Thousands Allegedly Smuggled Through Border Fence Holes

KPBS
November 19, 2009
by Amy Isakson


U.S. federal officials say they've broken up a ring that allegedly smuggled thousands of people across the U.S.-Mexico border to San Diego County during the last few years. The group allegedly cut holes in the border fence.

The two alleged leaders of the smuggling ring, brothers Maurilio and Erik Mosley, were arraigned in federal court in San Diego.

They ran what U.S. federal officials say was one of the largest and most persistent smuggling rings that's been uncovered recently.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack says the brothers trained guides to walk people across the border.

"One method they used was saws, and trained the foot guides that they hired to cut holes in the fence, so they could pass the people they were smuggling through those holes to get them into the United States," says Mack.

The U.S. federal government recently spent billions of dollars to build more border fencing in San Diego.

One alleged member of the ring remains at large.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/nov/19/smuggling-ring-allegedly-brought-thousands-through/