Sheriff's 14th Valley crime sweep nets 111

by Dustin Gardiner and Jolie McCullough -
Mar. 20, 2010 09:35 AM
The Arizona Republic .

Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies arrested 111 people during a two-day crime-suppression sweep that ended Friday night.

Of those arrested, 78 are suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office said.

Four hundred Sheriff's personnel were involved in the operation, which targeted human and drug smugglers throughout the Valley.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that his deputies were not arresting people without cause, and that the majority of those arrested were suspected of having committed felonies.

Illegal immigrants who were not suspected of crimes other than being in the country illegally were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Arpaio said.

This is Arpaio's 14th sweep. He said a 15th will be coming soon. He did not give details about the time or place except to say it would be in Phoenix.

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