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Federal criminal charges for undocumented aliens held since May 11 in Putnam I-70 incident
TERRE HAUTE -- Five suspects, including the driver of a van stopped in Putnam County in May and subsequently detained by immigration officials, are facing federal criminal charges in connection with their arrests.
Driver Roberto Ramirez-Cruz has been charged with illegal transportation of undocumented aliens in the United States. On May 11, he was driving a van stopped by Indiana State Police for unsafe lane movements along Interstate 70 in southwestern Putnam County.
State troopers found nine people in the van, including two minor females, according to information filed in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana at Terre Haute.
Ramirez-Cruz was initially lodged in the Putnam County Jail on charges of human trafficking, a Level 3 felony (punishable by 3-16 years in prison), and transporting an undocumented alien, a Class A misdemeanor. However, on May 15 he was released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and transferred to the Clay County Justice Center in Brazil, Indiana's only ICE detention center,
At the time of his arrest, reports indicated Ramirez-Cruz was transporting the undocumented immigrants from California and Colorado to New York or Philadelphia, where they were allegedly supposed to work as indentured servants until the cost of their transportation had been satisfactorily worked off.
However, some of the van passengers later told agents from the Indiana office of Homeland Security that they or family members had paid someone to get them into the country illegally at a place not designated as a port of entry.
Housed along with Ramirez-Cruz at the Clay County Justice Center in Brazil, Indiana's only Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, were:
-- Judith Cornelio-Cruz, 34.
-- Alvaroa Jimenez-Velasco, no age available.
-- Ernesto Morales-Gaspar, 19.
-- Emilion Cruz-Cruz, 26.
-- Evelio Alvarado-Reyes, 26.
-- Javier Lopez-Martinez, 24.
All nine occupants of the van were confirmed as natives and citizens of either Mexico or Guatemala. Authorities said it was determined they had not been admitted to the U.S. by an immigration officer.
Four of the occupants had previously been deported from the U.S. and did not reapply for admission to the country, according to court documents.
Thus, a violation of illegal re-entry charge has been filed against Alvaroa Jimenez-Velasco, Ernesto Morales-Gasper, Eurelio Alvarado-Reyes and Javier Lopez-Martinez.
Two other adults -- Emilio Cruz-Cruz and Judith Cornelio-Cruz -- were not criminally charged but were taken into custody by ICE to apparently face immigration courts proceedings.
Meanwhile, the status of two teenage females also in the van was not disclosed. They reportedly told police they were en route to New York to visit relatives.
No additional court dates were announced.