70 suspected smugglers nabbed in AZ

At least 70 suspected smugglers arrested They are thought to be tied to the Sinaloa cartel Washington (CNN) -- At least 70 suspected drug smugglers with alleged ties to the powerful Sinaloa cartel have been arrested in Arizona, according to officials familiar with the operation. The massive take-down of the drug trafficking network in Arizona included arrests of both Mexican and U.S. suspects, law enforcement officials said Monday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement which led the 17-month investigation said it would provide detailed information at a news conference later Monday in Phoenix. Sources familiar with the operation confirmed federal, state and local law enforcement officials seized thousands of pounds of marijuana, cocaine and heroin worth hundreds of millions of dollars in a series of raids. They also seized large caches of weapons and ammunition. The drugs were smuggled from Mexico across the border into Arizona by air and ground transportation using a variety of sophisticated techniques, the officials said. The search continues for more suspects in the case. Authorities said all of those arrested will be prosecuted by Arizona state officials. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}