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May 3, 2008 - 12:12AM
Illegal-immigration team sets up in Valley
Nick R. Martin, Tribune
Having already had success busting several gangs of suspected human smugglers, a special team of U.S. and local police ratcheted up their efforts Friday by moving into new headquarters to further coordinate their work.
The group, known as the Illegal Immigration Prevention and Apprehension Co-op Team, or IIMPACT, unveiled its northwest Phoenix home at a morning news conference. Included in the digs is a special jail for the main targets of the team: the types of smugglers who are often responsible for assaults, slayings and exploiting illegal immigrants.
Some of the top law enforcers in the state were on hand to praise the team’s efforts and vow to keep up the investigations.
“Even in the short time it has been operational, IIMPACT is already making a difference as we in law enforcement deal with the scourge of human smuggling and all the crime associated with it,” Roger Vanderpool, the director of the state Department of Public Safety, said in a written statement.
The team started work in December, bringing together investigators from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Phoenix Police Department and DPS.
Since then, their work has uncovered numerous drop houses throughout the Valley, including locations where shootings have happened and smugglers are suspected of holding immigrants for ransom.
“It is these activities that endanger our neighborhoods and put our citizens at risk,” said Phoenix police Chief Jack Harris.
Officials did not say how much the new facilities cost and did not return calls for comment late Friday.
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