PHOENIX -- DPS announced Tuesday that 11 human smugglers and 29 undocumented immigrants were found at three drop houses in the Valley this past week.
The most recent incident happened at about 3 p.m. on Friday, August 14 at a home near 55th Avenue and Thomas Road, according to a DPS news release.
Silent Witness notified DPS' Illegal Immigration Prevention Apprehension Co-op Team (IIMPACT) about the house where there was a report that up to 10 people were being held against their will, according to the release.
IIMPACT detectives surrounded the home while the Phoenix Police Department's Special Assignment Unit (SAU) went inside.
According to the release, "Two suspects were taken into custody at the house. Earlier in the day, two female suspects were taken into custody after they were seen leaving the residence in a car, and two additional suspects (male) were taken into custody leaving the residence by car as well."
Officers found seven undocumented immigrants the house.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), "completed the follow-up investigation and took custody of the seven undocumented alien victims and four suspected human smugglers," according to the release.
On Tuesday, August 11, Phoenix police informed IIMPACT detectives that a Phoenix man had been abducted at gunpoint after he had gotten off a bus and was walking to his home near 32nd and Roosevelt streets.
The release stated that the victim was "forced into a van by human smugglers (coyotes) and held in a drop house at 1008 N. 27th St. (just north of Roosevelt) for four days until his family paid the coyotes a ransom of $2,800. The man was abducted to replace another victim who had escaped so that the coyotes didn't have to pay their boss the lost ransom money of $2,800 by losing one victim."
The "replacement" victim "led police to the drop house where one coyote was arrested following a traffic stop after he was identified by the victim and was seen getting into a truck to flee the house."
At about 9:30 p.m., SAU surrounded the home and detained an additional suspect and located 10 undocumented immigrants inside. The initial victim, who had managed to escape, was also turned over to ICE's custody.
The release stated that on Monday, August 10, "as part of an on-going investigation, IIMPACT detectives located a drop house where a previously identified victim was being held at 9926 W. Riverside (south of Lower Buckeye Road in Tolleson)."
At about 6 p.m., DPS' Special Operations Unit conducted a search warrant at the home.
The release stated, "Two suspects attempted to flee over the back wall and were taken into custody. Tow additional suspects were also arrested for a total of four suspected human smugglers. A total of 11 UDA's, including nine males, a juvenile, and one female were rescued."
The release also stated, "Anonymous calls made to Silent Witness and the Phoenix Police Department from family members of victims were invaluable in helping IIMPACT successfully bust these drop houses; which makes it much harder for human smuggling cartels to operate in Arizona."
