Thread: AZ-DPS: Drophouse had camera to monitor immigrants

DPS: Drophouse had camera to monitor immigrants
by Sarah Macdonald - May. 12, 2009 08:34 PM

Officials on Tuesday reported finding a drophouse in Avondale, where 14 suspected illegal immigrants were held, at times beaten and monitored through a surveillance camera.

Members of the IMPACT team, an immigration task force made up of the state Department of Public Safety and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, had been watching the house, near Adams Street and 123rd Avenue, before serving a search warrant around 6:15 p.m., said DPS spokesman Bart Graves.

The group of suspected undocumented immigrants, which included one female, was found inside the house. Four suspects were arrested after three attempted to flee from officers to the back of the house, Graves said.

The house was heavily fortified; officers found a shotgun and a handgun, authorities said.

Officials say they suspect that the four suspects beat and threatened to kill the 14 immigrants if they were not able to raise money to pay their ransom. They were monitored through a surveillance camera that was wired to a monitor in the kitchen. Graves said it's the first time the department has come across a surveillance system at a raided drophouse. The suspected undocumented immigrants were turned over to ICE and the four suspects were taken to the Fourth Avenue Jail, Graves said. They face charges of human smuggling.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... house.html

It sounds like they should also get kidnapping