PINE VALLEY, Calif.—U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two women at the Interstate 8 checkpoint yesterday for smuggling two men.
At approximately 5 p.m., Border Patrol agents encountered a 2006 red Mazda 3 at the Pine Valley checkpoint with two women inside. The vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection and a K-9 team alerted to the car. Agents searched the vehicle and discovered two Mexican national men illegally present in the U.S., who were locked inside the car’s trunk. The men were tightly packed in the trunk, sweating profusely, and unable to exit the car.
The 21-year-old driver and her 21-year-old passenger, both US citizens, were arrested and face Federal charges for human smuggling. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.