Dozens Arrested In Drop House Raid (CBS-5, Arizona)

Dozens Arrested In Drop House Raid

POSTED: 8:42 am MST March 7, 2008

PHOENIX -- Two human smugglers and dozens of illegal immigrants were arrested Thursday night in a raid at a central Phoenix drop house.
Officers with the "Impact" task force raided the home near Central Avenue and Broadway Road around 7:30 p.m.
Police said they found 38 illegal immigrants, including three women. Some of the immigrants said they'd been detained there for weeks.
"We do have one immigrant here that's saying he's been here for 17 days. The kidnappers or the coyotes here that were holding them captive had actually beaten him and tried to extort his family for $13,000," said Phoenix police Sgt. Alex Ortiz.
The Impact task force consists of officers from the Phoenix Police Department, the Department of Public Safety and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.