Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Highway 78 Immigration Checkpoint near Palo Verde, California arrested two male United States citizens along with three Mexican nationals and one Guatemalan national in an attempted human smuggling event Sunday.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., a black 2015 Dodge Charger containing six occupants arrived at the checkpoint. Upon questioning, Blythe Station agents discovered that four adult men in the back seat were foreign nationals illegally present in the United States. The subjects were attempting to travel from Calexico, California to Phoenix.
The 31-year-old driver residing in Julian, California and his 17-year-old juvenile passenger, both United States citizens, were arrested for alien smuggling. Agents also arrested the foreign nationals, and seized the vehicle.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.