Human smuggling attempt stopped near Tucson
Nogales Station Border Patrol agents working at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint utilized x-ray technology to disrupt the smuggling of three men Friday morning, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
At approximately 10:45 a.m., agents working the primary immigration inspection lane referred the driver of a flatbed tow truck hauling a Chevy Silverado for a secondary inspection.
Utilizing x-ray technology, agents detected anomalies in the cab of the Silverado atop the flatbed. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed three individuals stacked atop one another in an attempt to conceal themselves.
The three men, identified as Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States, were arrested and will be processed for immigration violations. The smuggler will be prosecuted for human smuggling.
Investment in technology allows Border Patrol agents to increase the ability to deter, detect, identify and resolve dangerous smuggling attempts by transnational criminal organizations.
Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
