Additional information can be found at:

http://ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=1289944

Ed 

It sure would be interesting to know if the 17 were caught in the desert or at a roadblock?

In response to Powell's comment, does it really matter where they were stopped and apprehended? Is not the meaning "illegal" enough? Although we have strayed from equal justice over the years and moved towards social justice, justice was served equally with these apprehensions which is proper..../