TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested five U.S. citizens during three incidents after finding undocumented aliens concealed inside vehicle trunks at immigration checkpoints.
The first incident occurred Friday afternoon when Nogales agents at the immigration checkpoint on Interstate 19, south of Amado, Arizona, referred an 18-year-old Phoenix woman driving a Nissan Sentra, along with her 16-year-old male passenger, for further inspection. When agents opened the vehicle’s trunk, they discovered a 24-year-old Guatemalan man inside.
inside the trunk of a smuggling vehicle
A few hours later, agents at the same checkpoint referred a 39-year-old Tucson woman for a secondary inspection of the Mercury Sable she was driving. When agents opened the car’s trunk, they found a 21-year-old Guatemalan man concealed inside.
Saturday evening, Willcox agents at the immigration checkpoint on State Route 90 near Benson referred two Phoenix women, ages 20 and 21, for a secondary inspection of a Mazda sedan after a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. When agents opened the back of the vehicle, they discovered two male Mexican nationals, ages 18 and 20, hiding inside.
Agents arrested the U.S. citizens for human smuggling and seized the vehicles involved. The undocumented aliens will be processed for immigration violations, in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.