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New power allows immigration agency to catch alleged human
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 05 - 04 - 2007


Immigration agents have arrested three
former foreign military officers who entered the U.S. after
lying about their pasts during Peru's struggle with the
Shining Path guerrilla movement and Argentina's «dirty
war,» according to AP.
The arrests of the three, who are accused of crimes
against humanity in their home countries, points out how
often alleged human rights violators have sought refuge in
the United States.
They were arrested under expanded powers granted to the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement under changes in 2004
to U.S. intelligence law. The agency is part of the
Homeland Security Department.
Telmo Ricardo Hurtado-Hurtado was arrested in Miami and
charged with criminal visa fraud. Ernesto Guillermo
Barreiro was arrested in a rural area in the state of
Virginia., where he sold artwork and antiques, and charged
with criminal violations of U.S. visa laws. Juan Manuel
Rivera-Rondon was arrested in Baltimore and detained
pending proceedings to send him back to Peru.
The immigration agency «will not allow the United States
to be a safe haven for those who have come to our country
in an effort to evade prosecution and punishment for the
crimes they have committed against others,» its chief,
Julie Myers, said when the arrests were announced this
week.
Some people accused of human rights violations have sought
refuge in the U.S. to avoid prosecution and punishment for
crimes committed in their home countries. Sometimes they
have lived and worked in U.S. communities where their
former victims have sought asylum.
The immigration agency has created a unit to track and
prosecute alleged human rights violators. So far the unit
has identified over 800 cases from 85 countries, with
people returned to Haiti, Somalia, Ethiopia, El Salvador,
Honduras and Bosnia.
According to court papers, Hurtado-Hurtado commanded a
Peruvian army platoon in 1985 that was seeking out members
of the Shining Path guerrilla movement in the village of
Accomarca. He and his troops herded 69 villagers, including
women and children, into a building and massacred them, the
documents say, and he «threw hand grenades into the rooms
and finally proceeded to set them on fire so that the
bodies of the victims were burnt.»
On May 31, 2005, the Peru's Supreme Court requested that
the U.S. extradite Hurtado-Hurtado to face charges relating
to the massacre. He faces criminal charges in the U.S. for
lying on his visa application when he said he had never
been arrested or convicted of a crime. After being
prosecuted on those charges in Miami, he will be returned
to Peru to face trial.
Rivera-Rondon is wanted by Peru for taking part in the
same massacre as Hurtado. He faces administrative charges
in the U.S. and proceedings that would return him to Peru
for trial.
Barreiro, a retired Army major who was chief interrogator
of Argentina's most feared torture chamber, is accused of
being personally responsible for the torture and death of
several individuals during Argentina's «dirty war.»
Nearly 13,000 people are officially reported as missing
during the Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship. Human
rights groups say the toll is closer to 30,000 victims.
Barreiro faces U.S. criminal charges of visa fraud and
after prosecution will be returned to Argentina to face
charges.
The court papers show that Barreiro applied for a visa to
the U.S. in Buenos Aires in September 2003. On the
application, he denied having ever been arrested or
convicted for any offense or crime, and acknowledged that
he understood that any false statement could result in the
canceling of his visa.
An immigration agency agent obtained documents from the
court in Cordoba, Argentina, disclosing that Barreiro was
arrested and detained in 1987 for six crimes of torture,
and one of torture leading to death.


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