Nogales, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from Nogales Station arrested two U.S. citizens and two illegal aliens Thursday afternoon at the Interstate 19 Immigration Checkpoint near Amado.
An agent working the primary inspection lane referred the occupants of a 2014 Chevy Malibu to secondary inspection. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, agents discovered two Guatemalan nationals, illegally present in the country, in the vehicle’s trunk.
Agents seized the vehicle and arrested the driver, age 43, and passenger, age 27, both Phoenix area residents. Also arrested were two juvenile illegal aliens, both 16. All four persons along with the vehicle were transported to the Nogales Station for further processing.
The two U.S. citizens now face human smuggling charges and will remain in custody pending a disposition. The two undocumented juveniles will remain in custody, pending immigration proceedings.
Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.