SALTON CITY, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working at the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint arrested a convicted murderer suspected of smuggling three undocumented immigrants Saturday afternoon.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m., when a man driving a grey Chevrolet Silverado with four passengers approached the checkpoint. During an immigration interview, the driver stated that three occupants sitting in the back seat had their immigration documents in their bags in the bed of the truck. Agents sent the vehicle to secondary inspection for further investigation.
While in secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents determined that the three occupants sitting in the back seat were undocumented immigrants.
Agents conducted records checks on the driver, which revealed that the 42-year-old man was convicted of murder on November 12, 1997 out of Orange. The man served 14 years confinement for his conviction. The man also had other felony convictions that included carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a controlled substance and participation in a criminal street gang.
The man and his woman front passenger, both United States citizens, were arrested for human smuggling. The other three passengers, all Mexican nationals, were arrested for being illegally present in the United States.