32 arrested in Arpaio's latest crackdown

by Glen Creno and Kathleen Gormley -
Nov. 17, 2009 11:15 AM
The Arizona Republic .

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has arrested 32 people during its two-day "crime suppression" crackdown, officials said Tuesday.

Three people were arrested Tuesday at Airport Enterprises, a Phoenix auto-body repair shop near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, on suspicion of identity theft and forgery, said Lt. Brian Lee, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.

An employee had tipped off the Sheriff's Office in April 2008, Lee said. Further details on the arrests were not immediately available.
On Monday, Arpaio kicked off the operation by targeting areas along Interstate 17 in Anthem.

In one instance, 18 people in one vehicle were arrested on allegations that they violated the state human-smuggling law, which allows recent illegal immigrants to be charged as co-conspirators in their own smuggling, officials said.

Others were arrested on charges that ranged from unpaid traffic offenses to possession of marijuana to refusing to show ID.

Around 200 deputies, posse members and reserves were participating in the crackdown.

The federal government recently removed some of Arpaio's enforcement authority connected to illegal immigration laws. Arpaio said he is using state laws for the two operations.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... rises.html