DPS: 2 arrested after tip leads to Phoenix drop house bust

Last Update: 6/23 3:42 pm

Reported by: Heather Turner

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Public Safety officials arrested two suspected coyotes and rescued six victims who were being held in a drop house in Maryvale on Monday.

Detectives from IIMPACT (Illegal Immigration Prevention & Apprehension Co-op Team) investigated a complaint from a woman in Florida who said her son was being held captive in a Phoenix home after he recently had entered the U.S. from Mexico.

The woman apparently told detectives her son’s captors were demanding about $2,200 for his release and that if she did not comply, he would be beaten and/or killed.

IIMPACT detectives spotted two suspects leaving the drop house described by the woman, according to the report.

The two suspected human smugglers, Alehandro Carmona-Clanca, 37, and Javier Torres-Jimenez, 24, both from Mexico, were arrested during a traffic stop in connection with the drop house.

Six people were reportedly found inside the home where a search warrant was served.

A mother, her 12-year-old daughter, and four males including a 15-year-old, all believed to be undocumented immigrants were discovered.

The victims, who all claim to be Mexican Nationals, are believed to have been in the house since Friday and Saturday, according to DPS.

No medical attention was needed for the victims who appeared in fair condition.

DPS said the coyotes used bars on exterior windows of the house as reinforcement.

The drop house appears to have been operating for some time without power service.

Both Carmona-Clanca and Torres-Jimenez now face charges of extortion and human smuggling.