( CNN ) -- A sheriff 's deputy in central Arizona was shot Friday afternoon by a suspected drug trafficker , authorities said . The Pinal County deputy , who was not immediately identified , contacted authorities after being wounded in the desert , saying he had been shot by an illegal immigrant with an AK-47 , said Lt. Tammy Villar , a sheriff 's spokeswoman . The deputy radioed that he had encountered five men , some wielding long guns and handguns , and said they were carrying a large amount of marijuana . At one point the deputy lost radio contact with authorities , leading to a search by foot and by air for him and the shooter , according to CNN affiliate KNXV . Video from the scene shows that the deputy was located while sitting in desert brush , surrounded by cactus . He was able to walk to a helicopter that airlifted him to a hospital . A spokeswoman at Casa Grande Regional Medical Center confirmed that the deputy was being treated there Friday evening . He was in good condition with stable vital signs , conscious and comfortable , she said . KNXV : Deputy stopped five suspects . The deputy was shot in the left abdomen and suffered a superficial wound , law enforcement sources said . The search for the shooter continued into the evening . The shooting comes amid a national debate over Arizona 's tough new immigration law , which allows police to demand proof of legal residency . Arizona lawmakers say the law is needed because the federal government has failed to enforce border security with Mexico , allowing more than 450,000 illegal immigrants to move into the state . KPNX : Deputy expected to survive . Pinal County is between Phoenix and Tucson and has been described as a key transit point for illegal immigrants and drug traffickers . Sheriff Paul Babeu said an estimated 80 percent of illegal immigrants pass through his county along the way to other locations . Earlier this week , a CNN crew spent 12 hours on patrol with Pinal County deputies . In that time , the deputies captured more than 50 suspected illegal immigrants and about 2,000 pounds of marijuana . Deputies in the department routinely patrol for illegal immigrants and smugglers , and it is not uncommon for them to be in the field alone , officials said . It was not immediately clear what led the deputy to engage with the shooter Friday . The shooting is sure to heat up the debate around the new Arizona law . Critics say the law is unconstitutional and will lead to racial profiling , which is illegal . But Republican Arizona Gov . Jan Brewer and others who support the law say it does not involve profiling or other illegal acts and will cut down on illegal immigration . `` Frankly this is just a very horrible story , but we should not generalize , '' Alfonso Aguilar , former chief of the U.S . Citizenship Office , told CNN 's Rick Sanchez when news of Friday 's shooting broke . `` We should focus on the criminality of the drug traffickers ... not scapegoat undocumented immigrants who do not pose any threat to society . '' Brewer on Friday signed a bill that makes changes to the immigration law , saying the changes will ease concerns about racial profiling . The law , which will go into effect in 90 days , has already drawn at least two lawsuits and condemnation from the Mexican government and other Latin American nations . Prominent entertainers , including Shakira and Linda Ronstadt , also have spoken against the law . Some critics are calling for a boycott of Arizona , urging tourists to stay away and that no one do business with companies in the state . CNN 's Casey Wian contributed to this report .
Pinal County deputy assisted him after being wounded in a remote area . Pinal County has been identified as a key transit point for illegal immigrants . Police routinely patrol for illegal immigrants and drug smugglers .