A joint immigration task force made up of the Department of Public Safety, Phoenix police and federal immigration agents have discovered a drop house in Avondale.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves says 14 suspected illegal immigrants were found in the home. Four suspected human smugglers have been arrested.
Graves says the suspects will likely be booked on charges of human smuggling.
In an unusual twist, the smugglers used close circuit video to monitor their human cargo. Graves says one camera was set up in a room where the immigrants were held. The smugglers would watch their victims from another room in the house.
Graves says the house was heavily fortified to keep the immigrants from escaping. The victims told authorities they were beaten and threatened if they tried to escape.
Showing posts with label drop house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drop house. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Drophouses back in the news, 32 people found inside
27 adult males, 2 adult females, and 3 male juveniles were found in a drophouse near 16th Street and Broadway.
The house was discovered after someone escaped and called the Phoenix Police Department.
Police are continuing to investigate.
The house was discovered after someone escaped and called the Phoenix Police Department.
Police are continuing to investigate.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
More suspected illegals, coyotes found at Phoenix drop house
Several suspected illegal immigrants are in custody after a drop-house bust in the West Valley.
Police said it was one of the suspected illegals who led them to the house at 75th Avenue and Indian School Road.
Officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the home Monday night. They discovered six suspected illegal immigrants, including one child.
Those people were being held against their will in exchange for money. None of them was hurt.
Investigators said somebody inside the house tipped them off when he called his sister Monday morning and told her that he was being for ransom. Police were able to track the call to the home.
Three alleged coyotes were also taken into custody.
Police said it was one of the suspected illegals who led them to the house at 75th Avenue and Indian School Road.
Officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the home Monday night. They discovered six suspected illegal immigrants, including one child.
Those people were being held against their will in exchange for money. None of them was hurt.
Investigators said somebody inside the house tipped them off when he called his sister Monday morning and told her that he was being for ransom. Police were able to track the call to the home.
Three alleged coyotes were also taken into custody.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
50 people taken into custody at a West Phoenix drop house
More drop house news!
Phoenix Police spent most of the morning on the scene of an apparent drop house in West Phoenix Tuesday morning. Dozens of suspected illegals are now in custody.
At least 50 people, which 15 to 20 of them were women and children, were found inside the home at 56th and Virginia avenues.
A neighbor who noticed that something wasn't right called 911. That neighbor reportedly saw a van dropping people off and spotted at least one person running through the neighborhood. That person turned out to be a suspected coyote.
A police spokesman on the scene said officers have taken dozens of illegal immigrants into custody, as well as the people responsible for bringing them into the country. Those people were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
It's not clear how long the people had been living in the house, but the conditions inside were not good.
Phoenix Police spent most of the morning on the scene of an apparent drop house in West Phoenix Tuesday morning. Dozens of suspected illegals are now in custody.
At least 50 people, which 15 to 20 of them were women and children, were found inside the home at 56th and Virginia avenues.
A neighbor who noticed that something wasn't right called 911. That neighbor reportedly saw a van dropping people off and spotted at least one person running through the neighborhood. That person turned out to be a suspected coyote.
A police spokesman on the scene said officers have taken dozens of illegal immigrants into custody, as well as the people responsible for bringing them into the country. Those people were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
It's not clear how long the people had been living in the house, but the conditions inside were not good.
Friday, July 25, 2008
9 held hostage in West Valley drop house
On July 22nd at approximately 1:10 p.m. Phoenix Police Officers were contacted by a Hispanic male near 111th Lane and Campbell saying he had been held against his will at gun point and was beaten at a nearby drop house located at 4441 N. 111th Lane.
He told Officers there were additional victims being held. The man brought officers to a residence where the window screen had been broken out. Officers summoned IIMPACT Detectives.
Inside the house, detectives found 9 suspected UDA’s (undocumented aliens), 8 males and 1 female. Two suspected human smugglers had fled before detectives arrived.
The victims told investigators they were being held for ransom. The smugglers were demanding $3,200 a piece to secure their freedom. The UDA’s also said they had crossed the border into Arizona on July 12th and were taken to the house where they have been held ever since.
IIMPACT (Illegal Immigration Prevention & Apprehension Co-op Team) was formed almost a year ago. It is a multi-agency project managed by GIITEM of the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) that is designed to address rising crime associated with illegal immigration. IIMPACT is comprised of personnel from DPS, Phoenix Police, ICE and the Arizona Fraudulent Identification Task Force (AFIT). As the name implies, local, state and federal police agencies combine forces to impact international human smuggling organizations operating in Arizona.
He told Officers there were additional victims being held. The man brought officers to a residence where the window screen had been broken out. Officers summoned IIMPACT Detectives.
Inside the house, detectives found 9 suspected UDA’s (undocumented aliens), 8 males and 1 female. Two suspected human smugglers had fled before detectives arrived.
The victims told investigators they were being held for ransom. The smugglers were demanding $3,200 a piece to secure their freedom. The UDA’s also said they had crossed the border into Arizona on July 12th and were taken to the house where they have been held ever since.
IIMPACT (Illegal Immigration Prevention & Apprehension Co-op Team) was formed almost a year ago. It is a multi-agency project managed by GIITEM of the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) that is designed to address rising crime associated with illegal immigration. IIMPACT is comprised of personnel from DPS, Phoenix Police, ICE and the Arizona Fraudulent Identification Task Force (AFIT). As the name implies, local, state and federal police agencies combine forces to impact international human smuggling organizations operating in Arizona.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Police find another drop house...
Police were called to an alleged drop house in the area of 51st Avenue and Orangewood late Wednesday morning.
Ben Lemoine of channel 3 TV was on the scene.
Ben said police officers on the street told him more than 50 illeagal immigrants, at leas two of them women, were found inside the home.
A photo sent from the scene shows dozens of people sitting out on the street.
Officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement were en route to the scene.
Ben Lemoine of channel 3 TV was on the scene.
Ben said police officers on the street told him more than 50 illeagal immigrants, at leas two of them women, were found inside the home.
A photo sent from the scene shows dozens of people sitting out on the street.
Officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement were en route to the scene.
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