TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station arrested a 25-year-old Tucson man for attempting to smuggle a male Mexican national through the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint Wednesday evening.
Agents referred a Chevy Equinox with two occupants for a secondary inspection. While questioning the driver and passenger, agents determined the passenger, a 24-year-old Mexican national, was illegally present in the United States.
Agents arrested the Tucson man for human smuggling and seized the vehicle. The Mexican national was processed for immigration violations in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Foreign nationals arrested for illegally entering the U.S. face criminal prosecution for violating immigration laws. If found guilty, first-time offenders could face a maximum sentence of up to 180 days in detention, with any subsequent offenses leading to felony charges.