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16 people found in Avondale drop house

Published:Friday | December 9, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Demonstrators chant for jobs outside Capitol Hill in Washington yesterday. Dozens of activists protesting the United States government's failure to help the unemployed are marching to the Capitol to pray for and shout at members of Congress - above all, the leader of the House, Speaker John Boehner. - Ap
PHOENIX (AP):

The Department of Public Safety says a task force has uncovered a drop house in Avondale, west of Phoenix where 16 people were being held by suspected human smugglers.

Some of the victims found on Wednesday night had been beaten, and had cuts and bruises.

"We had one victim that had fractured ribs," said Bart Graves, a DPS spokesman in an interview yesterday with The Associated Press. "Another victim had several lacerations. These injuries we believe were caused by beatings. These people were extorted for money."

Authorities found 14 men and two women, all Mexican nationals, held in deplorable conditions. The home was boarded up and the victims' belongings were taken from them, authorities said.

"In our history of investigating drop houses, this is probably the most severe case of abuse that we've ever seen," Graves said.

The drop house was discovered through a tip phoned into Avondale police, Graves said. Usually, family members who are being extorted by smugglers will notify law enforcement.

Four men were arrested on suspicion of human smuggling, extortion, armed robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault. They were taken to jail in downtown Phoenix.