Border Patrol rescues 32 migrants locked in moving truck

Contributed Photo/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Contributed Article/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection

TUCSON – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Tucson Station rescued 32 migrants concealed in a moving box truck, following a vehicle pursuit that started on Interstate 10 Monday evening.  

The incident started shortly after 6 p.m. when agents attempted a vehicle stop on the truck near the I-10 Frontage Road and Grant Road intersection. The truck did not yield but sped west out of the city.

The vehicle came to a stop on a rural road southwest of Tucson, where its driver and front-seat passenger fled on foot into the desert. As agents secured the truck, they discovered 32 undocumented noncitizens in its cargo compartment.

The migrants included 31 adult men and one unaccompanied juvenile from Mexico and Guatemala. All were transported to Tucson Station for processing.

Despite an exhaustive search of the area, neither suspected smuggler was found.

Tucson Sector Border Patrol continues to see smugglers transport migrants in box trucks and livestock trailers, a disturbing trend that greatly endangers migrant lives. U.S. Border Patrol agents and their law enforcement partners are dedicated to the safety and security of all whom they encounter and regularly rescue migrants from these extremely dangerous situations.