TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 19 Immigration Checkpoint near Amado, Arizona, arrested a Mesa woman for smuggling two illegal aliens Friday.
At 10:40 a.m., Tucson Sector agents referred a red Nissan Sentra to a secondary inspection. Agents subsequently located two Mexican national men, both illegally present in the United States, concealed in the vehicle’s trunk.
Both men will face immigration violations while the 37-year-old U.S. citizen driver, currently on parole for a previous narcotics conviction, will now be charged federally for human smuggling.
U.S. Border Patrol officials warn that smuggling people in a trunk can be deadly. The dangers of extreme heat and the risks posed by a vehicle collision increase when people are placed inside compartments, such as trailers and trunks.
For more details regarding this media release or to schedule a remote interview via LiveU, please contact the Tucson Sector Border Patrol Public Affairs Office at tca-pao@cbp.dhs.gov or by phone at 520-748-3210.