Arpaio launching crime suppression sweep Thursday evening

by Catherine Holland

Posted on March 18, 2010 at 9:54 AM

Updated today at 12:26 PM

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PHOENIX -- Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is planning another of his controversial crime suppression sweeps. This will be the 14th operation since early 2008. Details released Thursday afternoon indicate the two day operation will begin around 5 p.m. Thursday evening.

This week, more than 60 undocumented immigrants were taken into custody after a high-speed chase led investigators to a drop house in West Phoenix. Twelve of those immigrants were in the pickup truck that was involved in the pursuit. The rest, including nearly a dozen children between the ages of 11 and 17, were found at the home.

The undocumented immigrants were from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, and paid about $6,000 per person to be smuggled into the U.S.

At least three suspected coyotes, including the pickup truck driver who led officers on the citywide chase, were arrested.

Tuesday's pursuit and subsequent drop-house discovery just added to the total of undocumented immigrants taken into custody this month.

Nearly 80 undocumented immigrants were arrested during the first week of March. Some of those were picked up during traffic stops; others were found by sheriff's deputies at a drop house.

Last month, Arpaio launched a new program that will give nearly 900 sworn deputies training in detecting and arresting undocumented immigrants. That training includes education about enforcing state and federal immigration laws.

Last October, the Department of Homeland Security stripped Arpaio and his department of the authority to arrest suspected illegal immigrants based only on their immigration status. Nearly 100 deputies who underwent specials training turned in their ICE credentials.

Since that DHS announcement, Arpaio has plainly stated that he will continue conducting his crime suppression sweeps.

Approximately 400 sword deputies and posse members will be involved in the operation.

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