Monday, December 10, 2007

NW Arkansas Restaurants Raided By ICE

I see that my favorite Mexican restaurant has been raided by Immigration.
According to U.S. Attorney Robert C. Balfe, the Immigration Criminal Apprehension Taskforce executed search warrants Monday at Acambaro restaurants in Bentonville, Lowell, Rogers and Springdale.

Not that I'm particularly surprised. We've often wondered how many of the people working there were illegal. It's a bit obvious when you can't speak English.
Immigration officials also arrested four operators of the restaurants: 35-year-old Arturo Reyes Jr., 36-year-old Silvia Reyes, 33-year-old Lucila Huaracha and 33-year-old Armando Reyes.

I wonder how ICE was tipped that they were illegal. The most important question is, are the restaurants going to be closed or open tomorrow?

UPDATE:
Apparently there are more serious charges than just being illegal.
Further, they "conducted or attempted to conduct such financial transactions to purchase the real properties ... which involved a specified unlawful activity."
Documents further indicate that the unlawful activity included identity theft, possession and use of counterfeit identity documents, employment eligibility verification fraud and money laundering.

Some of that was using Social Security numbers. I wonder how many people have had their identity stolen are now trying to resolve the damage to their credit. I seriously need to consider using a credit monitoring company. It's a pity that people now have to pay to protect their financial records.
In addition to the financial transactions, "the Acambaro Mexican Restaurant owners and operators are believed to be utilizing the labor of illegal aliens to increase their profit margin in order to maintain their current lavish lifestyles," Cottrell's affidavit states.

Slave labor. I wonder if they feel that it's all worth it now that they are facing jail and losing their businesses.

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