7 charged with holding hostages at El Mirage drop house
Reported by: Brent Roulier
Email: broulier@abc15.com
Reported by: Deborah Stocks
Last Update: 2/18 8:02 pm

Seven Mexican nationals pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to charges related to a human smuggling operation discovered in El Mirage.

On February 11, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a four-count indictment against Mauricio Gerardo Aguilar-Espinoza, 25, Jorge Zaragoza-Alvarado, 24, Cesar Valentin Garcia-Aguilera, 32, Antonio Cruz-Ramirez, 19, Pedro Luna-Fuentez, 25, Oscar Daniel Hernandez-Juarez , 39, and Jaime Zamora-Martinez, 36.

On January 31, El Mirage police received a 911 call at about 7 a.m.

The 911 operator could hear the line was open but no one was responding to questions. The call was being made from a cell phone and the exact address was unknown.

While officers were on the way to check the area, the radio dispatcher advised the responding officers that the 911 operator was now hearing a male voice whispering that he needed help.

Police said a GPS coordinate for the cell phone showed it to be in the area of 123rd Avenue and Columbine Drive.

Officers began going door to door in the neighborhood looking for the caller.

The 911 operator heard a “chirpingâ€