http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/breakingne ... 06_illegal

March 27, 2006


28 illegal immigrants packed in two stolen trucks caught
DAVID L. TEIBEL
Tucson Citizen
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U.S. Border Patrol agents captured 28 suspected illegal immigrants, including one suspected people smuggler, south of Tucson on Sunday night, a Border Patrol spokesman said.

Agents patrolling near Arivaca spotted two trucks that the determined had been stolen, said Senior Border Patrol Agent Sean King. The drivers fled in the trucks after they spotted the border patrol agents.

The driver of a Ford F-250 stolen in New Mexico stopped off the Arivaca Road and the driver ran into the desert and escaped. Ten suspected illegal immigrants in the truck were taken into custody, King said.

The other truck, a Dodge Ram pickup, was driven to Interstate-19 and then to the 11000 block of South Old Nogales Highway, where the driver stopped, King said. The driver was among 18 suspected illegal entrants who had been in the truck. All were taken into custody by agents.

No high-speed pursuit was involved, King said. The driver who made it to Old Nogales Highway was tracked by a Border Patrol helicopter, not by agents on the ground.

There were no injuries in the incident, King said.

He said he expected the driver would be held in federal custody and charged with immigrant smuggling and the others would be returned to Mexico. Names of suspects were not available.