The Region - News from April 1, 1986

Three Mexican nationals have been arrested for allegedly posing as immigration agents and collecting $2.4 million from about 1,200 illegal aliens in return for promising them visas and green cards, authorities said. The trio, all residents of Tijuana, are suspected of charging the illegal aliens from Mexico $2,000 each for immigration papers that they never received, said Joe Thomas, deputy district director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The alleged scheme operated in the Los Angeles area. The suspects, Arturo Sotelo-Montano, 47; his daughter, Teresa Elida Sotelo-Canales, 19, and Alicia Quesada de Barban, 45, have entered the United States as tourists at least seven times since they began their alleged operation in April, 1985, Thomas said. They were arrested March 22 at a house in South Los Angeles where illegals were allegedly told to report to receive their papers.