Island drug raids lead to eight being charged with illegal immigration (Island Packet)

Island drug raids lead to eight being charged with illegal immigration

From Staff Reports
Published Monday, February 23, 2009

Eight people suspected of being illegal immigrants were arrested after drug raids early this morning after search warrants were executed on Hilton Head Island.

The searches took place at 5 a.m. at a home in Rollers Mobile Home Park off Marshland Road and at a home on Spanish Wells Road. They were conducted by members of the Beaufort/Jasper Multi Agency Drug Task Force, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement team.

According to a sheriff’s news release today, the homes were used to distribute illegal drugs. Officers found 40 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and forged documents, the release.

Over the last several months, the drug task force had purchased cocaine from Jorge Ortiz Leyva and Gonzalo Luna Crisante, who were living at these homes, according to the release.

The following people were charged:

• Jorge Ortiz-Leyva, 20, of Marshland Road, sale and distribution of cocaine, trafficking cocaine and illegal immigration.

• Mateo Perez-Gomez, 52, of Marshland Road, forgery and illegal immigration.

• Juan Lopez-Valente, 30, of Marshland Road, illegal immigration.

• Gonzalo Luna-Ortiz, 50, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, trafficking cocaine, sale and distribution of cocaine, illegal immigration.

• Mario Montano Ortiz, 23, Spanish Wells Road, possession of cocaine, forgery, illegal immigration.

• Alberto Montano Ortiz, 28, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, illegal immigration.

• Ana Lilia Montano-Ortiz, 21, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, illegal immigration.

• Jose Lopez-Valente, 38, Spanish Wells Road, forgery, illegal immigration.