TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Willcox Station arrested a previously deported 46-year-old Guatemalan man Wednesday morning and discovered he was convicted in 2007 for sexual battery by restraint in California.
Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office, participating in Operation Stonegarden, conducted a traffic stop on a Honda Civic near Duncan, Arizona, and contacted Willcox Station agents for assistance. Agents arrived on scene and determined that two men from the vehicle were in the U.S. illegally. Agents later learned, through a records check, that the Guatemalan man, identified as Salvador Morales-Calel, had served two years in prison for the sexual battery conviction.
Morales is being held in federal custody pending prosecution for criminal immigration violations. The other man arrested with Morales, identified as a Mexican national, is being processed for immigration violations per Tucson Sector guidelines.
Operation Stonegarden is a Department of Homeland Security program that grants funds to other law enforcement agencies to enhance and strengthen border security throughout the United States.
CBP welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. All calls will be answered and remain anonymous.