Agents arrest 57 suspected illegal immigrants

Associated Press - November 23, 2009 6:44 PM ET

PIRTLEVILLE, Ariz. (AP) - U.S. Border Patrol agents have arrested 57 people discovered packed into a house in southern Arizona they believe was used by smugglers to hide undocumented immigrants.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that the stash house was discovered Friday in Pirtleville.

The federal agency says 56 people are Mexicans and one person is from El Salvador. The group consists of 19 females and 38 males.

The group was taken to the Douglas Border Patrol Station for further processing.

The agency says stash houses are used by smugglers to hold undocumented immigrants while they wait for a chance to transport them farther into the United States.

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