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Bowie man arrested for harboring illegal immigrants
By Carol Broeder/Arizona Range News
Robert Tapia was arrested last Wednesday on charges of harboring illegal immigrants at his home in Bowie.
On Tuesday, March 18, a Border Patrol agent followed footprints to Tapia's home.
After questioning Tapia and being denied consent to search the home, agents obtained a search warrant for the property.
Agents stopped a vehicle being driven by Tapia and served him the warrant. The Border Patrol's Special Response Team executed the warrant.
Inside the house they found 15 other individuals, all of whom admitted they were not citizens of the United States and that they did not have permission to be in the United States legally.
Material witnesses Erik Gerardo Gomez-Perez and Eleazar Galvez-Rodriguez, who were in the house, said their group crossed into the U.S. by walking through the desert rather than through a port of entry.
Gomez-Perez said that Tapia had found them in the desert and offered to temporarily house them in his home and later transport them to their final destination.
Gomez said that Tapia was going to charge the group of illegal immigrants $10 a day to stay in his home for a week and an additional $500 each to transport them to their destinations.
After Miranda warnings, Tapia admitted that there were illegal immigrants in his home and also admitted knowing that the group had illegally entered the U.S.
Tapia had his preliminary hearing in federal court in Tucson and was released Friday, said Sandi Raynor, public affairs officer with the U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, in Phoenix.
On Tuesday, March 18, a Border Patrol agent followed footprints to Tapia's home.
After questioning Tapia and being denied consent to search the home, agents obtained a search warrant for the property.
Agents stopped a vehicle being driven by Tapia and served him the warrant. The Border Patrol's Special Response Team executed the warrant.
Inside the house they found 15 other individuals, all of whom admitted they were not citizens of the United States and that they did not have permission to be in the United States legally.
Material witnesses Erik Gerardo Gomez-Perez and Eleazar Galvez-Rodriguez, who were in the house, said their group crossed into the U.S. by walking through the desert rather than through a port of entry.
Gomez-Perez said that Tapia had found them in the desert and offered to temporarily house them in his home and later transport them to their final destination.
Gomez said that Tapia was going to charge the group of illegal immigrants $10 a day to stay in his home for a week and an additional $500 each to transport them to their destinations.
After Miranda warnings, Tapia admitted that there were illegal immigrants in his home and also admitted knowing that the group had illegally entered the U.S.
Tapia had his preliminary hearing in federal court in Tucson and was released Friday, said Sandi Raynor, public affairs officer with the U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, in Phoenix.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
Larry B wrote on Mar 27, 2008 3:36 PM:
" The "open borders/amnesty" immigration policy of the Bush administration has done immeasurable damage to our nation. Forty percent of all illegal aliens domiciled in the U.S. arrived here since January, 2001. What a rotten Bush legacy! "
Dave wrote on Mar 27, 2008 5:40 PM:
" The mayor of Los Angeles, along with many city government officials, see no wrong in pandering to special interest groups. Even though Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, a Republican from Oceanside, said illegal immigrants cost California taxpayers an estimated $9 billion each year.
"Illegal immigration continues to have a devastating impact Los Angeles County taxpayers," Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said. "With $220 million for public safety, $400 million for health care, and $420 million in welfare allocations, the total cost for illegal immigrants to county taxpayers far exceeds $1 billion a year - not including the millions of dollars for education."
The SAVE ACT will supersede any state laws, in its magnitude.
H.R. 4088 can enforce "THE RULE OF LAW"
Keep calling your Congressmen today, toll free numbers include 1-877-851-6437 and 1-866-220-0044, or call toll 1-202-224-3121 AND REGISTER YOUR OUTRAGE at ongoing efforts to keep our country from enforcing its immigration laws! "
"Illegal immigration continues to have a devastating impact Los Angeles County taxpayers," Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said. "With $220 million for public safety, $400 million for health care, and $420 million in welfare allocations, the total cost for illegal immigrants to county taxpayers far exceeds $1 billion a year - not including the millions of dollars for education."
The SAVE ACT will supersede any state laws, in its magnitude.
H.R. 4088 can enforce "THE RULE OF LAW"
Keep calling your Congressmen today, toll free numbers include 1-877-851-6437 and 1-866-220-0044, or call toll 1-202-224-3121 AND REGISTER YOUR OUTRAGE at ongoing efforts to keep our country from enforcing its immigration laws! "
Chris wrote on Mar 29, 2008 12:16 PM:
" It seems a shame to me that someone hasn't figured out how people that want and need to work can come here from other country's to live, work and be paid a fair wage and not be treated like slaves.
Somewhere along the line we, as Americans have forgotten to understand the needs of others.
If these people were paid a prevailing wage there would be jobs for everyone.
We should stop people from coming here illegally first and the start allowing a worker program so that these people that want and need to work can come here legally, pay taxes, find homes and live like free people.
I think we should first build a fence between us and Mexico but install a few worker friendly gates.
God Bless The USA. "
Somewhere along the line we, as Americans have forgotten to understand the needs of others.
If these people were paid a prevailing wage there would be jobs for everyone.
We should stop people from coming here illegally first and the start allowing a worker program so that these people that want and need to work can come here legally, pay taxes, find homes and live like free people.
I think we should first build a fence between us and Mexico but install a few worker friendly gates.
God Bless The USA. "
Bob wrote on Mar 27, 2008 10:40 AM:
Only a select few are becoming outrageously wealthy with NAFTA while most of the population of both Mexican and the U.S. are suffering due to the slave labor and greed.
Americans have lost jobs to NAFTA and Mexican workers make 5 dollars a day for their labor.
Sickening. "