TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Willcox and Ajo stations arrested four U.S. citizens and one Permanent Resident card holder for their involvement in three weekend human-smuggling attempts.
Mexican man discovered in trunk at the U.S. Border Patrol immigration checkpoint near Tombstone. On Friday afternoon, agents at the immigration checkpoint on State Route 80 near Tombstone referred two 20-year-old Phoenix women in a Honda Civic for a secondary inspection of the vehicle after a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. When agents opened the Civic’s trunk to investigate, they discovered a 23-year-old Mexican man inside. Agents arrested both women for human smuggling and seized the vehicle.
On Sunday evening, agents working at the same immigration checkpoint referred two 19-year-old Phoenix men in a Honda Accord for a secondary inspection of the vehicle after a Border Patrol canine’s alert to an odor it was trained to detect. When agents opened the vehicle’s trunk, they discovered a 25-year-old Mexican national inside. Agents seized the Honda and arrested the driver and passenger for smuggling.
Also on Sunday evening, agents working at the State Route 85 immigration checkpoint near Ajo, Arizona, referred the female driver and male passenger of a Hyundai Sonata for a secondary inspection and learned the passenger, 59, had entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico. Agents seized the Hyundai and arrested the driver, identified as a 50-year-old permanent resident, for smuggling.
All three male Mexican nationals will be processed for immigration violations in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.
Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.