Sasabe, Arizona - U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered 23 illegal aliens being smuggled in a utility van near Sasabe, Arizona.
Around 5:30 p.m., Tucson Sector agents stopped a utility van for an immigration inspection on Arivaca West Rd, approximately 12 miles north of the Sasabe Port of Entry. As they approached the driver’s side, they could see the van was packed with a multitude of people.
Agents immediately secured the driver and opened the back of the vehicle. They found 23 additional people inside, none of them secured with seatbelts or wearing masks.
smuggling vehicle stopped near Arivaca, Ariz.
All but the van’s driver were found to be illegally present in the United States and now face immigration violation charges. The U.S. citizen driver faces federal charges for human smuggling.
All people apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using biometrics to ensure illegal aliens with criminal histories are verified.