Tarrasco Steel owner arrested

JACKSON, Miss., Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A Mississippi subcontractor made an appearance in court on charges of hiring illegal aliens for bridge construction sites.

Jose S. Gonzalez, the owner of the Tarrasco Steel Co., appeared in federal court following his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Northern District of Mississippi ICE agents arrested the 32-year-old as part of an ongoing investigation into charges he hired illegal alien workers from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico at construction sites throughout the Gulf Coast region. Tarrasco Steel is a subcontractor that provides steel rebar and installation services to highway bridge construction projects.

In March 2007 ICE agents conducted an investigation into Tarrasco Steel contracts at bridges in Greenville, Miss.; New Orleans; Biloxi, Miss., and two additional locations where they arrested 77 immigrants who were using unauthorized Social Security numbers for employment.

"There is a serious public safety concern when illegal aliens, who are not authorized to work in the country legally, and who do not possess valid welding certifications, are employed in the construction of bridges in our communities," Michael A. Holt, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in New Orleans, said in a statement.

"While there is no reason to believe that these individuals had ill intent against our country, they could have, because of their illegal status, been susceptible to blackmail from individuals wanting to hurt Americans. ICE will continue working tirelessly to identify those who are working illegally at our nation's critical infrastructure sites."

ICE officials say the structures are part of the critical infrastructure in the United States and are closely scrutinized when it comes to security matters. The investigation also revealed that the employees did not have proper welding certifications.