Contributed Article/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
TUCSON – U.S. Border Patrol agents working in the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation in San Miguel arrested two U.S. citizen teenagers, three Guatemalan nationals, and a Mexican national who were involved in a human smuggling event over the weekend.
Around 6 p.m. Friday, agents assigned to the Three Points Border Patrol Station were alerted by detection technology that a silver 2005 Honda Civic was seen driving south on Federal Route 19 towards the border area, then quickly turning back north. Agents located the vehicle, followed it, and ran records checks. Agents reported that the car appeared to be heavily laden, and records revealed the vehicle was registered in Phoenix. Smuggling organizations frequently recruit juvenile and young adult drivers from Phoenix to pick up human and narcotic smuggling loads along the border.
Agents activated their emergency equipment to perform a vehicle stop. The Honda came to a halt, and agents reported that the trunk opened without warning, and two men wearing camouflage clothing were seen attempting to exit the vehicle. As quickly as it stopped, the car once again tried to flee the area with the trunk still open and the two males still inside.
The Honda was driven cross-country, off-road, through brush, dirt banks, and washes, causing significant damage to the vehicle. During the off-road pursuit, agents reported seeing the two men in the trunk nearly ejected from the car. The vehicle came to a stop approximately 100 yards from FR-19. The driver, front passenger, and the two men in the trunk exited the car and fled the area on foot.
Agents approached the crashed vehicle and observed a 3-year-old child lying face down on top of an adult female who was lying on her stomach on the floor of the rear passenger area of the Honda. As agents removed the mother and child from the vehicle, they noticed the 3-year-old had a bloody nose, likely caused by the reckless driving and the subjects not wearing seat belts. Agents rendered aid to the mother and child.
An Air Marine Operations air asset was near the area and also responded to the vehicle crash site. Agents on the ground relayed to the AMO agent the last known direction of travel for the four outstanding subjects. The AMO agent located the subjects and was able to guide ground agents to their location, where they were placed under arrest and escorted back to their vehicles.
All subjects involved in the smuggling event were transported to a processing facility. The 17-year-old driver and the 19-year-old co-principal, both citizens of the United States, are facing human smuggling charges with endangerment enhancements. The aliens are facing illegal entry charges and are being held as material witnesses.
