EL MIRAGE — Police say a woman was arrested in El Mirage Friday for alleged money laundering and human smuggling after police received a report that someone was being held for ransom.
Officials were told that there were multiple people being held against their will in a house near El Mirage and Thunderbird roads.
Police say they watched a vehicle leave the house and proceeded to stop the vehicle.
The driver, 24-year-old Tania Estudillo Hernandez, was allegedly transporting a Guatemalan national, according to police.
Hernandez was arrested for a related investigation into money laundering and conducting an illegal enterprise.
Police say during the traffic stop, two smugglers left the residence with 10 undocumented immigrants.
In the past six months, police say 80-100 undocumented immigrants were allegedly held or processed in the home monthly and were charged as much as $15,000 in smuggling fees.
With assistance from the Glendale Police Department's SWAT team, El Mirage Police Department detectives and Neighborhood Enforcement Team officers, a search warrant was served at the home.
Police say two handguns, ammunition, ledgers documenting human smuggling and other evidence of human smuggling were seized. One of the handguns was reported stolen in Phoenix.
ABC15 went to the home and saw that the garage door of the home is gone and has since been boarded up. Neighbors say they would see people cleaning out the garage at all hours of the night.
"Kind of like sweeping with brooms and then the mop. They were mopping the driveway, they were mopping inside the garage. The garage was immaculate and clean, like there was nothing," says one neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous.
That neighbor shared what he considers were 'red flags' at the home.
"I never saw a U-Haul truck... never seen them bring any furniture, anything," says the neighbor. "We didn't see anything. That's what's crazy about the whole situation, you know. This whole block right here is pretty much quiet."
Some surveillance video from early Saturday, around 12:30 a.m., shows at least one vehicle leaving the home. A few hours later, SWAT and other law enforcement showed up.
"If they would've went the night before, when there was a couple cars here, they would've gotten probably more people," the neighbor says.
The neighbor says he remembers seeing three children at the home and hopes they are safe.
"They were coming out the front door, they were in the driveway and then they were getting ready to get into a car and that was the last time I saw them."
Hernandez was booked into Maricopa County jail on violations of kidnapping, money laundering, illegally conducting or participation in an illegal enterprise and conspiracy.
The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are continuing the investigation.
