These "anything for a buck" travel agents thought they were untouchable. Clearly, they'll have some time to re-think. This is a great start, but it's clear that we need much more enforcement - on both sides of the border. What to do with Americans who facilitate human smuggling? Perhaps they should be stripped of citizenship in the USA and shipped to Juarez. After all, turnabout is fair play. Why not send the criminals to the country that they really support?
PHOENIX — Fourteen travel agency owners or employees were indicted on human smuggling and other charges, accused of selling airline tickets they thought would be used by illegal immigrants, officials said.
Authorities said a records analysis showed six travel agencies sold tickets to an estimated 6,800 illegal immigrants in the United States since mid-2005. But Thursday's charges were connected only to the sale of tickets to undercover officers.
The undercover officers made it clear they were arranging travel for illegal immigrants and paid cash for dozens of one-way tickets across the nation, authorities said. The travel agencies offered advice on being discreet at airports, they said.
"They were so blatant about it because they hadn't been touched," Phoenix police Lt. Vince Piano said. "They would say, 'OK, you need to dress them like this. You need to walk them in through this. Does he have an ID?"'
