Houston Chronicle
One killed, two hurt when illegal alien smugglers clash
HOUSTON, Texas -- More than 24 hours after a chaotic, noontime shooting that killed a Salvadoran man off the Southwest Freeway, Houston Police Department detectives said they are still investigating whether the slaying was connected to immigrant smuggling.
--snip--
When the shooting started, at least eight people were in the Ford, many lying in the bed of the truck, police said. Police would not say whether the people were in the process of being smuggled illegally into the country. The body of Jose Reyes Guidos, 43, of El Salvador, was found in the bed of the pickup. He was shot in the head, police said.
The shooting was reminiscent of attacks that have plagued other cities considered to be major smuggling hubs, such as Phoenix, for years. Federal officials launched a major operation in Arizona in 2003 to combat smuggling-related violence after a daytime shootout on Interstate 10 killed four people. In Phoenix, ICE officials targeted smuggling organizations and bajadores, bandits who rip off smuggling loads and hold people for ransom.
Posted by tyne at April 19, 2007