Despite protests by a coalition of immigrant-rights groups, a woman who is allegedly living in the country illegally and was arrested during a Los Angeles-area narcotics raid that targeted her husband and three other suspects was facing possible deportation Wednesday.
Teresa Vidal-Jaime, 54, was arrested Monday by federal agents, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Border Patrol agents took custody of Vidal-Jaime upon discovering that she was living in the country illegally,” CBP said Wednesday. “Vidal-Jaime was processed for deportation proceedings.”
Thirty-three pounds of cocaine were seized during Monday’s raid, which involved the California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team — known as Cal-MMET — and led to the arrests of four Los Angeles men, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Hugo Rueda, 50, Enrique Rueda, 47, Erasmo Pimentel, 28, and Jose Gutierrez, 46, were booked on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of sales, according to the sheriff’s department.
Vidal-Jaime is Hugo Rueda’s wife, according to the CBP statement.
According the sheriff’s department, investigators from its narcotics bureau were assigned to Cal-MMET, which received information from the Border Patrol about an investigation “involving a vehicle that was suspected of cross- border narcotics smuggling activity, and was headed to the Los Angeles area.”
Sheriff’s investigators and Border Patrol agents tracked the vehicle as it arrived at an apartment complex in the 700 block of South Bernal Avenue.
“It was at that location where investigators observed several suspects allegedly offloading narcotics from the vehicle,” sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators arrested the four men and recovered 33 pounds of cocaine and a quantity of currency.
“It was determined that two of the suspects were residents of the apartment complex where the investigation took place,” according to the sheriff’s department. “Further investigation resulted in the search of their apartment and the reported seizure of additional U.S. currency, also believed to be narcotics proceeds.”
The men were arrested and a woman — identified by CBP as Vidal-Jaime — was questioned.
“A female Hispanic adult was initially detained at the scene and then released by LASD investigators once it was determined she was not involved in the sheriff’s department’s jurisdictional narcotics investigation,” according to the sheriff’s department.
Vidal-Jaime, however, was later taken into custody by Border Patrol agents, according to CBP.
A coalition of immigrant-rights groups held a rally Tuesday night outside the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles, protesting Vidal-Jaime’s arrest and alleging collusion between the sheriff’s department and the Border Patrol. The protesters noted that Vidal-Jaime was arrested despite not being a target of the drug investigation.
“Despite being told she would not be detained as long she cooperated, my mother was apprehended during an illegally conducted raid at my apartment,” Claudia Rueda, one of Vidal-Jaime’s daughters, said in a statement released by the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance. “Both Los Angeles Sheriff Department and California Border Protection used intimidation tactics to enter the home. My mother, who was completely sure that there was nothing to hide, gave them both access out of fear of retaliation.”
Sheriff’s officials insisted, however, that they had no part in Vidal- Jaime’s arrest by CBP.
“While this was a criminal investigation involving Border Patrol agents, the LASD does not enforce immigration laws, nor ask about immigration status,” sheriff’s officials said. “In fact, deputies do not ask immigration status of any person, including a victim or witness to any crime. Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government.
At no time during this criminal investigation did LASD personnel question any of the individuals regarding their immigration status. Sheriff’s Department personnel were not involved in the continued investigation conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol agents. The U.S. Border Patrol agents continued their investigation at the scene.”
Rueda said her family cannot “stay afloat” without her mother, “and I won’t be getting the support to continue attending college.”
“I know my mother is innocent, and both LASD and CBP know that, which is why they were supposed to let her go,” she said. “Right now she is being detained in Chula Vista and we want her back home.”
— City News Service