Mesa drop house found; 15 in custody

May. 14, 2010 01:46 PM
Associated Press

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says six suspected human smugglers and nine suspected illegal immigrants are in custody after a drop house was found in Mesa.

DPS Officer Robert Bailey says four of the smugglers ran out the back of the home when officers arrived Friday morning but all were caught.

Bailey says the migrants had just arrived in Mesa after a four-day walk north from Mexico across the desert. They were picked up south of Phoenix and brought to the home. All but one were men.

The migrants were headed to cities in the midwest and had paid $2,500 each to the smugglers.

Bailey says a person arrested a week ago when a smuggling load was caught identified the home as a drop house.

Mesa police assisted in the raid, which was led by the DPS IIMPACT unit.
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