Casa Grande man arrested on SR 347 for human smuggling

Casa Grande man arrested on SR 347 for human smuggling
Courtesy of PCSO
October 18, 2011 - 7:01 pm

Pictured is the $4,007 seized by PCSO deputies. Photo courtesy of PCSO. An 18-year-old Casa Grande man traveling north toward Maricopa on State Route 347 was arrested Monday for human smuggling.

Both the suspect and driver, Dominique Reggie Guillen, and his passenger, Mexican national Gregoro Antonio Martinez-Diaz, where carrying large sums of cash when they were stopped by a Pinal County Sheriff's Office deputy around 7:45 p.m. Guillen was carrying $1,257 and Martinez-Diaz had $2,750.

A deputy heading north on SR 347 observed two vehicles traveling in tandem. The lead vehicle was a tan 2000 Lincoln LS sedan and the second was a blue 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan. The deputy used speed radar to determine both vehicles were traveling above the posted speed limit of 65 mph.

Registration checks on the vehicles showed both were operating with canceled insurance. As the Lincoln began to speed away, the deputy followed and initiated a traffic stop on the sedan by turning on his emergency lights. As the suspect’s vehicle pulled to the shoulder and stopped, the passenger door opened and two Hispanic males exited the car fleeing east into the desert.


The deputy ordered the driver, as well as a passenger seated in the rear, to exit the vehicle. Both were placed in handcuffs. The driver identified himself as Guillen and stated he was 17 year old. However, motor vehicle department records showed Guillen was 18 and lived in Casa Grande.

The passenger did not speak English and informed deputies on the scene he was in the United States illegally. U.S. Border Patrol later identified the passenger as Martinez-Diaz of Mexico.

While searching both suspects, deputies found a large sum of cash.
Martinez-Diaz was turned over to U.S. Border Patrol for processing.

Attempts to locate the second vehicle were unsuccessful.

http://www.inmaricopa.com/Article/2011/ ... -smuggling