Border Patrol Agents Arrest Three Armed Human Smugglers, Eight Migrants

Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona arrested three armed human smugglers in three separate incidents.

Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents received a report of suspicious activity from a citizen on Sunday afternoon after he witnessed someone picking up a person walking out of the desert. The pickup occurred on a remote farm road near Bisbee, Arizona. The agents who are assigned to the Brian Terry Border Patrol Station located the vehicle and initiated a roadside stop to conduct an immigration investigation, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

After questioning the U.S. citizen driver and the passenger, agents determined the passenger to be illegally present in the country. Agents reported the driver of the vehicle was carrying a 9 mm pistol. Agents arrested the driver on suspicion of human smuggling charges and confiscated the handgun and the car. The passenger, a Mexican national, will be processed for an immigration hearing to determine if he will be removed.

The following day, agents working near Gila Bend witnessed the driver of a Honda Pilot SUV pick up five people along the side of the roadway. Agents stopped the vehicle and learned the five people were illegal immigrants from Mexico. A search of the vehicle revealed the driver had stashed a .45 caliber pistol in the vehicle’s front console, officials stated. Agents arrested the driver and confiscated the SUV and the handgun. The driver, also a U.S. citizen, will likely face human smuggling charges. Agents transported the five illegal immigrants to the Border Patrol station for processing.

On Tuesday, Border Patrol agents found another human smuggler, also carrying a 9 mm pistol. The agents working near Three Points, Arizona, received a tip that a driver of a Lincoln Navigator picked up a person on the roadway. Agents found the vehicle and stopped it for an immigration inspection. The agents questioned two men, both U.S. citizens, in the front seat of the SUV. They claimed to be traveling alone. Agents observed a man crouching down between the rear seats. Agents questioned that person and determined him to be a Mexican national, illegally present in the U.S. The agents arrested the two men and the Mexican national. A search of the vehicle revealed a 9 mm pistol in the rear storage area of the SUV. Agents seized the gun and the Lincoln Navigator.

CBP officials stated the illegal immigrants will all be process for immigration hearings to determine if they will be deported. The four U.S. citizens arrested are expected to face federal charges of human smuggling.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.