INS Arrests 47 at ‘Drop House’
Fourty-seven people believed to be illegal aliens were arrested in Pacoima late Thursday by police investigating a possible extortion scheme directed against Mexican nationals.
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service agents went to 9807 Telfair Ave. about 7 p.m. after Los Angeles police came across a “drop house,” a place used by smugglers to hold newly arrived illegal aliens, INS agent Ray Heyer said.
Police raided the house to investigate a report that a “coyote,” a smuggler who transports illegal aliens for a fee, was “holding them for ransom, for more money,” Los Angeles police Sgt. Robert Ontiveros said.
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