Police Catch 66 Illegals Left by Smugglers
Sixty-six illegal aliens packed into a flatbed truck were apprehended this morning on Terminal Island after a Los Angeles port police officer discovered the smuggling operation.
Port police Sgt. Bryant Torregano said the immigrants, who were apparently brought in by truck from Mexico, were left abandoned in the truck bed by four smugglers who fled when they saw Officer Pedro Alvarez approach at about 3 a.m.
Patrolling near Berth 216 on New Dock Street, Alvarez saw the 40-foot, wood-paneled truck and a van parked near the side of the road. When he noticed several men near the truck, one talking into a two-way radio, he drove up.
“He saw a lot of heads peeking over the top of the flatbed,” Torregano said. “That’s when he called for backup.”
Inside the truck were 47 men from Mexico, 5 Guatemalans and 2 Nicaraguans. In the van were 12 women, all from Mexico. None required medical attention.
They were taken to the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s office in Los Angeles.
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