– immigrant smuggling operation Peace Arch
– arrested immigrant smuggling Peace Arch.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
BLAINE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two individuals have been apprehended on suspicion of being part of a long-standing human trafficking syndicate that utilised the Blaine border crossing.
Investigation Unveils Smuggling Ring
According to legal documents, agents from Homeland Security and Border Protection launched an inquiry into the operation in July 2023.
After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that a suspect, known as Jesus Ortiz-Plata, aged 45, managed the illegal transport of individuals across the border in Blaine by utilising mobile phones to navigate and collect them. The investigation uncovered at least six separate incidents since 2022 where individuals who were detained for illegal immigration possessed a phone number linked to Ortiz-Plata.
Arrest Made in Everett
Following GPS tracking data, Homeland Security agents located Ortiz-Plata in Everett on Thursday morning, where he was found in the company of three undocumented individuals and a suspected accomplice. Subsequently, they were taken to Ferndale for interrogation, during which sufficient evidence was gathered to arrest both suspects.
Suspects in Custody
Ortiz-Plata and his alleged partner, Juan Cuellar Medina, aged 34, were detained at the Whatcom County Jail late on Thursday evening. They were later transferred to federal custody and appeared in US District Court in Seattle on Friday for their initial hearing.
.
– immigrant smuggling operation
– Peace Arch crossing.
