Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station, working at the I-19 checkpoint on Aug. 14, arrested a U.S. citizen after finding two male Mexican nationals hiding in secret compartments within a Ford Expedition.
While performing a secondary inspection of the vehicle, agents discovered two after-market compartments with one individual hiding in each compartment. The compartments were equipped with external latches but no means of escape for the individuals hiding inside. In an emergency, the subjects would have been trapped.
Smuggling organizations often use dangerous methods of transporting people across the border with no regard for safety.
The Border Patrol is holding the driver pending prosecution charges but will process the Mexican nationals for removal, in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.
Federal law allows the Border Patrol 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.