TUCSON, Ariz. – Three Points Station Border Patrol agents rendered first aid to three migrants pushed out of a vehicle by a smuggler Sunday afternoon near Sells, Arizona.
Around 4:30 p.m., agents attempted to stop a black Dodge truck traveling northbound on Federal Route 19 for an immigration inspection. The driver failed to yield, however, and raced north at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour. As the truck suddenly slowed, agents witnessed three people appear to be forced out of it.
Agents immediately stopped pursuit of the truck to assist the individuals: The three Guatemalans, ages 16, 25 and 28, were transported to a local hospital by Sells Emergency Medical Services with serious injuries.
The Tucson Sector Border Patrol requested assistance from the Tohono O’odham Police Department with the fleeing vehicle. It was found abandoned near the village of Ali-Chuckson on State Route 86 with a loaded 9 mm pistol, fentanyl pills and personal use amounts of cocaine and marijuana found inside. The driver was not located despite an extensive search.
Tucson Sector continues to see smugglers treat migrants cruelly by robbing them, forcing them to walk through inhospitable areas of the desert and abandoning them without regard for their safety. Smugglers do not care about a person’s life, only about monetary gain.
For more details regarding this news release, contact the Tucson Sector Public Affairs Office at tca-pao@cbp.dhs.gov or by phone at 520-748-3210. Tucson Sector is also LiveU capable. Contact us to schedule an interview.