Illegal immigration arrests made outside of town

Dec 5, 2007


Last week, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s (MCSO) Triple I team arrested 15 illegal aliens during a traffic stop just outside of Wickenburg.

In a white Ford van bearing California plates, sheriff’s deputies found 48-year-old human smuggler Emilio Gomez-Herrera and fourteen illegal aliens.

It was learned that the 14 individuals with Gomez agreed to pay between $800 and 3,000 U.S. dollars to be transported throughout the United States to destinations including California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested and booked Gomez and the 15 others on felony charges, under the Arizona human smuggling law.

So far, 781 illegal aliens have been arrested by Arpaio’s deputies under this state law, and since it’s inception in March 2006, Arpaio’s Triple I team has concentrated its efforts at reducing the illegal immigration problems coming into Maricopa County from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

So far, 1206 people have been caught by Arpaio’s deputies and arrested or deported.

From the beginning, the team has also been directed by the sheriff to be vigilant in looking for other groups threatening the safety and security of this country.

While no evidence has yet been encountered by Arpaio’s deputies or volunteer armed-posse members, the perceived weaknesses of the U.S border is mounting.

As a former Regional Director with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in two hot spots, the Middle East and Mexico, Sheriff Arpaio uses his federal experience to instruct deputies to remain alert.

“The 781 undocumented aliens arrested by our deputy sheriff’s were in transit to the east coast or the west coast, centers for known terrorist activity,â€