PHOENIX, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Increased border enforcement efforts taking place in Arizona have been tabbed as the likely cause for a recent deadly attack on several illegal immigrants.
While U.S. officials have stepped up their efforts to maintain border security in the area, a truckload of illegal immigrants was ambushed Feb. 8 in the Arizona desert by a pair of gunmen and three people were killed, The Washington Post said.
The incident near the mining town of Silverbell, Ariz., remains a mystery as the attackers remain unidentified and most witnesses of the fatal shooting of three illegal immigrants fled.
Area authorities are especially concerned as high-powered assault rifles were used by the assailants and represented yet another instance of increased smuggling in the region, the newspaper said.
The early morning ambush on the immigrants was followed by the discovery of two bodies outside of Phoenix that authorities have linked to illegal smuggling.
Pima County, Ariz., Sheriff Clarence Dupnik told the Post that because of the circumstances of attacks such as the Silverbell shooting, the chances of solving the border crimes are slim.
