14 Immigrants, 6 ‘Coyotes’ Are Jailed

Fourteen illegal immigrants and six smugglers who sneaked them across the border were jailed Tuesday after a two-day odyssey during which the smugglers turned on the immigrants, police said.

The drama began Monday when six “coyotes” brought 14 undocumented males to a Costa Mesa apartment complex, but then tried to extort more money for the successful border crossing, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Ron Smith said. Six of the immigrants, who originally had agreed to pay about $400 apiece to enter the United States, refused to telephone relatives in the United States for more money, Smith said.

A coyote pistol-whipped one of the men and bound and blindfolded another five, Smith said. The men were put into a van that had been stolen near San Diego and were driven to an unknown location early Tuesday morning, Smith said.

When a coyote momentarily left the van, one of the victims escaped his restraints and drove the van away, but only after the coyote stabbed him in the leg, police said.

Uncertain of where he was going, the driver ended up at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. The men were turned over to police, who then staked out a house in the 500 block of Hamilton Street.

Over the next six hours, four suspected coyotes were arrested as they left or arrived at the house, police said. Finally, a SWAT team surrounded the home and ordered the two remaining suspects to surrender, Smith said. Police also took eight other illegal immigrants into custody.

Six men were booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to smuggle people, kidnapping and false imprisonment, Smith said. They were each held on $50,000 bonds in Costa Mesa jail. Their names were not released.

Meanwhile, the 14 illegal immigrants, roughly between the ages of 18 and 35, were also being detained at the Costa Mesa jail. The Immigration and Naturalization Service is investigating the incident and will determine their fate.