Illegal aliens arrested near Wickenburg

Last week, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies, acting on a tip from the illegal immigration hotline, stopped three unrelated vehicles for traffic violations in the Wickenburg area, resulting the in the arrests of 21 more illegal aliens under state and federal immigration laws.

In a GMC Suburban, eight occupants fled the vehicle into the desert on foot and four were apprehended. In a second vehicle, a Chevy conversion van, a total of nine occupants were taken into custody. In the third vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, eight occupants were apprehended.

The suspects traveling in the separate vehicles were en route to destinations including California, Kansas, and Oregon. Of those arrested, sheriff’s deputies booked 14 of the illegal aliens into jail under the felony Arizona human smuggling law, and the remaining seven under federal immigration law.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office continues to be the only Arizona law enforcement agency enforcing all aspects of the Arizona anti-smuggling law. To date, sheriff’s deputies have made 666 arrests under this law, all class four felony violations.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has received 160 Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) trained sheriff’s officers to enforce violations of federal immigration laws.

Those arrested last week were booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail on felony charges, including human smuggling and conspiracy to commit human smuggling.

The sheriff’s illegal immigration hot line is proving to be successful, and in the near future Arpaio will announce another avenue to increase public awareness about the illegal immigration hotline.

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