Mar 9, 2006 8:46 am US/Mountain
CBS4 Investigates Alleged Immigrant Labor Camp
by Rick Sallinger
HUDSON, Colo. (CBS4) ―
Federal agents and prosecutors have charged 4 members of a family in Weld County with transporting illegal immigrants and housing them in a labor camp near Hudson. Investigators said the raid on the Weld County home is part of an increased crack down on organized human smuggling rings.
Members of the Rodriguez family said they were trying to help people and did nothing illegal. If convicted, the family members could face up to 40 years in prison. Their trial is scheduled for next month.
"Sometimes, we give them a ride from Phoenix over here, but we never smuggled them," Javier Rodriguez, one of the family members indicted after the raid, told CBS4.
His parents, Moses and Maria Rodriquez remained behind bars after the raid and arrests. One of their granddaughters said the family was just helping those in need.
"We would just help them out," Kristy Rodriguez said. "You know my grandma and grandpa are in jail for what, for just helping people out. That isn't fair. That isn't nice."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents said they raided the Rodriguez's alleged labor camp last year and sent illegal immigrants living there back to Mexico. They claimed in a court affidavit that workers at the camp spent 12 hours a day in the fields 7 days a week for low pay. The affidavit said smuggling fees and rent for housing were deducted from the low wages.
Agents also made a video of the raid. On the tape, authorities documented "large amounts of mold" on the bathroom floor.
"Every time we opened an apartment we painted and they had to pass an inspection from Weld County," Javier Rodriguez said.
CBS4 obtained documents from the State Department of Labor that showed the camp hadn't been approved for occupancy for the last 3 years.
"People should not have been living there because it did not pass the standards," Larry Gallegos of the State Department of Labor said.
"Oh, sure. This is organized crime," Jeff Copp with ICE said. "The money that these people make is enormous. It would equate to the drug smuggling organizations that are working."
The Rodriguez family claimed that federal agents took the video of the living conditions after deliberately disturbing the rooms.
"You know, I don't even know why they put my family in jail," Kristy Rodriguez said. "You know, it's just stupid and we were just trying to help people out."
(© MMVI CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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