U.P. Breaking News Bulletin
11-17-17 5:22 a.m. ET
Illegal aliens busted across Upper Peninsula after probes into construction sites of Dollar General and Family Dollar
Illegal construction contractors in U.P. and norther Lower include Montoya Erectors and The Bridge
By Greg Peterson
Upper Peninsula Breaking News
News Director/Co-Owner
906-273-2433
(Marquette, MI) – A massive U.S. Border Patrol probe into illegal construction job sites across the Upper Peninsula has led to numerous arrests.
Plus results of other USBP arrests across the U.P. in 2017 and some alert Michigan State Police Troopers pick up illegals during traffic stops including one violent illegal alien.
Texas-based construction companies are hiring illegal aliens from Honduras to build Family Dollar and Dollar General stores across Northern Michigan on both peninsulas.
On Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Marquette filed a criminal complaint sworn out against an illegal Honduran working at an eastern U.P. construction site.
In a detention ordered filed this week in Marquette, U.S. Magistrate Timothy P. Greeley ordered the latest suspect – Martires Enrique Martel – held in custody for further court proceedings. The ultimate outcome deportation – and possibly a short prison term. If history is any judge, Martel will re-enter the U.S. many times in future years.
The bad apple construction companies that have permeated northern Michigan include:
Montoya Erectors’ in Houston, Texas
The Bridge in San Antonio, Texas
On Oct. 13, 2017 agents watching Dollar General construction site in Cedarville spotted a Chevy Silverado registered to one of the executives of Montoya Erectors’. The same vehicle that had been stopped Sept. 25 and contained four illegal aliens.
Agents attempted to stop the vehicle on M-134 near the Central Savings Bank when one occupant – Martires Enrique Martel – jumped out before the Silverado came to a complete stop.
Martel fled north on foot towards a wooded area “in an effort to evade arrest.” While chasing Martel into the woods agents repeatedly identified themselves and ordered Martel to stop,” a criminal complaint states.
“Multiple commands were given and ignored by Martel, the complaint states.
After about a 100-yard chase, Martel complied and surrendered – telling agents he ran because he was illegally in the U.S.
During the investigation, “Sault Ste. Marie Border Patrol Agents have arrested multiple illegal aliens employed by The Bridge,” a criminal complaint states. “These arrests have occurred in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and throughout Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”
For the last five months the ongoing investigation has been conducted by United States Department of Homeland Security U.S. Border Patrol (USBP). The crimes involved are violations of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
It appears the owners of those low-cost chain stores know about the problem – but there is no indication they are doing anything to combat the issue.
Those arrested have all been picked up numerous times in past seven years by the border patrol in other states (mainly Texas, Arizona) and deported numerous times – and re-entered only to be caught again and again.
In early August 2017, agents were doing surveillance of a Marquette area construction site and ended up stopping three vehicles with illegal aliens.
“On August 02, 2017, Agents performed three vehicle stops in Marquette, MI,” a federal criminal complaint states. “The vehicle stops resulted in the arrests of multiple illegal aliens who were employed by The Bridge.”
One of the stops was made on West Kaye Ave. at Presque Isle Ave. Which led federal agents to a home at 320 West College Ave. where illegal aliens were residing.
United States Border Patrol Agents involved in the U.P. probes include
Border Patrol Agent Niklas P. Green
Border Patrol Agent Hasenfratz
Border Patrol Agent Fullerton
Border Patrol Agent P. Michalke
Border Patrol Agent B. Cornell
Border Patrol Agent J. Courser
Border Patrol Agent Dustin Jones
Border Patrol Agent Chantelois
Federal Judges involved in the cases:
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy P. Greeley
U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney
Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker
Montoya Erectors vehicle:
- White 2007 Chevy Silverado with Texas license plate
The Bridge vehicles:
- Silver Honda Civic with Ohio license plate
- Red Ford Escape with Texas license plate
- Gold Honda Civic with Texas license plate
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Those busted – often get short federal prison terms – and then are once again deported:
- Martires Enrique Martel arrested Oct. 12, 2017 in Cedarville inside Mackinac County located in the eastern U.P. On Wed., Nov. 17, 2017 Martel was ordered held in custody for further court proceedings – with the ultimate outcome deportation – and possibly a short prison term.
- William Del Cid-Gonzalez aka William Delci-Gonzal arrested August 2, 2017 in Marquette County. Sentenced on Oct 27, 2017 to 4 months in federal prison – then deportation
- 36-year-old Gregorio Armira-Lopez arrested August 2, 2017 in Marquette County Sentenced in Marquette on Oct. 23, 2017 to time served – then deported
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Other recent unrelated illegals cases in U.P.
Marco Antonio Velasquez and Dany Daniel Orellana-Velasquez were arrested on Aug. 8, 2017 in Iron County and both charged in federal court in Marquette with alien felon reentry. Marco Velasquez was actually still on probation in a similar case in Texas – and the probation on that case would have ended three days later Aug 11 – however it has no effect because in all cases the ultimate plan is deportation with no future chance of legal reentry.
An indictment stated, Velasquez is “alien who had been previously removed (for the USA) after having been convicted of a felony offense.” In Kalamazoo, Marco Velasquez was sentenced on Oct. 17, 2017 to 11 months in federal prison – followed by deportation.
However his com-padre, Dany Daniel Orellana-Velasquez, was sentenced to 6 months in prison – and his attorney has asked the court for a longer time to consider an appeal – even though he got a much shorter sentence than Marco.
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32-year-old Oscar Lenin Mejia of Nicaragua was stopped on April 8, 2017 by a Michigan State Police Trooper near St. Ignace in Mackinac County. Mejia has been charged with illegal re-entry in the U.S. numerous times. His case has not been adjudicated.
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Terrible case:
Convicted Violent Felon 37-year-old Jose Elmer Vasquez of El Salvador was arrested by a Michigan State Police trooper on April 2, 2017 while a passenger in a 2013 Gold Honda Accord. He admitted living in Marquette and the suspicious trooper contacted the border patrol.
On April 6, 2017 border patrol agents found the same car on on County Road 492 during a predawn surveillance, followed and re-stopped the car at North 7th Street and West Bluff Street in Marquette.
On Aug., 9, 2017 Vasquez was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by deportation.
Vasquez had been “paroled” early by the state of Virginia after a violent crime – deported after 3 years instead of 10 years – and sent home in Oct. 2008.
Vasquez had been convicted of an “aggravated felony” of felonious assault/malicious wounding.
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U.S. Border Patrol Sault Ste. Marie, MI
https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/sault-sainte-marie
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Upper Peninsula Breaking News by Greg Peterson 