U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two U.S. citizens attempting to smuggle seven illegal immigrants near Sasabe, Arizona on March 10, 2020.
At approximately 5 p.m. agents conducted an immigration related traffic stop on a pickup truck driving on Arivaca-Sasabe Highway. The driver and passenger of the truck, both U.S. citizens, were found smuggling seven Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States.
During the arrest, the vehicle’s passenger was discovered to have a variety of narcotics, including personal use amounts of heroin, methamphetamine and Oxycodone, as well as several syringes.
Agents seized the vehicle and narcotics. The U.S. citizen driver and passenger are facing federal human smuggling charges while the passenger is facing additional charges for drug possession. All seven Mexican nationals apprehended are facing federal immigration violations.
U.S. Border Patrol officials warn that placing humans in a vehicle’s trunk or bed can be extremely dangerous. The risks, including carbon monoxide poisoning and those posed by a vehicle collision, increase when people are hidden in compartments to avoid detection by law enforcement officials.
