Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station arrested a Tempe woman at the Interstate 19 Immigration Checkpoint near Amado, Arizona, for smuggling three illegal aliens in her vehicle’s trunk Saturday afternoon.
Agents referred the 20-year-old female for secondary inspection where a search of her Chevy Malibu led to the discovery of three illegal aliens, two adult males and one adult female, hidden in the trunk. Agents also discovered a loaded handgun belonging to the driver in the vehicle.
Agents arrested the female driver for human smuggling, and seized both the vehicle and firearm, which were transported to the Nogales Station for further processing.
The illegal aliens were nationals from Mexico and Guatemala, ages 18, 20, and 33. They are being processed for immigration violations per 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 and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.