Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputies arrest twenty more illegal aliens

Posted: Jun 22, 2011 2:28 PM PDT Updated: Jun 22, 2011 2:35 PM PDT

By Raquel Velasco

MARICOPA COUNTY (KPHO) -
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Human Smuggling Unit arrested 20 more illegal aliens Wednesday as they were making their way through Maricopa County, officials said.

All arrested were from Mexico and told deputies they were headed to locations in Texas, Tennessee, and New York State. All entered the U.S. on the U.S. Mexican border near where the fires in Southeast Arizona are burning.

Since so many fires are sprouting up in areas traditionally known to be smuggling routes, Arpaio said his deputies will now begin to more thoroughly question any illegal immigrants arrested on human smuggling charges about information they may have about the fires.

"It's a long shot I know," Arpaio said. "But since we already gather information from them about their U.S. entry points and traveling routes and methods, this is simply one more area of intelligence to explore that may help us to determine the origins of these fires."

The wildfire season in Arizona usually comes as a result of lightning strikes but this year, wildfires appear to be caused by other means.

One remark made recently by a United States Senator claimed that illegal aliens coming into the country through Arizona may be starting the fires.

Wednesday's temperatures in Maricopa County are expected to reach 113 degrees, making it even more dangerous for those attempting to cross the desert into the country illegally.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office continues to be the only Law Enforcement agency in the state of Arizona to enforce all aspects of the state human smuggling laws, resulting in the arrest of approximately 2,500 illegal immigrants involved in human smuggling. In the first half of this year, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office arrested nearly 600 people involved in human smuggling with Maricopa County.

"The illegal immigration and human smuggling problem continues to be an issue in Maricopa County," Arpaio said. "The invasion of Maricopa County by illegal human and drug trafficking must stop, and I will be planning another crime suppression and business establishment operation."

http://www.kpho.com/story/14958954/mar