An Arizona man has been arrested on charges of human smuggling after Border Patrol agents found 31 illegal immigrants from Mexico in his tractor-trailer.
Agents then referred the 2008 Freightliner for a secondary inspection, which revealed the hidden individuals—all later found to be in the country illegally.
The driver of the vehicle, a 40-year-old U.S. citizen not named in the statement, was arrested on charges of human smuggling. The suspect is a resident of Nogales, Arizona, according to CBP.
The Mexican nationals will be processed for immigration violations.
Border Patrol Catches ‘Largest Group’ of Illegal Immigrants
In May, Border Patrol agents caught the largest group of illegal immigrants ever to be intercepted at one time, according to CPB.The group, detained after midnight in Sunland Park, consisted mostly of Central American families and unaccompanied minors.
A second group consisting of 230 illegal immigrants was intercepted in New Mexico’s Antelope Wells at around 2 a.m., CBP said.
“This is an ongoing situation that U.S Border Patrol agents are facing in southern New Mexico: hundreds of parents and children being encountered by agents after having faced a dangerous journey in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers,” CBP said in a statement. “Criminal organizations continue to exploit innocent human lives in order to enhance their illicit activities without due regard to the risks of human life. In most cases these smugglers never cross the border themselves in order to avoid apprehension.”
‘Unprecedented’ Border Security Crisis
Earlier, CPB officials said in a March press conference that extraordinary steps were being taken in response to “an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis.”U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan told the press conference in El Paso that a dramatic increase in illegal crossings along the southwest border was a major strain on law enforcement resources.
The number of illegal immigrant apprehensions in the Border Patrol’s El Paso sector grew by about 800 percent over the past year.
“Nationwide, CBP had more than 12,000 migrants in custody this week,” CBP said in a statement. “The agency considers 4,000 to be a high number of migrants in custody and 6,000 to be at a crisis level. More than 12,000 migrants in custody is unprecedented.”