TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector agents from the Sonoita Border Patrol Station working at the State Route 83 immigration checkpoint Monday discovered a 40-year-old Mexican woman hiding in the trunk of a Ford Focus.
Agents were talking to the 48-year-old female driver, identified as a U.S. citizen, a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. Agents then opened the vehicle’s rear hatch and discovered the Mexican woman.
Agents arrested both women. The driver faces human-smuggling charges, while the Mexican national is being charged for immigration violations.
Border Patrol officials continue to warn that Arizona’s high temperatures can cause death for anyone riding in the trunk of a car. Other dangers include carbon monoxide poisoning or being crushed in a rear-end collision.