Gypsy Jan - 11-20-2012 at 06:39 PM
From San Diego Red
by Omar Martinez
"Would you like a few thousand dollars for just arresting someone? Certainly anyone would, especially if who you're arresting committed horrible
crimes like murder, rape and every other horrific crime in between.
Well apparently this job pays off very well, but it's not as easy as it may sound since many states in the U.S. have their own laws regarding this
type of profession, which in at least 8 states bounty hunters are heavily regulated or banned.
Those who choose to jump bail must feel at least somewhat protected.
Now if it's hard enough in the U.S., how about in the international level? Well in most countries if not in all, bounty hunting is illegal.
Let's take Mexico for example, where in that country many bounty hunters have been jailed for trying to arrest someone, because in Mexico there is no
justice system that recognizes any bails system from any other country.
You can actually be charged with kidnapping that has a prison term of between 15-70 years depending on the circumstances.
Remember Duane "Dog the bounty hunger" Chapman?
In 2003 he was arrested in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for going after and arresting convicted sex offender rapist Andrew Luster, which charges against
Chapman were dismissed later on because of "technicalities" (statute of limitations expired on the case), and if not for that chapman would be sitting
in jail right at this moment, although some say the U.S. and Mexico made a trade between Chapman and former drug lord Rafael Arellano Felix.
Interesting enough there has been another case, where in the U.S. back in 1990 a Mexican physician Humberto Alvarez Machain, was brought upon the
United States District Court in Los Angeles, for the alleged involvement of the kidnapping and murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar, which
Alvarez was acquitted, due to insufficient evidence and the fact that DEA agents had hired Mexican nationals to kidnap Alvarez(illegal extradition),
who was brought to El Paso, Texas, where he was arrested by federal agents.
Now how Alvarez get to Texas? DEA claims it was through a private jet, and could it be just like the small planes that have been found abandoned in
Mexicali in the past few years?
The DEA has always denied offering a $100,000 dollar reward for the capture of Alvarez, which in a turn of events Alvarez in 1993 sued the United
States and four DEA agents, in which the judge ruled in his favor and awarded him $25,000 dollars.
Illegal immigrants are not the only ones being crossed across the border in a trunk of a car, this type of bounty hunting has been going on for
decades, where bounty hunters "risk it" and go after fugitives with a nice price tag, in which then all of a sudden the fugitive finds himself facing
a judge.
How do they get across the border? Certainly not awake and in a passenger seat.
It is estimated that more than 100 bounty hunters are currently serving prison terms in Mexico, and whether these criminals are guilty or not, is it
even worth the risk of going into another country?"
omar.martinez@sandiegored.com