Charges have been dropped in the second trial of an Arizona man accused of shooting at a group of migrants crossing his property and wounding one. According to the District Attorney the charges were dropped because the four primary witnesses, including the man who was injured, could not be located. Because the INS lacks the resources to care for families with infants, couples that cross the border without documentation but with a child are not taken into custody, but are released pending a hearing date. An Italian national sentenced to two years in jail last year for shoplifting has been ordered deported to Italy, where she has not lived since her family came to the US when she was five years old. She was convicted on three misdemeanor counts, but because she was sentenced to more than one year in prison, she is considered an aggravated felon.
Construction is about to begin on the last segment of a new fence between California and Mexico.
The 3 mile segment will start at the Pacific Ocean and stretch into nearby mountains. Officials have arrested eight men suspected of being alien smugglers in connection with the rapes of two Mexican women they were smuggling. They are also said to have beaten the man who was with them. The suspects are thought to be part of a family of smugglers who are known for their rough treatment of people who cannot pay the fee.