Riverside Police Department Press Release

Two Men Charged in Illegal Transportation of Illegal Immigrants
 

Riverside, Ca-  At approximately 7:40 am, a Riverside Police Officer discovered a stolen 1997 GMC Yukon SUV traveling westbound on the 91 Freeway at Adams Street. The officer discovered the stolen truck through the use his LoJack® equipped police car. The Riverside Police Officer conducted a traffic stop on the stolen truck at Magnolia Avenue and the 91 Freeway.

Officers saw approximately 21 people inside of the SUV. The 20 passengers were Spanish speaking illegal immigrants, and the driver was an English speaking United States citizen. The Riverside Police arrested the driver for possession of a stolen vehicle, and the United States Border Patrol responded to investigate the illegal transportation of the immigrants.

The Border Patrol found one of the passengers to be a known smuggler of illegal immigrants also and took custody of him and the remaining passengers. Riverside Police booked the driver of the stolen SUV, 19-year old Ishmael Rodriguez from Pueblo New Mexico, into the Robert Presley Detention Center. The Border Patrol will also seek charges of illegal immigrant transportation against Rodriguez. The SUV was stolen from the city of San Diego.