Mexican Who Won Lottery Seized by INS

A young Mexican who sneaked across the border and won the California Lottery’s $2-million jackpot was arrested today by immigration authorities who said they acted quickly because he “bragged” about his illegal status.

Jose Caballero, 24, an illegal alien working for $200 a week, was arrested at his home in East San Jose, said Arthur Shanks, deputy director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in San Francisco.

Shanks said Caballero was given a choice of an immediate voluntary deportation at his own cost or a hearing with a judge to determine whether he will be allowed to stay in the United States. Caballero opted for the hearing, Shanks said.

Shanks said Caballero was arrested “because it would look real bad to the taxpayers,” if he were allowed to remain free after “bragging” about his illegal status.

“He’s bragged about his ability to enter the United States illegally,” said Shanks. He said Caballero normally would have been asked to come to the INS office with his attorney to discuss his immigration status.

The arrest was made quickly because Caballero had put the federal agency in an “embarrassing” position, Shanks said.

David Still, the acting officer in charge of the San Jose INS office, said Caballero was taken to the INS office at 8:15 a.m. and was then interviewed for several hours with his attorney present.

“He moved up in our priority system, possibly because of all the notoriety,” Still said. “The word came that we should go out and interview him right away.”

Caballero will post $5,000 bail and be freed until the hearing, according to Still. No date for the hearing has been set.