Sheriff's deputies arrest human smugglers - KLTV.com - Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |ETX News

Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies arrested two border violators during a human smuggling operation last night.

The arrests come a day after the sheriff's human smuggling detectives arrested American citizen Adam Ortiz as he was smuggling five Mexican nationals into the country illegally.

During last night's investigation, sheriff's deputies said that when they stopped a Ford van with Mississippi plates, about 14 people poured out of the vehicle and fled into the desert.

A search was initiated utilizing the sheriff's helicopter and K-9 units to help locate the subjects. Two were detained, and investigators learned they were Guatemalan nationals. The remaining 12, however, could not be located and remain at large.

Interviews conducted with the two suspects after they were taken into custody indicated they are both from the same Central American country and paid up to $5,000 to be taken to New York and Florida.

Detectives booked both subjects into the Fourth Avenue Jail on state felony human smuggling charges.

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