A duo out of Phoenix was arrested after their human smuggling attempt failed in Cochise County.
According to the Cochise County Sheriff’s office, on Sunday November 26, 2023 at approximately 11:47 a.m., members of the Safe Streets Task Force conducted a traffic stop near mile post 404 on East Highway 80 near San Simon.
Upon making contact with the driver, 33-year-old Frank Vincent Lopez and his passenger, 37-year-old Yareni Catalina Villela, both from Phoenix, it was discovered that they were transporting six illegal aliens, one of which was a four year old boy.
The vehicle they were stopped in had been stopped twice this year while being involved in one failure to yield event and two human smuggling events. Additionally, Lopez has his driving privileges suspended.
Lopez and Villela were transported to the Cochise County Jail and booked on felony Human Smuggling charges, while Lopez was also charged with driving on suspended license, no driver’s license issued, and violation of a child restraint device.
All migrants were turned over to US Border Patrol for processing and the vehicle was impounded.
Sheriffs Send Resources To Cochise County To Combat Border Crime
On October, the Arizona Sheriffs Association announced they were sending deputies from Apache, Coconino, Navajo, Pinal, and Yavapai to Cochise County to work alongside other law enforcement to curb border related crime.
10/24, USBP agents apprehended 2 subjects w/ criminal history:
– Murder Charge
– Member of a Drug Trafficking Organization w/ an Active WarrantDYK: This calendar year (2023), on average, the USBP has arrested more than 47 subjects per day with serious criminal histories. pic.twitter.com/zt0jQr3MY4
— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) October 26, 2023
The increased effort from county sheriffs is part of the Safe Streets II Task Force in Cochise.
Recently, high speed chases involving human and drug smugglers have increased, resulting in deaths and injuries among innocent residents.