MONTERREY, Mexico Associated PressMar. 30,
2005- Four Iraqis were detained at an airport in the border city of Mexicali,
accused of carrying false passports, authorities said Tuesday.
The four Iraqis arrived Friday at the airport in Mexicali, across from Calexico, Calif., on a flight from Mexico City and were detained after immigration officials discovered the Dutch passports they were carrying were false, said Abraham Sarabia, an attorney general spokesman in Baja California Norte state, where Mexicali is located.
Alya Kiryakous Dawood Sako, an American citizen and the sister of one of the Iraqis, was also detained and questioned. Dawood was released after immigration officials determined her passport was legitimate but she was turned over to immigration officials and is awaiting deportation, Sarabia said.
Sarabia said immigration officials noticed the men became nervous during routine questioning and once in custody of federal authorities they confessed their true identities.
The men were carrying Dutch passports under the names of Richard Richters, who Mexican officials say is Yacer Yoser Hana; Mikel Leewen, who turned out to be Basam Kiryakous; Jan Pieter Drijfhout, who is Basam Toma Jou and Robert Schurtman, whose real name is Sabham Kamel.
"Once in custody they told authorities they intended to sneak into the United States," Sarabia said. "They said they started their journey in Greece, traveled to Spain and then to Mexico City."
Sarabia said the men remain in Mexicali under federal custody.
Mauricio Juarez, a spokesman with the Migration Institute, said none of the men appear on terrorist watch lists.
It was not clear whether the Iraqis were Chaldean Christians, who have a sizable community in Southern California and frequently try to enter the United States through Mexico, claiming they face persecution in their home country.
The four Iraqis arrived Friday at the airport in Mexicali, across from Calexico, Calif., on a flight from Mexico City and were detained after immigration officials discovered the Dutch passports they were carrying were false, said Abraham Sarabia, an attorney general spokesman in Baja California Norte state, where Mexicali is located.
Alya Kiryakous Dawood Sako, an American citizen and the sister of one of the Iraqis, was also detained and questioned. Dawood was released after immigration officials determined her passport was legitimate but she was turned over to immigration officials and is awaiting deportation, Sarabia said.
Sarabia said immigration officials noticed the men became nervous during routine questioning and once in custody of federal authorities they confessed their true identities.
The men were carrying Dutch passports under the names of Richard Richters, who Mexican officials say is Yacer Yoser Hana; Mikel Leewen, who turned out to be Basam Kiryakous; Jan Pieter Drijfhout, who is Basam Toma Jou and Robert Schurtman, whose real name is Sabham Kamel.
"Once in custody they told authorities they intended to sneak into the United States," Sarabia said. "They said they started their journey in Greece, traveled to Spain and then to Mexico City."
Sarabia said the men remain in Mexicali under federal custody.
Mauricio Juarez, a spokesman with the Migration Institute, said none of the men appear on terrorist watch lists.
It was not clear whether the Iraqis were Chaldean Christians, who have a sizable community in Southern California and frequently try to enter the United States through Mexico, claiming they face persecution in their home country.
