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Breaking News

FBI Raids Possible Ukrainian Smuggling Ring

Aired May 03, 2001 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Charles Feldman joins us now. He's got some new information about an FBI investigation that he's been watching -- Charles.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Leon, good morning. And good morning, Daryn.

An FBI spokesperson here in Los Angeles tells CNN that there was a raid this morning, and they have broken up what they're calling a major and well-organized Ukrainian ring -- made up of people from the Ukraine -- which has, over the past year or so, smuggled, according to the FBI, several hundred people from the Ukraine -- illegal aliens -- into the United States.

They do it through Mexico, according to the FBI, and once in Mexico, they come by boat up the coast into Los Angeles Harbor.

Many of those individuals that were smuggled into the United States, says the FBI, were then placed into involuntary servitude, many having to work as prostitutes in order to pay off the amount of money they had to pay in Ukraine -- roughly $7,000 -- in order to come into the United States.

The raids happened early this morning. A number of people were taken into custody, including some of the people who were illegal aliens working as prostitutes -- they are going to be charged by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and, probably, deported. But others were alleged member of the ring, including the alleged ring leader.

Again, this is a group that the FBI says was highly organized, brought several hundred illegal aliens over the past year or so into the United States, and disbursed them throughout the country. They came through Mexico, and many had to work at prostitutes in order to pay off what, to them -- $7,000 -- was a lot of money, in order to fulfill their dream of coming into the United States -- a dream that, obviously, turned into a nightmare.

The FBI plans to hold a news conference here in Los Angeles in about an hour's time -- Leon, Daryn.

HARRIS: Thanks much, Charles Feldman, reporting live this afternoon, from Los Angeles.

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