Freeway gunbattle ends in death

[peejay 327]

Freeway gunbattle ends in death

One killed, two hurt when human smugglers clash

By ROBERT CROWE and KEVIN MORAN

2007 Houston Chronicle

Southwest Freeway shootout One man was killed and at least two were wounded when rival immigrant smuggling gangs engaged in a noontime gunbattle that started on the Southwest Freeway and ended on the feeder road, police said.

Authorities suspect one gang was trying to steal a load of immigrants from the other.

"It's unknown if it was a 'coyote' operation or a rip of some sort," Sgt. C.E. Elliott of the Houston Police Department's homicide division said. " ... We're still looking at that."

Police worked into the evening in an attempt to sort out what happened at the "chaotic" scene, which also ensnared an innocent bystander, left at least one other person critically injured and tied up traffic for hours.

It was hardly the city's first smuggling-related violence. For decades, Houston has been considered a major distribution hub for human traffickers, who sometimes hold immigrants in "stash houses" while family members try to raise thousands of dollars for their release.

Last April 24, one man was wounded in a shootout at a house in northwest Houston in what federal authorities described as an apparent battle between rival smugglers over control of the immigrants. Police found 10 Mexicans, three Hondurans and two Guatemalans in a locked closet inside.

A month earlier, gunfire erupted at a southwest Houston neighborhood, and two men were wounded in an apparent turf war between rival smugglers. Twenty-one immigrants were arrested at that house.

In the latest incident, a silver Ford pickup carrying at least 10 people left the freeway at Bissonnet and had stopped in traffic about noon Tuesday when two men from a green Chevy approached on foot and shot into the vehicle.

The silver pickup ran a red light before crashing into a Honda Accord that was not part of the chase. Passengers from the pickup began to jump out and run away as gunshots continued to ring out. The truck fled north on the feeder road and stopped in a strip center parking lot about one block away. Its remaining occupants fled, police said. It had three flat tires, its passenger windows were shot out and at least five bullet holes riddled the exterior; one man inside was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another man, apparently a passenger in the silver pickup, collapsed beneath the overpass on Bissonnet.

"Not only was he shot, but one of the vehicles that fled the scene ran over him," Elliott said. He said the man was in "extremely critical condition" Tuesday night at Ben Taub General Hospital.

A third man who showed up at a local hospital saying he had been shot in the arm while walking by the scene was being interviewed after getting treatment elsewhere, Elliott said.

The shopping center where the shootout ended includes a Chinese restaurant, Chase Bank branch and the Wiz-Kid Childcare Learning Center. Also nearby is the Star Kids Daycare.

The incident caused a traffic backup that lasted for hours, when officials closed the northbound feeder road and diverted traffic onto Bissonnet.

Truck parts and articles of clothing, including a shoe, were strewn around the intersection, and the roadway was stained with blood. Crime scene investigators had taped off the area and marked the location of two bullet casings.

Police were searching for the second vehicle, described as a green Chevy pickup with Texas plates 26R JS2.

"It's a very chaotic scene out here," Elliott said. He said several people fled, complicating police efforts to figure out how many were involved.

A local spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday night that she had no information about whether smuggling was involved, but said the agency will help HPD in the case.

"They have asked us for our assistance," said Luisa Deason, ICE spokeswoman in Houston.

Meanwhile, local immigrants rights activist Maria Jimenez noted that tighter security at the Texas-Mexico border has led to increased violence between competing smugglers.

Last spring, an ICE official told Congress the same thing.

Marcy Foreman, director of ICE's Office of Investigations, testified that the agency "is acutely aware of the recent increase in violence along both sides of the border." Foreman cited a case in McAllen, where two women from Central America were found beaten and naked on the side of the road.

"Their captors intimidated the victims by shooting weapons into the walls and ceiling as they raped them," he testified.

Houston police urge anyone who witnessed the shooting, particularly anyone who may have noted a license plate number, to call HPD homicide at 713-308-3600.

Chronicle reporters Susan Carroll, Armando Villafranca and Lindsay Wise contributed to this report.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4724950.html

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Those wacky illegal aliens. What will they do next?

[Heracles 417]

I would love to see how the poor illegal immigrant mob will defend this one..

[almaty 19]

damn, houston..looks like i be busy today

[eric&gen 0]

This is one of the reason we need to build a wall across the border lol.

[mybackpages 0]

Right because this violence is the fault of the illegal alien. if they would only stay home! Those human smugglers are just honest to goodness American loving capitalists.

[slim 1,533]

Just think, without guns... none of this would've happened!

[Amby 490]

#######?

[peejay 327]

Right because this violence is the fault of the illegal alien. if they would only stay home!

You said it...I didn't!

Just think, without guns... none of this would've happened!

The impotent US government can't stop the flood of illegal aliens and illegal narcotics across our border with Mexico...what makes you think they could stop illegal guns if guns were outlawed?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Maybe we should be thankful seeing that these illegals counter the apparently alarming wussyfication of America.

[/sarcasm]

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Just think, without guns... none of this would've happened!

Just think... A few "good" private citizens could have stopped this - Michael Bay style....

[metta 0]

This is a good example of "take no ###### from nobody" ethos that we should emulate to prevent the "wussification of America".

Imagine, regardless of where you live, you open up your Sunday local newspaper and find 'Shoot out at Lincoln High vs Heritage High Friday night football game. Thirty killed 100 wounded." And, that on page 4 with the usual crime report.

Then we could claim to have established the same kind of "Freedom and Democracy" we bestowed on Iraq.

Note: My example is in reference to" VT would'nt not have happened if every student had been carrying a gun" argument.

Edited April 18, 2007 by metta

[mybackpages 0]

How does an article about human trafficking turn in to a discussion about the right to own guns and/or illegal immigration?

[metta 0]

This is a good example of "take no ###### from nobody" ethos that we should emulate to prevent the "wussification of America".

Imagine, regardless of where you live, you open up your Sunday local newspaper and find 'Shoot out at Lincoln High vs Heritage High Friday night football game. Thirty killed 100 wounded." And, that on page 4 with the usual crime report.

Then we could claim to have established the same kind of "Freedom and Democracy" we bestowed on Iraq.

Note: My example is in reference to" VT would'nt not have happened if every student had been carrying a gun" argument.

Oopps! meant to say saturday local paper.. I'm confusing high school games with college football.