HUMAN SMUGGLING RING BUSTED FEDS ARREST 11 SUSPECTS IN OXNARD-BASED OPERATION.

Byline: ERIC LEACH Staff Writer

OXNARD -- Federal agents arrested 11 people suspected of running an Oxnard-based operation that illegally smuggled hundreds of immigrants -- including infants -- into the U.S. from Mexico, officials announced Friday.

The suspects include five people arrested Thursday during a raid on a mobile home park in Oxnard, where authorities said they rescued a 9- month-old girl who was being held by the smugglers attempting to collect money from her mother.

``With these arrests we have dismantled a criminal organization responsible for smuggling a significant number of aliens into the southwestern United States,'' said David Wales, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Ventura County.

The 11 suspects were charged with bringing illegal immigrants into the United States, transporting illegal immigrants, harboring illegal immigrants and conspiracy.

Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for ICE, said illegal immigrants who come to the United States for work frequently leave their children behind, sending for them later.

``Recently, we are seeing more and more smuggling of the children,'' she said. ``It's very dangerous to entrust the life of a child to a smuggler.''

According to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the smuggling organization was headed by Juan Ramirez-Ramirez, 37, of Oxnard, who was also known as ``El Diablo,'' or ``the Devil.''

Authorities said Ramirez charged $1,600 to $2,000 for each illegal immigrant smuggled to the Los Angeles area from Mexico. The fee increased to as much as $2,800 for immigrants destined for other parts of the United States.

Investigators said the ring has apparently smuggled more than 100 illegal aliens into the United States in the past six weeks alone.

Authorities allege Ramirez and two sisters from Oxnard, Maria Margarita Renovato-Rangel and Maria De Jesus Renovato, arranged for the immigrants to be brought across the border near San Luis, Ariz., and transported to Yuma. There, they were kept with little food in ``drop houses'' until drivers brought them to Oxnard.

In addition to Ramirez and the Renovato sisters, the suspects include Joel Rodriguez-Vargas, 27, of Riverside and Manuel Leon-Morales, 62, of Los Angeles.

The other suspects remained at large. They include Norma Higinia Felix De Sanchez, 41, of Yuma, who specialized in smuggling infants and children, some as young as 8 months, using false identification documents, officials said.

The case is the first prosecution brought by the newly established Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section within the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com

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