COLUMBUS, N.M. – U.S. Border Patrol agents in Southern New Mexico stop two attempted human smuggling events as smugglers attempt to use the desert terrain to camouflage their illegal activities.
Yesterday morning, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Lordsburg station received information indicating a vehicle had crossed the border illegally through the desert west of the Columbus Port of Entry. Information indicated the vehicle was heading north from the U.S. / Mexico international border using backroads and the desert terrain in an attempt to avoid detection. The agents called for air support to assist in locating the vehicle and a short time later, found the suspected vehicle.
Agents activated their emergency equipment and stopped the 1999 Chevy Tahoe on New Mexico Highway 81 without incident. The driver is a Mexican national and was arrested along with six other illegal aliens that were being smuggled into the country. The vehicle was seized and the illegal entrants were processed and expelled from the country.
The day before, Border Patrol agents from the Deming station were also alerted to a group of illegal crossers as they made their way north through the desert towards New Mexico State Road 9. As agents were closing in on the illegal aliens hiding in the brush, they observed a suspicious vehicle in the area. Agents questioned the occupants and determined they were waiting to pick up and transport the group. The driver was found to have an active warrant and was turned over to New Mexico State Police. All the illegal aliens were processed and expelled from the country.
El Paso Sector Chief Gloria I. Chavez stated, “Our agents continue to display an unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from all types of illegal activities regardless of the challenges they face.”
It is important to note that an arrest should not be considered evidence of guilt, and subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.