McCarran to see beefed up presence for INS
Thursday, Aug. 10, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.
An effort to stem the flow of illegal immigration in the Southwest will bring more federal agents to McCarran International Airport.
About 20 agents of the Immigration and Naturalization Service have started a 90-day crackdown on human smuggling through the airport in what the agency has dubbed "Operation Denial."
The main focus of the operation is Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, which the federal agency has identified as a major hub for the flow of illegal immigrants using airline travel to reach their final destinations.
But INS officials have beefed up airport security in Las Vegas, anticipating the smugglers may avoid Phoenix once word of the crackdown spreads.
The local office has doubled its enforcement staff from nine to 18 agents, who will be deployed full time at McCarran for round-the-clock surveillance. The new agents were temporarily assigned to Las Vegas from California, said Karen Dorman, the agent in charge of the Las Vegas INS office.
Among other things, the INS agents will be watching for groups of people with a lead person who buys tickets on their behalf. Late boardings by groups of people will also fall under suspicion, Dorman said.
The agents "are familiar with the territory and know what to look for," Dorman said.
Illegal immigrants often pay smugglers, known as coyotes in Mexico, up to $1,500 for safe passage into the United States. Increasingly, airports are being used by smugglers as the border becomes less porous, INS officials say.
While some arrests by the INS have been made at McCarran in the past, Dorman said the airport has yet to see a major influx of illegal immigrants. But that could change as airlines offer more nonstop flights out of Las Vegas to cities across the country, she said.
The crackdown also includes an effort to coordinate with the state patrols in Nevada and Arizona, Dorman said. The squeeze of extra security at the airports could mean smugglers turn to area highways to transport their human cargo.
INS agents will respond to highway patrol officers who request help identifying possible illegal immigrants after making a traffic stop for another reason, Dorman said.
The agency is not limiting Operation Denial, which is scheduled to last three months but could be extended, to only Hispanics or suspects from Mexico, Dorman said.
"That is not the directive of this operation," she said. "We are not targeting specific people. It could be somebody from an Eastern country smuggling people in. It could be anybody."
archive
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- CityCenter unveils Crystals high-end retail district
- Sarah Palin wasn’t a disaster, but Obama is
- Fontainebleau lenders sue construction companies over liens
- CityCenter’s Mandarin Oriental makes Vegas debut
- Limo drivers’ suit over wages gets class action status
- Kimbo Slice not enjoying cutting weight for first time
- AG says any Station Casinos trustee must be licensed by regulators
- Kruger may soon seek more disciplined shot selection
- As national jobless rate improves, LV sees signs of trouble
- Jim Gibbons vs. Harry Reid: Health care plan ignites dispute
Blogs
Politics: Ralston's Flash
Superintendents want state to immediately seek Race to Top funds
Top Chef: Las Vegas
The great Jennifer debate (1 Comment)
The Kats Report
From Eva Longoria Parker to a cluster of execs, crowd takes a shine to Crystals (2 Comments)
Elsewhere
Harry Reid's recipe for getting health-care deal done (9 Comments)
UNLV in at No. 11 in SI's college hoops power rankings (3 Comments)
Top Chef: Las Vegas
Top Chef Episode 13: A few good chefs
Gray Matter
Fight weekend in Las Vegas and Thanksgiving (3 Comments)
Calendar »
- 5 Sat
- 6 Sun
- 7 Mon
- 8 Tue
- 9 Wed
-
The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale at the Pearl
The Pearl at the Palms | 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
-
Willie Nelson at Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino | 9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Cash'd Out at Aliante Station
Aliante Station Casino and Hotel | 9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Brooks & Dunn at the Hilton
Las Vegas Hilton
-
Ron White performs at the Mirage
Terry Fator Theatre
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Technorati











