South Pima News

The agents of the Tucson Sector Border Patrol recently managed to put a stop to two different human smuggling attempts. 

Their actions lead to the arrest of two human smugglers and the prompt removal of five individuals looking to enter the country illegally.

With the first human smuggling incident occurring on Saturday, April 11, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents were patrolling the rural roads found east of Ajo and discover the human smuggling operation while performing an immigration inspection vehicle stop of a later-model Nissan sedan. According to Tucson News, It was discovered during the inspection that a young woman who was 25 years of age and hailing from Phoenix, was illegally transporting three people in her vehicle.

The very next day, at an immigration checkpoint on State 85 that is found near Gila Bend, a canine of the border patrol alerted agents to a Buick sedan that was being driven by another Phoenix woman, who was 39 years of age. During this inspection, the Border Patrol agents discovered two people being stowed within the trunk of the vehicle.

The five individuals who were entering the country illegally were quickly removed due to the new system to expedite the process of removing illegal immigrants in the wake of COVID-19 that was enacted on March 14. This process allows the border patrol to remove those seeking to gain illegal entry into the country without transporting them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities.

Tuscon Sector Border Patrol Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Michele Morales, spoke on the risks involved in human smuggling and dangers they pose to American citizens and border patrol agents.

“Despite traditional risks of human beings being stuffed into a trunk, there’s now increased risk due to exposure to coronavirus,” Morales said. “These human smuggling tactics increase exposure risks for our agents, those they smuggle, and endanger the safety of the American people.”