Pinal County sheriff’s deputies have arrested 13 people in what Sheriff Paul Babeu said was a human and drug smuggling operation. Babeu said a deputy on patrol became suspicious when two cars with one or two people in them exited Interstate 8, then reentered the freeway with passengers.

Babeu said one of the vehicles was pulled over for running a stop sign.  He said there were 10 undocumented immigrants combined in the two vehicles.

“They all after being interviewed had said they had been walking five days from Mexico, carrying marijuana for the drug cartels," Babeu said.

Babeu said the immigrants acted as mules for the drug cartel, getting paid based on the weight of the marijuana they brought into the country. He said deputies confiscated $3,000 and that the suspect’s vehicles will be forfeited to benefit law enforcement.