DACA recipient arrested on human smuggling charges
Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program, after he attempted to smuggle four other Mexican nationals into the U.S. on Monday.
Monday afternoon agents from the Yuma Station Reconnaissance (RECCE) Unit discovered the footprints of four people illegally entering the U.S. from Mexico near County 13th Street and the Colorado River. Agents communicated their findings to agents in the Targeted Enforcement Unit (TEU) who observed four subjects getting into a white Ford F-150 in a nearby citrus grove.
Agents from both units intercepted the vehicle and performed a vehicle stop. The driver was identified as a 26-year-old male Mexican national DACA recipient from Salinas, Calif. The other four occupants were all determined to be Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States.
The driver was arrested for human smuggling charges, and the four passengers were arrested for immigration violations. The vehicle was seized for forfeiture.
The Yuma Station RECCE and TEU are specialized teams of agents that operate in high traffic areas of human and drug smuggling. RECCE focuses on providing situational awareness to areas that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO) attempt to exploit.
TEU concentrates on disrupting and degrading TCOs operating within Yuma Station’s area of responsibility through focused enforcement. Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that permits the filing of criminal activity charges without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents effectively combat smuggling organizations attempting to illegally transport people and contraband through Southwestern Arizona and California.
Citizens can help the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by calling 1-866-999-8727 toll-free to report suspicious activity. Callers can remain anonymous.
