U.S. Citizens Arrested, Smuggling Mexican Nationals in Car Trunk

YUMA, Ariz. –A Border Patrol canine team at the immigration checkpoint on Interstate 8, east of Yuma, alerted agents to a vehicle Wednesday visibly occupied by a man and woman, both U.S. citizens.

Agents referred the couple for a secondary inspection of their vehicle and found two Mexican nationals hiding in the trunk.  Both were illegally present in the United States.

“It is a long held opinion of all of us who deal with smugglers on a daily basis that they have absolutely no regard for human life,” said Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony J. Porvaznik.  “Smuggling people in the trunk of a vehicle could result in death due to the heat, carbon monoxide poisoning, suffocation, or any number of causes.”

The U.S. citizens are being charged with alien smuggling; while the two aliens are being processed per Yuma Sector guidelines.  Agents also seized the vehicle used in the smuggling attempt.