YUMA, Ariz. – Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Wellton station arrested two aggravated felons that were part of two different groups detected in the desert east of Yuma over the last two days.
On Monday morning, agents arrested a group of three migrants on the western edge of the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge. One of the migrants was identified as Hugo Zazueta-Garcia, an aggravated felon who was charged and convicted in Maricopa County in 2017 for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison; however, it is unknown how much time he served.
Wellton agents encountered another group Tuesday morning in the desert approximately 40 miles southeast of Tacna, Arizona. One of the migrants out of the group of 10 was identified as Valentin Deltoro-Pena, who also had an alias of Simon Gomez-Vincent. Deltoro-Pena was arrested and convicted in 2020 in Tennessee for aggravated assault and subsequently sentenced to three years in prison. It is unknown how much time Deltoro-Pena actually served.
Zazueta-Garcia and Deltoro-Pena, both Mexican nationals, have previous removals from the United States. As a result, they will be charged for illegal reentry of an aggravated felon. Migrants who have criminal histories and prior removals can face jail time, which is why they often choose to illegally enter the U.S. in areas that are remote, such as the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge and other barren and dangerous areas across the Sonoran Desert.
-USBP-
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