79 possible illegals found at likely L.A. 'drop house'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities detained 79 suspected illegal immigrants found in a single-story home believed to be a "drop house" for smugglers.

Three to four suspected smugglers also were taken into custody in the Monday night raid, said Officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman.

Police received a tip about 9:25 p.m. that illegal immigrants were inside the home in the middle-class Canoga Park section, Lee said.

Authorities believed the home was a drop house, where smugglers hold immigrants until someone, often friends or relatives in the United States, pays the smugglers for bringing them across the border.