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Associated Press - August 18, 2009 1:35 PM ET
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The head of a Canada-based group suspected of smuggling more than 100 illegal aliens into the country, mostly through Vermont, has pleaded innocent to a five-count indictment.
Jose Manuel Galdamez-Serrano, 56, pleaded innocent Monday to allegations he oversaw an illegal-immigrant smuggling business from 2004 and 2007. His son, 27-year-old Emmanuel Antonio Galdamez, pleaded innocent to similar charges.
The Burlington Free Press reports father and son are citizens of Canada and their native El Salvador. They were originally indicted on the smuggling charges in 2007 and have been fighting extradition to Vermont. This was their first court U.S. court appearance.
Court papers said the operation charged people interested in entering the country illegally "money in the $1,000s" to get them across the border. The illegal immigrants hailed from India, Pakistan and Central and South America.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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