Arrested child in human smuggling case now with social services group

PHOENIX - A young child who Maricopa County authorities took into custody Friday night in a human smuggling case is now under the care of a faith-based social services organization, according to the Tucson Citizen.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Human Smuggling Unit took 16 illegal immigrants, including the 6-year-old child, into custody when they were being smuggled by van.

According to a news release, the immigrants were on their way to seven different states and had paid between $300 and $3,500 to be smuggled here from Mexico.

Authorities say the child was unaccompanied and claimed to be from El Salvador.

They were found traveling through the northern part of Maricopa County.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio booked the immigrants into his jail and had turned over the child to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Over 51,000 suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested and investigated by Arpaio and his team, and they plan to continue these operations.