TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents encountered nine illegal immigrants during five incidents this week, some whose lives could have been in jeopardy due to ruthless smugglers more interested in making a profit.
On Monday, Nogales Station agents assigned to the I-19 checkpoint referred a suspicious vehicle for a secondary inspection and discovered two individuals hiding in the trunk.
Within an hour at the same checkpoint, agents referred a second vehicle for additional inspection and discovered one undocumented alien hiding in the trunk.
Also on Monday, Sonoita Station agents working at the Highway 83 checkpoint referred the driver of a Ford Taurus for a secondary inspection and discovered two individuals in the vehicle’s trunk.
Tuesday, agents assigned to the Three Points substation received information relayed from a 911 call regarding two migrants in distress. When agents arrived on scene, they found one of the subjects lying on the ground, unconscious, but breathing. The second subject was conscious and alert. Both were medically evaluated, and the unconscious subject was transported to a hospital by helicopter.
On Wednesday, Sonoita agents stopped a Dodge Charger with a fictitious license plate. During questioning of the occupants, agents learned that the two visible passengers were illegally present in the United States. An additional search of the vehicle revealed two more immigrants hiding in the trunk.
Agents questioned all individuals found in the vehicles’ trunks and determined that none of the subjects knew how to escape in case of an emergency.
Individuals involved in the smuggling attempts were arrested and now face possible federal charges, while the undocumented aliens are being processed in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.