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    In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.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. Sonoita Agents Stop 2 Human Smuggling Attempts

Sonoita Agents Stop 2 Human Smuggling Attempts

Release Date
Thu, 02/02/2017

TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents stopped two human smuggling attempts this week while conducting immigration checkpoint operations on State Route 83 near Sonoita.

A U.S. citizen driving a 2001 Saturn Ion sped through the immigration checkpoint Tuesday, prompting agents to pursue the car a short distance before the driver pulled over. During a search of the vehicle, agents found three adult Mexican nationals in the trunk.

The second incident occurred Wednesday when agents working the same immigration checkpoint referred a U.S. citizen driving a Hyundai Accent to the secondary inspection area after the driver consented to a search of the vehicle. During the inspection, agents discovered three undocumented Mexican nationals hiding in the vehicle’s trunk. 

The drivers in both incidents are being prosecuted for human smuggling. The six undocumented Mexican nationals are pending removal proceedings 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