PHOENIX — The story of how undocumented immigrants pay thousands of dollars to a coyote to cross them illegally into the country is a common tale. Yet, what has become even more common is the second chapter of this story and the fact that these coyotes, greedy for more money, will hold their clients for ransom.

Arizona is one of the states identified as seeing an increase in this activity. EFE news service reports that each week 2 to 3 kidnappings on average are reported in Phoenix. From the streets to safe houses to the homes of the victims themselves, holding undocumented immigrants until their families pay an additional amount of money for their release is part of a trend that saw 31 people arrested in 2007 for this crime.

Phoenix police say that the clients of these coyotes cease being humans and become nothing more than a meal ticket to extort more money from the family. To press upon the families that they mean business, it's not uncommon for the people being held for ransom to undergo beatings and torture by their kidnappers who call their families so they can hear their screams.

The ironic aspect of these kidnappings is that the kidnappers, in many cases, are undocumented immigrants themselves and work with organized crime rings.

"From this day forward, we want to send a clear message to all these criminal organizations that we will not tolerate these types of activities," said Stacie Derge, spokeswoman for the Phoenix Police Department during a press conference.