Marines arrested for smuggling illegal immigrants near southern border

July 9, 2019 in News by RBN Staff

 

 

Two Marines were busted last week in California for allegedly smuggling a trio of illegal immigrants near the US-Mexico border.

Marines Bryon Darnell Law II and David Javier Salazar-Quintero were caught about 10 a.m. last Wednesday by a US Border Patrol agent while driving three illegal immigrants on Interstate 8 in Jacumba Hot Springs — seven miles north of the border, according to court documents filed last Friday in the US District Court for the Southern District of California.

The three passengers admitted to authorities that they were Mexican citizens in the country illegally — and had been picked up from the side of the road by a black car driven by Law.

Two of the three immigrants said they planned to fork over $8,000 to get into the US. They expected to settle in Los Angeles and New Jersey, court documents say.

Law and Salazar-Quintero, who are stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, said they also picked up another illegal immigrant near the same place about 10:30 p.m. last Tuesday. They drove the man to a McDonald’s parking lot in Del Mar, where he was picked up by somebody else.

After being caught, the Marines blamed each other for initiating the smuggling.

Law claimed both smugglings were organized by Salazar-Quintero, who coordinated the pickups via cellphone conversations with somebody south of the border, and promised him $1,000 for the first job.

Despite not getting paid, Law said he agreed to pick up more illegal immigrants on Wednesday with the promise from Salazar-Quintero of being financially compensated for both jobs, court documents say.

Salazar-Quintero, however, claimed it was Law who introduced him to the criminal act.

On four different occasions, Salazar-Quintero admitted he’s been to Jacumba Hot Spring for pickups, including last Tuesday and Wednesday.

The first time he returned without picking up anyone, he claimed, while the second time he was promised, but not given, $500 for smuggling a man.