Arizona teens charged with human smuggling plus endangerment after attempting to flee from Border Patrol

TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Border Patrol agents working in the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation in San Miguel arrested two U.S. Citizens 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 vehicle appeared to be heavily laden, and records revealed the vehicle was registered in Phoenix, AZ. 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 stop and agents reported the trunk opened without notice and two men wearing camouflaged clothing were seen attempting to exit the vehicle. As quickly as it stopped, the vehicle once again attempted 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 vehicle. 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 vehicle and fled the area on foot.

Agents approached the crashed vehicle and observed a three-year-old child lying face down on top of an adult female who was laying 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 three-year-old had a bloody nose, likely caused by the reckless driving and subjects not wearing safely 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 walk ground agents towards their location where they located the subjects; agents placed them under arrest and walked them back towards their vehicles.

All subjects involved in the smuggling event were transported to a processing facility. The 17-year-old U.S.C. driver and the 19-year-old U.S.C. co-principal are facing human smuggling charges with endangerment enhancements. The aliens are facing illegal entry charges and are being held as material witnesses.

Follow the Chief of Tucson Sector on the social media platform X at @USBPChiefTCA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPArizona for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.

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