Friday, 25 January 2008
SHERIFF’S OFFICE CONTINUES ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN
Triple I Unit Arrests 24 More Near Wickenburg

Phoenix, AZ - In separate investigations, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Illegal Immigration Interdiction (Triple I) Unit arrested two smugglers and twenty-two illegal aliens near Wickenburg, Arizona.

In a Ford Expedition, Sheriff’s deputies found a human smuggler, Jesus Mendoza-Hernandez, transporting eleven other illegals en route to Los Angeles, California. Mendoza’s human cargo told Sheriff’s deputies that they were each paying up to 4,000 U.S. dollars to reach their destination.
In an unrelated investigation, Sheriff’s deputies arrested human smuggler, Omar Beltran-Rodas, and eleven other illegals he was transporting in a Toyota mini-van. The investigation revealed Beltran’s passengers were paying between $500 and $4,000 to be smuggled and illegally transported to two destinations, Los Angeles,
California, and Houston, Texas.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested and booked Mendoza & Beltran as human smugglers, along with twelve co-conspirators, on felony charges under the Arizona State human smuggling law. The remaining illegals were processed under federal immigration lawby U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement trained Sheriff’s deputies.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is and continues to be the only Arizona law enforcement agency arresting illegal aliens under all aspects of the state human smuggling law, and federal immigration law.
http://www.borderfirereport.net/latest/ ... kdown.html