Sixteen immigrants found at west Phoenix drophouse

by Jessica Duvall - Jun. 2, 2010 05:14 PM
The Arizona Republic

Sixteen suspected illegal immigrants who had been held by armed men were discovered Wednesday at a drophouse in Phoenix, including a 15-year-old boy, a Department Public Service official said.

A coalition of agencies called IIMPACT, which includes the DPS, Phoenix police and federal immigration officials, began investigating the home following a tip of a possible drophouse near 79th Avenue and Camelback Road, said Bart Graves, a media relations coordinator for the Department of Public Safety.

Authorities served a search warrant at the home about 1 p.m. Wednesday. When authorities arrived, five men and a woman who were believed to have held the immigrants scattered, Graves said.

It took authorities about 20 minutes to find all the suspects and clear the area, but they were all eventually located and arrested on suspicion of human smuggling.

The victims – two women, 11 men and three male juveniles ranging from elementary-school age to the 15-year-old boy who apparently traveled alone – appeared to be in relatively good condition. The victims were from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, Graves said.

In addition, the victims said they had been at another house where they suffered from violent acts. Authorities were still trying to locate that house. It is not uncommon to find more drophouses after the initial one, according to DPS.

All the suspects and victims were taken to IIMPACT headquarters to be questioned and processed. The illegal immigrants will be processed, then deported by federal authorities.

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