Tuesday's motel raid uncovered 135 suspected illegal immigrants. Others being smuggled in were found recently at three other sites.

LUKE TURF

Recent breakups of illegal immigrant stash houses in the Tucson area are a result of increased law enforcement vigilance and public awareness.
The owner of a Tucson motel where 135 suspected illegal immigrants were found Tuesday isn't facing criminal charges, but two men identified as the smugglers of the immigrants are.

They are being held by the U.S. Border Patrol on charges of illegal entry, pending formal charges for smuggling, an agency spokesman said.

Border Patrol spokesman Greg Maier said five others caught in the raid face formal deportation, and 128 were returned to Mexico voluntarily. All 135 people are Mexicans, Maier said.

The assistant U.S. attorney in Phoenix, Mike Johns, said charges had not been filed against the suspected smugglers as of yesterday. Johns said people who re-enter illegally after formal deportation face "more significant legal consequences."

One of the five being formally deported is wanted in California for car theft, Maier said.

"(California officials) did not want to extradite him, so he is being formally deported," Maier said.

Tuesday's bust started with an anonymous call. Maier said stepped-up enforcement and the pressure it's putting on smuggling rings contributed to recent busts of stash houses in the area.

"These smugglers are getting choked. They're having to stockpile their human cargo for a long time, and they're getting backed up," Maier said.

Maier said increased enforcement includes a presence at airports, more highway patrols and checkpoints.

Though he didn't know how many immigrant stash houses have been raided recently, three other incidents could be confirmed.

In Sierra Vista, agents found 64 suspected illegal immigrants hiding in a motel March 5, Maier said.

Tucson police found 10 to 20 suspected illegal immigrants hiding in an apartment within the past five months, Sgt. Judy Altieri said.

The Police Department doesn't track how many stash houses it busts, because it doesn't enforce immigration laws, Sgt. Marco Borboa said.

On March 1, Pima County deputies responded to a telephone tip and found 45 suspected illegal immigrants in a home in the 12400 block of North Springfield Road, Deputy Dawn Barkman said.

Four people who tried to flee in a vehicle also were caught, Barkman said. Standard procedure for both police and the Sheriff's Department is to notify the Border Patrol.

In Phoenix, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for responding to calls about stash houses. BICE spokesman Russell Ahr said that since a smuggling-disruption operation known as ICE Storm began in September, 1,640 illegal immigrants have been found in Phoenix-area stash houses.