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Border Patrol K9 Alerts to Illegal Aliens Hiding in Trunk

Release Date
Fri, 09/01/2017

TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Willcox Station arrested two U.S. citizens at the State Route 90 immigration checkpoint Thursday night for smuggling two Mexican nationals in the trunk of a vehicle.

Agents working at the immigration checkpoint north of Whetstone, Arizona, referred a 2008 Infiniti coupe for a secondary inspection after a canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. When agents opened the car’s trunk, they found two adult males hiding inside.

Agents at the SR90 immigration checkpoint discovered two illegal aliens inside of the trunk of a vehicle
Agents at the SR90 immigration checkpoint
discovered two illegal aliens inside of the
trunk of a vehicle

Agents arrested the 24-year-old driver and 26-year-old passenger, both from Tucson, for human smuggling and seized the vehicle. The two Mexican nationals were also arrested and are being processed for immigration violations.

The tactic of concealing humans in the trunks of vehicles is commonly used by smugglers, which could lead to suffocation, heat stroke, hypothermia or injury from vehicle collisions. And while many vehicles are equipped with safety features that would allow passengers to escape through the cargo compartment in an emergency, some do not. However, for the safety features to work, occupants need to know how to use them.

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