YUMA, Ariz. – Border Patrol agents from the El Centro and Yuma Sectors foiled an attempted human smuggling event Thursday afternoon that started in Imperial County, California and ended in Yuma resulting in five arrests.
Calexico Station agents attempted an immigration stop mid-morning on Interstate 8 in the Imperial Dunes Recreational area. The driver of a Toyota sedan, a male 29-year-old U.S. citizen, refused to stop and a pursuit began that continued into the Yuma area. During the pursuit, the driver dropped off three adult Mexican males and one adult Honduran male at a gas station at the intersection of 16th Street and Redondo Drive. An agent arrived at the gas station and apprehended the passengers.
The driver then attempted to abscond through town, and traveled back onto the Interstate 8 going westbound before turning around and traveling eastbound exiting in the Foothills. Upon exiting the interstate, the subject’s vehicle then collided with a civilian vehicle. The suspect exited his vehicle and barricaded himself in a nearby house. Border Patrol agents located the subject hiding in a closet inside the home and took him into custody. The residents, who were home at the time, were unharmed.
The driver involved in the smuggling attempt was arrested on human smuggling charges and the four illegal aliens were arrested for immigration violations. The driver is currently serving a probationary sentence for a previous smuggling attempt in June of 2019.
The driver of the civilian vehicle was taken to the Yuma Regional Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.