Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Archived Content
    In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. Border Patrol Agents Arrest Mesa Couple for Smuggling

Border Patrol Agents Arrest Mesa Couple for Smuggling

Release Date
Thu, 12/07/2017

TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station detained a Mesa couple after finding a Mexican man in their vehicle’s trunk during a secondary inspection at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint near Amado, Arizona on Wednesday night.

Agents discovered an illegal alien within the trunk of a smuggling vehicle
Agents discovered an illegal alien within
the trunk of a smuggling vehicle

Agents referred the 21-year-old female driver a Chevy Cavalier for additional inspection after a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect coming from the vehicle. When agents opened the vehicle’s trunk, they discovered a 26-year-old Mexican national inside.

Agents arrested the driver and her 22-year-old male passenger, identified as the vehicle’s registered owner, for human smuggling and seized the vehicle.

The Mexican national is being processed for immigration violations, in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.

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.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021