August 7, 1998
Calexico Chronicle, Thursday July 16, 1998
By Daniel L. Muñoz
The Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service has been charged by Herman Baca, chairman of the Committee on Chicano Rights, a National City based Rights organization, of attempting to cover up the strip search of Catholic Bishop Jose Isydro Guerrero Macias, of Mexicali at the Mexicali-Calexico Border.
Baca informed La Prensa San Diego that he had asked for an immediate official investigation of the U.S. Customs Department.
"Our organization is asking Senators Boxer and Feinstein, Congressman Bob Filner, Duncan Hunter, the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the `sacrilegious' strip search of Catholic Bishop Jose Isydro Guerrero Macias on July 3, 1998 as reported in the Calexico Chronicle and the apparent `cover-up' by Rudy Camacho of the Customs department in Calexico.
"We are also asking that the outrageous attempt by the U.S. Customs service to silence Mexicali Editor Hildi Carrillo and censor the media. This violates the Constitutional guarantees of `Freedom of the Press,'"said Herman Baca.
The incident was first reported on Thursday July 16, 1998 "Catholic Bishop Jose Isydro Guerrero Macias, a Bishop in Mexicali was apprehended at the Calexico Port of Entry on July 3rd at approximately 4:00 p.m. Bishop Guerrero was traveling to Calexico along with Mr. Dio Murillo President of the Aguilas of Mexicali and Jesus Sommers, Aguilas manager. The trio was sent to Secondary after the Customs Inspector felt there was a need to send the vehicle and its occupants to the next stage of interrogation...
Bishop Guerrero was taken to a room where he was stripped searched... all his clothing was removed and he was searched!! Customs Inspectors were told that he was the Mexicali Bishop and was just going to Calexico... shopping. The Customs Inspector laughed at him... not only were they searching his body and clothing... to add to this ridiculous scenario... they also laughed at the Bishop!
While in the room being strip searched.. Bishop Guerrero was pushed into a desk. Customs Inspectors, besides removing the Bishop's clothing and laughing at him... they also removed his crucifix that he was wearing around his neck and broke it... as they inspected it to see if he had drugs in the cross.
Once Customs Inspectors realized that Bishop Guerrero was really a Bishop and not a drug smuggler, he was released. No apology... No explanation... just let go.
Bishop Guerrero never made it to Calexico... he immediately returned to Mexicali and filed a complaint with Mexicali authorities including Mexicali Mayor Eugenio Elorduy, Mexicali Councilman Alfredo Arenas and with the Mexican Consulate. The Bishop was humiliated. Mexicali authorities are angry, disappointed and can't believe that U.S. Customs treated Catholic Bishop Guerrero in such a way, that why they would treat anybody in such a way.
Mayor Elorduy and Councilman Arenas immediately contacted the Calexico Chamber of Commerce, Daniel Romero, Chamber President, Councilman Victor Carrillo and Chamber Executive Director Fred Knechel immediately responded to the calls. They in turn contacted U.S. Customs Director Daniel Floyd and others at the Port of Entry and suggested an apology was in order.
Mexicali Mayor Elorduy, Councilman Arenas and Bishop Guerrero did return for a meeting with Daniel Floyd and Peter Lewis of U.S. Customs... a faint sorry was uttered and again no sincere apology or explanation was given!!!
What is going on here?... is U.S. trying to cut our throats or do they really just want people to stop coming across the border? Can we even imagine a boycott of Calexico businesses???? Well, if anybody can get a body of people angry enough to boycott... its gotta be a Catholic Bishop!
The actions reported by the Calexico Chronicle by agents of the U.S. Government are not only appalling and deplorable but are a violation of established religious and human rights. This is not the first time this has happened. Human and religious rights abuses have been recorded dating back to the 70's. Now as then "out of control" agents, of both the Customs and INS, have used the hapless Mexican citizens as means of venting their raciest hatreds. If the Catholic Shepherd can be treated in this manner what can you expect for the flock?" asked Baca.
On July 21, 1998, Agent Rudy Camacho, U.S. Customs Service sent the following letter to the Editor of the Calexico Chronicle:
"I read in disbelief your editorial of July 16, 1998, which was headlined "Catholic Bishop Strip Searched."
My disbelief was founded in my inability to feature how any accredited journalist could possibly print such misinformation without at least attempting to check the sources of the flagrant rumors on which the piece was based, as well as to check with the subjects of the rumors. No inquiry whatsoever was made to U.S. Customs prior to publication.
Let me set the record straight.
The bishop and the driver of the car in which he was a passenger, both of whom were dressed in civil attire, were referred for a justified secondary inspection at the Port of Calexico as they were entering the United States. During the secondary inspection they were detained briefly (not apprehended) for a patdown search. They were not stripped. The bishop was not thrown up against anything. The bishop's crucifix was not removed from his neck or broken.
The search of the vehicle, as well as the patdown search, was negative. Although the subjects of the searches seemed somewhat concerned about having been searched, there was no confrontation between them and the inspectors, and no laughter on the part of the inspectors. The inspectors explained how a formal complaint could be lodged, but the subjects declined to issue one. The inspectors also provided them a copy of the Customs handout "Why Me?"
During the week following the inspection, rumors ran rampant about what had happened, and the Mexicali mayor and the bishop contacted the U.S. Attorney's office, the Customs Office of Investigations, and the acting Customs Management Center Director. The meeting took place on July 10 at the port of entry.
A thorough explanation of the reasons for and procedures of the search were provided by the U.S. representatives, who emphasized that under the law everyone is subject to search. The meeting consisted of candid statements from all parties, with the bishop emphasizing that the Catholic religion prohibits anyone from touching a bishop.
Although no actual agreement was reached on the differences, the bishop left the meeting saying he was satisfied with the explanations. Moreover, we have been told that the bishop provided news interviews Monday and Tuesday, July 20 and 21, in which he stated clearly that he was satisfied about the entire issues, and that the only reason he had been upset was because the supervisor on duty would not give him the details about why he was being searched. He now understands why that was not possible at the time of the actual inspection.
Also on Monday, July 20, the mayor of Mexicali called the U.S. Attorney's office to say that neither he nor the bishop had released the information in your editorial or in similar articles in the Mexican media, and that they were embarrassed by them, and wished to apologize to Customs for them.
The unprofessional publication of the editorial in your paper has seriously misinformed your readers, and it was a serious disservice to the men and women who protect the public daily as officers of the U.S. Customs Service.
A major retraction of the published article and prominent publication of this letter to you are certainly in order.
Sincerely
Rudy M. Camacho
Hildy Carrillo, not to be intimidated by the U.S. Customs responded on the pages of her newspaper and empathetically stated "I do not and will not retract my story"!
The Mexicali Bishop is presently on a long extended vacation outside of Mexicali... So as not to be available for comment.
"What is happening at the Mexicali Border crossing is due to the same factors that created problems on the San Ysidro/Tijuana Border. It is due to the failed 1987 Simpson/Rodino immigration legislation and the so-call drug war. The recent proposal by the INS to deputize private citizens and pay them a bounty of $2,000 to $5,000 can only make matters worse. We urge that before racial, religious, political and economic dislocation erupts that your offices initiate an immediate investigation of the worsening situation along our borders." concluded Herman Baca.
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