Published: 09.19.2008

18 illegal immigrants rescued from Tucson stash house
By Alexis Huicochea
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Authorities have busted a stash house in which 18 illegal immigrants were being held — two of whom were sexually assaulted.
The illegals were fed bologna and bread only once a day and one claimed to have not been fed for two to three days, according to a news release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The bust occurred Monday when detectives from the Counter Narcotics Alliance with the help of the Tucson Police Department started watching a possible marijuana stash house, the release said.
Two rental vehicles were stopped leaving the residence, resulting in four illegals and a suspected human smuggler being taken into custody, the release said.
Authorities learned there were up to 10 more illegal immigrants in the home but were unable to make contact with them, the release said.
Detectives from the Pima/Santa Cruz Investigations Squad, which specializes in human smuggling and money laundering, were called out and were able to get a search warrant for the home, the release said.
Inside 22 illegals to include 18 victims and four co-conspirators were found. Two females ages 17 and 27 had been sexually assaulted, the release said.
The home was unfurnished and hot because the air conditioner was kept turned off, the release said.
All received medical assistance.
Two of the victims are being held as material witnesses and five people are in the custody of Border Patrol while the U.S. Attorney General’s Office reviews the case.
The Office of the Arizona State Attorney General is pursuing 18 counts of human smuggling and four counts of money laundering.
Three of the five suspects transported the illegals from the border to Tucson. Another took illegals from Tucson to Atlanta, Chicago or New York. The fifth person — a U.S. citizen — was identified as the smuggler who ran the stash house.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/258342