Border Patrol arrest five following in joint effort

Border Patrol agents working near Interstate 8, east of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, arrested five individuals following a pursuit after the driver of a Chevrolet SUV failed to yield to a traffic stop Friday morning.

California Highway Patrol notified the Yuma Sector Border Patrol that four individuals were seen climbing into a SUV and were traveling east toward Yuma.

Yuma Sector’s dispatch alerted agents working near the area.

Once agents spotted the vehicle, they attempted to conduct a vehicle stop but the driver fled.

After a short pursuit that ended in a Yuma furniture store parking lot near Giss Parkway, the subjects attempted to escape on foot but were soon apprehended.

No injuries, damage or vehicle accidents occurred during the incident.

Agents arrested the driver, a 27-year-old U.S. citizen, for human smuggling and seized the vehicle.

His four passengers, identified as illegal aliens from Mexico, were arrested for immigration violations. All subjects are being processed per Yuma Sector guidelines.