Stillwater Restaurant Assistant Manager Accused Of Smuggling Undocumented Workers Into U.S.

 There are new details about a federal raid of a Mexican restaurant in Stillwater.

Jail records show Hector Flores-Contreras is being held here in the jail but will soon be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In the affidavit, a homeland security agent said they received reports of undocumented workers being employed at El Vaquero in Stillwater over the past couple of years. 

Related Story: Agents Serve Federal Warrants To 2 Stillwater Businesses 

Investigators told the restaurant's management to hand over proof that they were able to work in the U.S., but they say half of the forms were falsified and the affidavit says Flores-Contreras kept employees' photos and personal information in their phones to create the fraudulent forms.

An investigator says when they raided El Vaquero last week, they found more than a dozen undocumented employees working there.

In the affidavit, an employee told investigators that the owners paid $6,000 to bring him in from Mexico and he'd pay them back in cash installments every time he got paid.

Flores-Contreras, who was the restaurant's assistant manager, is also accused of smuggling workers' family members into the U.S. and those workers would use their tips to pay him back.

When asked why he brought in illegal workers, Flores-Contreras said they were harder workers.