Jungles cartels and robbery: A Cuban immigrants journey

continues to rise. officials with the houchen community center tell us 100 migrants stayed there last night. this morning, 75 were bused out of el paso to miami. the remaing 25 are still trying to work out their plans. another 88 migrants were expected to cross the border today. jungles — drug cartels — and robbery. that’s what many cuban immigrants are telling abc-7 they went through in their months long journey to arrive here in the u.s. many still arriving today are telling us their stories of hardship and despair. abc-7’s jerry najera spoke with cuban immigrants today he is live with the story … rick estela this evening immigrants were still emotionally decompressing. many told me today they knew the trip would be difficult but what they saw on this journey was far beyond what they had imagined. on this evening –taking a look at the houchin center you might say everything seems normal. a few people chating out side and inside cuban immigrants are trying to settle in. but what you don’t see is the emotional weight many of these immigrants are carrying. “it’s been a difficult journe for us cubans” said armando rodrigue rodriguez tells me his trek to the united states took him 3 and a half months. rodriguez flew to guyana from there a man charged him 350 dollars to cross him into brazil through the jungle to the next border “it was difficult ..you’re in a jungle and you have no idea where you’re going” rodriguez told me. he was taken to the venenzuelan border and thats’ where things took a turn for the worse as rodriguez got on a bus for the next leg of his journey while everyone was asleep they held up the bus rodriguez says they fired two shots up in the air and shot out the windshield maid the bus driver pull over at gun point and robbed everyone even pregnant women –rogriguez told me. but it got worse rodriguez says colombia was the hardest part of his trip. on a bus again he tells me he and other immigrants would get shaken down they were made to take off all of their clothes to make sure they werent hiding money. woman included rodriguez tells me they were terrified adding–in cuba their might be despair but there isn’t violence like that. at one point he says with all the pressure one woman who was with her husband and child — died on the bus they had to bury her in the jungle –off the side of the road rodriguez tells me. from panama to mexico and el paso he says the trek was much easier he was welcomed here in the states with guidance and although he says he’s releived he says the pain of missing his family is unbearable.. rodriguez tells me he left behind 3 boys and 4 grandchildren that are his life.. when i asked all the immigrants why they were coming over they tell me making 10 to 20 dollars a month isn’t a life. tomorrow rodriguez is leaving for amarillo where he has some work waiting for him. now to the search for michael derby.