On Monday, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested another Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, this time in Arizona, for attempting to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico.
Agents working in the Yuma Sector came across the footprints of several illegal aliens attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico and communicated the information to Targeted Enforcement Unit agents, who witnessed four subjects entering into a white truck nearby. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports:
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, California. 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 arrest by federal agents marks the third time in less than a week that Border Patrol agents arrested a DACA recipient for suspected human smuggling.
The first incident occurred on January 24, when agents working in San Diego received a tip that suspected human smuggling was occurring near Torrey Pines State Beach. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports:
Agents observed the vehicle stopped on the side of Interstate 5 near Dairy Mart Rd. at around 12:10 p.m., and conducted an immigration check.
Agents found three men inside the vehicle, the driver, a 20-year-old DACA recipient, his 22-year-old cousin who is a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States, and a 21-year-old Mexican national illegally in the country. Both the driver and his cousin admitted their involvement with human smuggling in the area. The driver, a beneficiary of DACA which has since expired, is currently being held in Federal custody.
The second incident happened on January 25 when agents working in east San Diego County arrested a group of illegal aliens and then located suspicious vehicles nearby. CBP reports:
Agents questioned the driver, a 22-year-old male Mexican national, who admitted that he was performing scouting duties for a smuggling crew. He also admitted that he was coordinating with another driver of a vehicle to relay information related to Border Patrol operations in the area and the status of the Border Patrol checkpoint to aid in illegal smuggling.
Border Patrol agents learned that the man resides in Riverside County as a DACA recipient. Agents also discovered that the man had successfully participated in alien smuggling on multiple occasions. The man, in violation of the terms of his DACA status, is currently being held in Department of Homeland Security custody for removal proceedings.