3 jailed in immigration case

Three men believed to be Brazilians are being held at Penobscot County Jail in Bangor after their arrest on immigration charges this past weekend at the Calais border crossing.

Roberto Lopez Parra of Brazil faces a charge of bringing aliens into the United States, while Almir Marquez De Albuquerque and Laercio Marquez De Albuquerque, found in the trunk of a car driven by Parra, face charges of eluding examination and inspection.

A hearing in U.S. District Court in Bangor has yet to be scheduled pending the court’s ability to find Portuguese-speaking interpreters for the suspects. Portuguese is the language spoken in Brazil.

Parra, who was driving a four-door sedan with Ontario, Canada, license plates, was allegedly stopped at the Calais border crossing at 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Parra was carrying a Brazilian passport that showed he had a valid U.S. non-immigration visitor visa and a Canadian visitor’s visa. The passport also showed that Parra had entered Canada earlier this month at Toronto, said James McCarthy, assistant U.S. attorney.

The two other men allegedly were found in the trunk of the vehicle during a inspection, said McCarthy. Passports held by the two men showed they also were from Brazil and had tried twice to get U.S. visas, once in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and in Ottawa, Canada, but were refused both times.

McCarthy was unable to say why they had been refused entry.