YUMA, Ariz. –Wellton station agents working roving patrol arrested a U.S. citizen driver smuggling 8 illegal aliens within the cabin area of the semi-truck.
On Thursday evening at approximately 5 p.m., Arizona Department of Public Safety officials requested Border Patrol assistance on a vehicle stop just east of the Ligurta Rest Area on Interstate 8 eastbound lanes.
assistance by Arizona DPS, located 8
illegals inside of the trucks' cab.
Border Patrol agents conducted immigration inspections of the occupants and discovered seven Mexican nationals and a Honduran national without proper documentation that would allow them to work or reside in the U.S. legally. Records checks were conducted on the eight adult males and revealed that one is a convicted felon who previously served 18 months in prison for possession of a controlled substance.
The male driver of the vehicle, a 43-year-old US citizen, was booked on smuggling charges. The vehicle was seized, and the eight passengers are being held as material witnesses.
Human smuggling organizations only care about profits made from smuggling illegal immigrants. In this case, the driver did not have a commercial driver’s license endangering not only the illegal aliens in the cab, but the community as well.