Allegedly enslaved Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants
Six members of a Collier County family are now facing federal charges, including slavery, for allegedly enslaving Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants and forcing them to work on local farms.
According to the 17-count indictment, Cesar Navarrete and Geovanni Navarrete beat, threatened, restrained and even locked as many as 12 workers in the back of box trucks to force them to work.
The defendants allegedly underpaid the workers and imposed debts on them, threatening physical harm if the workers left their jobs before repaying the money they owed the family.
Authorities say it all took place on land owned by the Navarrete’s in Immokalee.”The defendants have violated every statute that you can in relation to harboring an illegal alien as well as slavery counts,” said Federal Prosecutor Doug Malloy.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22717591/