Thread: Sheriff: White Americans the New Human Smugglers

Sheriff: White Americans the New Human Smugglers

Updated: Thursday, 23 Sep 2010, 3:22 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 23 Sep 2010, 3:22 PM MDT

PHOENIX - In the north valley Tuesday night, Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies stopped a van full of illegal immigrants that was driven by white, U.S.-born citizens -- and the sheriff says it¿s a dangerous new trend.

Deputies arrested 11 for violations of the state's human smuggling law. The smugglers were found to be white, American citizens.

The suspected human smugglers are 34-year-old Todd Bartlett and 47-year-old Fonna Mccullar.

Intelligence reports show that drug and human smuggling cartels are turning to U.S. citizens, recruiting them and offering them big money in hopes they will avoid detection by law enforcement officers.

"Apparently the smugglers have bought into the false notion that our detectives are only looking for people who appear to be from Mexico," said Sheriff Arpaio.

To date, MCSO has arrested and booked over 2,000 people suspected of involvement in human smuggling activity. However, the vast majority of smugglers arrested are from Mexico and other Latin-American countries.

The sheriff's office is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for possible racial profiling

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/im ... -9-23-2010

Do they have drug arrests in the past?

Maybe some broken tweekers.