Illegal immigrant drophouse discovered in Phoenix

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 21-ON.html
Christopher Ramirez
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 21, 2007 11:13 PM

Havoc in a west Phoenix neighborhood led to the discovery of an illegal immigrant drophouse Friday.

Phoenix police said they received a call at about 5 p.m. from a homeowner in the area of 95th Avenue and McDowell Road who said three Hispanic males came to his door seeking help after they had escaped from a drophouse.

When officers arrived at the scene the homeowner told them he saw 15-17 Hispanic males running southwest in the neighborhood, Phoenix Police Detective Stacie Derge said.

Police were able to apprehend six of the men and determine exactly where the drophouse was located, although it was found empty, Derge said.

Upon speaking with the victims and witnesses, Derge said police were able to conclude there were up to five human smugglers, one as young as a 12-year-old boy, holding 15-20 immigrants, all males ranging in age from early 20s to early 40s, at gunpoint in the house.

Police did not recover any guns from the home, and the 12-year-old was not one of the six men captured, Derge said.

Two of the men detained were transported to a nearby medical facility for non-life threatening injuries which police believe were sustained when the men escaped through a broken window or were beaten by the smugglers.

The other four men remained in police custody on the scene until they were loaded into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement van late Friday evening.

Derge said police are attempting to figure out who owns the house, how the immigrants ended up there and if any of the men in custody are smugglers.