MCSO: 7 apprehended during human smuggling investigation

by Andrew Michalscheck
azfamily.com
Posted on May 18, 2013 at 2:59 PM


MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. -- The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Human Smuggling Unit apprehended seven people Friday who had allegedly entered the country illegally.

MCSO said three of the individuals were booked into jail on human smuggling charges, while the other four were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

One of the people apprehended was a 17-year-old minor who was not related to the other adults.

According to MCSO, the suspects said they were from Mexico, Ecuador and Guatemala, while the 17-year-old said he was from Honduras.

The suspects also revealed that they had paid as much as $13,000 to be taken to Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

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Ariz. deputies make more human smuggling arrests
Updated: May 18, 2013 6:08 PM CDT

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Vehicle used in smuggling

Sheriff's deputies have made another round of arrests as part of an effort to crackdown on human smuggling.

Deputies say 10 Mexican nationals were arrested after the van they were traveling in was stopped Thursday north of the Valley. About two hours later, five more people were arrested during a separate traffic stop.

On Friday, seven people from Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and Honduras were arrested.

Deputies say the people paid between $2,500 and $13,000 to be smuggled into the country. They were headed to various states, including Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Delaware and Kansas.

Some were booked into Maricopa County's 4th Avenue jail. Others were turned over to federal authorities.
The sheriff's office says it has arrested 78 people on human smuggling charges in the last several weeks.

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