugs, weapons, or other contraband, or the funds are laundered and invested in legitimate business enterprises," Torres said. These untraced profits, he added, "feed organized crime activities, undermining governmental action and the rule of law, while allowing these criminal networks to grow stronger, more resilient, and more dangerous."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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