Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery on Wednesday said the human- and drug-smuggling operation that supposedly infiltrated the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and resulted in multiple arrests Tuesday was indicative of a greater problem.

"This is an example of the tactics of the Mexican drug cartels," Montgomery said. "Again, they are co-opting local law enforcement. The statements by the current administration that our borders are secure are ludicrous."

Montgomery said that despite the Sheriff's Office's problems, including admitting misspending of almost $100 million in jail funds, he saw no conflict in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office investigating itself in the case.

He said he saw "no need to conflict it out," and said there seemed less danger of conflict of interest because "these were not high-level employees."

In other developments in the case Wednesday, four of the 11 people arrested Tuesday were denied bond because of their immigration status.

Another five suspects apprehended in the operation, including the sheriff's deputy suspected of smuggling humans and working with drug traffickers, had bonds set at more than $1 million during their initial court appearances Tuesday.

The Sheriff's Office arrested Deputy Alfredo Navarrette and two sheriff's detention officers, Sylvia Najera and Marcella Hernandez, at the culmination of yearlong probe into an alleged heroin-trafficking and human-smuggling ring.

Francisco Arce Torres, accused of being the ring's leader, was denied bond along with three others under an Arizona law that does not allow judges to set bonds for suspected illegal immigrants.

Hernandez, who is suspected of money laundering and conspiring to commit drug crimes, was given a $2 million bond, with investigators noting in court paperwork that she expressed a desire to move to Mexico with Torres.

Navarrette, a 10-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office and a former member of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's human-smuggling unit, was given a $1 million bond after he was accused of smuggling undocumented immigrants from Arizona to other states.

Najera was granted a $36,000 bond. She is accused of money laundering and other crimes related to the drug-trafficking organization.

Hugo Mejia, the owner of a Phoenix construction company who is accused of setting up a corporation with Najera for the purpose of laundering money, was given a $200,000 bond in his initial court appearance.

The Sheriff's Office said the investigation into the drug-trafficking and human-smuggling operation is ongoing and more sheriff's employees were being interviewed to determine what they knew about the trafficking ring.