Inside ICE: Volume 1, Issue 13

PUBLIC SECURITY

ICE, AZ SMASH SMUGGLING CAR SCAM

An ICE agent working on “Operation Used Cars” checks the identification number on one of 349 vehicles seized during the operation in Arizona that dismantled an organization providing human smugglers with transport vehicles.

ICE and Arizona officials announced Oct. 4 that they have arrested 24 people, shut down 11 used car lots and seized 349 vehicles worth almost $1.4 million while dismantling an organization that provided Arizona criminal smuggling organizations with transport vehicles. The year-long, multi-agency investigation led to state indictments of 21 individuals on charges including illegally conducting an enterprise, money laundering, participating in a criminal syndicate and transportation of cocaine and marijuana. The defendants are currently in custody or out on bond with court dates pending. In a separate but related case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted seven individuals on federal charges of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Four of those defendants also face state charges.

The investigation, opened by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, was led by a task force with representatives from ICE, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Last year, the task force identified suspects who facilitated the movement of drugs and undocumented immigrants into and out of Arizona using a “rotational” system relying on vehicles supplied by cooperative used car owners. The investigation led to used car lot owners who allegedly provided vehicles used in the commission of the crimes.

According to the indictments, the accused car dealers provided smugglers with fictitious title documentation for vehicles that had previously been seized by law enforcement. The phony titles helped smugglers elude detection when they used previously seized vehicles to transport human smuggling loads.

The investigation also revealed that some of the accused car dealers installed secret compartments in vehicles to aid smugglers in concealing cocaine or cash. Finally, the car lots themselves served as vehicle supply depots for smugglers, who used them to acquire and store the vehicles needed to sustain their illegal enterprise. The arrangement offered smugglers a unique and essential commodity--vehicles that could not be traced or physically linked to them.

In addition to the arrests and the seizure of the car lots and vehicles, Arizona officials seized almost $500,000 in cash and bank accounts, nine commercial and residential properties, six guns and approximately three pounds of cocaine.

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Inside ICE is an e-newsletter produced by the ICE Office of Public Affairs to inform the public about the mission, operations and activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Please send comments and contributions to Russ Bergeron, Editor.

425 I St NW
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Russ Bergeron, Editor
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Russ.Bergeron@dhs.gov