Thread: AZ: 3 more drophouses raided, 17 arrested

3 more drophouses raided, 17 arrested
Brent Whiting
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 2, 2007 05:40 PM

More raids have been staged against West Valley drophouses that have been linked to the same human-smuggling ring, authorities said Friday.

Seventeen undocumented immigrants were arrested Thursday during raids at two homes south of Tolleson and one in Surprise, said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

That brings to 119 the number of arrests during the past month at a total of seven West Valley drophouses, including others in Glendale, Goodyear, west Phoenix and El Mirage, Arpaio said.

There was no violence associated with the homes in Thursday's raids, unlike activities at other homes that have involved guns, beatings, kidnapping or extortion, he said.

The latest raids were conducted at neighboring homes in the 3100 block of South 94th Avenue, south of Lower Buckeye Road, and in the 17300 block of West Holland Lane, south of Greenway Road in Surprise.

Arpaio said the month-long effort is the result of information provided by undocumented immigrants in the first raid in early October.

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WTG Joe