San Diego

The San Diego police SWAT team raided a suspected “drop house” for undocumented aliens Thursday night in Southeast San Diego after an alien notified police that the operators of the house were abusing aliens, a police spokesman said. Three people believed to be running the “drop house” were arrested.

Police arrested Enrique Gonzales Armento, 22; his wife, Silvia de Gonzales Garcia, 22, and Alejandro DeLeon Rivera, 21. The three are undocumented aliens and were being held Friday at a federal detention center downtown on suspicion of alien smuggling, according to Bill Robinson, San Diego police spokesman. The Gonzales’ three children, ages 4, 2 and 3 months, were placed in the Hillcrest Receiving Home, he added.

U.S. Border Patrol agents also detained 13 undocumented aliens at the house, according to Ed Pyeatt, Border Patrol spokesman.

Authorities were led to the house in the 6100 block of Newcastle Place after an undocumented alien contacted National City police, telling them that aliens were being held at gunpoint there and some had been beaten and stabbed, Robinson said. The alien told authorities that the operators of the house had driven him to National City and left him there.

Robinson said the SWAT team was called in after National City police said there might have been a hostage situation in the house.

Officers found no firearms inside, and none of the aliens arrested appeared to have been injured, Robinson said. Pyeatt said the house had bars on the windows and double locks on the doors.

Robinson said police are continuing their investigation.