Amado, Arizona - Nogales Border Patrol agents arrested three United States citizens and four foreign nationals during two foiled smuggling attempts near Amado on Saturday evening.
The first incident occurred at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint when agents working the primary inspection lane referred a man driving a Saab coupe for further inspection. When agents opened the vehicle’s trunk, they discovered two Mexican men, 32 and 34, illegally present in the country.
Agents seized the vehicle, and arrested the illegal aliens for immigration violations. The driver, identified as an 18-year-old Tucson man, was arrested for human smuggling.
A couple of hours later, agents patrolling on a frontage road near the same immigration checkpoint, conducted an immigration inspection on the occupants of an older model Buick sedan. During the stop, agents uncovered the 19-year-old driver was transporting two Honduran nationals, 18 and 20, illegally present in the United States.
Agents arrested and transported the driver, two illegal aliens and an additional passenger to the Nogales Station, along with the seized vehicle for further processing. The driver, a Tucson man, will remain in custody pending federal smuggling charges. The third passenger was subsequently released.
The four illegal aliens involved in both incidents will be processed for immigration violations.