Ohio County police have arrested 26 illegal immigrants in the past 24 hours.

Police arrested nine persons around 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Exxon gas station in Dallas Pike. All were arrested and will remain jailed until they are transferred into the custody of immigration officials.

Officials said the illegal immigrants were staying at the Holiday Inn Express on Exit 11 off of Interstate 70. The hotel manager called police because he thought "something was suspicious," police said.

When police responded, they found all nine persons at the gas station. Since none of them spoke any English, a translator was brought in. Soon after, police said they learned the six men and three women were here illegally.

Police said the illegal immigrants said they crossed the border from Mexico Monday night. They stopped in Wheeling because they had car trouble. They said their driver left Tuesday morning and never came back.

Police said the nine illegal immigrants will be picked up by ICE officials and taken to Pittsburgh. Police said, as with the 17 illegal immigrants taken into custody Monday, they will probably be set free.

Calls to ICE officials were not returned.

-Renee Cardelli & John Paul, NEWS9