Chronicle reporters Robert Crowe and Kevin Moran report on a gun battle that took place along the Southwest Freeway yesterday:
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.
Yesterday’s Chron coverage (timestamped 5:15 PM) indicated that the Feds had not yet been called in:
A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the federal agency had not received a call from HPD asking for its involvement.
“If they call us, we will respond,” said Luisa Deason, ICE spokeswoman in Houston.
Today’s story indicates that the Feds have been called in:
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.
Mayor White and proponents of Houston’s sanctuary policy have previously argued that immigration matters are a federal concern (never mind THIS non-federal, city-funded office). KTRH-740’s Bill O’Neal reports today that at least one member of City Council seems tired of hearing that canard:
Speaking to that shooting, District C’s Anne Clutterbuck said she has reached a very stark conclusion. “I agree with the concerns that we can no longer say it’s just a federal problem.”
Clutterbuck wants to open a wider discussion on what’s being done at the local level to address human smuggling. “It makes people wonder how many other such crimes are taking place, how many other crimes such as this are being addressed that we may or may not know about,” Clutterbuck said.
After a gun battle on one of Houston’s busy freeways, you’d think it would be at least of as much concern as citywide wifi, hobo parks, renegade downtown jaywalkers, taking care of Yellow Cab, and delivering the land of nonprofit organizations to local developers.
UPDATE (04-19-2007): And now, the first linked Chron story has been completely replaced by a story by two different authors! It’s so annoying when the Chronicle does that. In any case, the blockquote above is accurate. And here’s an interesting blockquote from the new story:
Houston police tried to handle the immigration issue carefully on Wednesday, declining to answer even basic questions involving people smuggling in Houston.
“We’re not going to get into that; it’s a federal issue,” said spokesman Victor Senties.
Obviously it’s more than just “a federal issue.” It’s so nice when public officials stick their heads in the sand. But maybe Chief Hurtt had already retired to Arizona, and couldn’t comment himself.
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