Amado, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station apprehend an armed 29-year-old Tucson man at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint near Amado, for smuggling three Mexican nationals Wednesday evening.
Agents referred the man for a secondary inspection of his Dodge Dart after a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect coming from the vehicle. Agents discovered the illegal aliens when they opened the vehicle’s trunk. Agents also found a loaded 9 mm pistol in the center console.
Agents arrested the man for human smuggling and seized his vehicle and weapon.
As part of a campaign to discourage illegal entries within the Nogales corridor, the three men arrested will face criminal prosecution for illegal entry into the United States. Prosecution for illegally crossing one time results in a misdemeanor charge, with multiple crossings amounting to a felony. Misdemeanor charges include a 5-year ban from entering the United States, with subsequent entries increasing it to 20 years and then a lifetime ban.