Phoenix, AZ. - Deputies working in the Sheriff’s Human Smuggling Unit executed a search warrant on a suspected drop house located in the City of Phoenix.
Upon making entry into the residence, deputies uncovered sixteen suspected illegal aliens actively hiding throughout the house. The investigation proved all sixteen suspects to have entered into the country illegally and admitted to paying between $100 and $4,000. All sixteen suspects will be booked into Fourth Avenue Jail on felony state human smuggling charges.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office continues to be the only Arizona law enforcement agency that enforces all aspects of the state felony human smuggling laws, which include booking illegal aliens into jail, unlike other local law enforcement agencies who turn them over to ICE.
Since the Department of Justice launched their investigation on March 10, 2009 of the Sheriff and his office, deputies have arrested 322 illegal aliens on state and federal immigration violations and have made 3048 arrests since 2006. Arpaio says, “I will not be deterred by the Department of Justice, Washington D. C., politicians, or critics. As long as the illegal immigration continues to be a problem for our community, I will do my part by enforcing all the illegal immigration laws”.
Arpaio says that in the near future his office will conduct a large-scale crime suppression operation at an undisclosed location.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
