http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/134851

Published: 06.23.2006

Illegal entrants found in truck
By Josh Brodesky
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Twelve illegal entrants were taken into custody Thursday morning after they were discovered hidden in the bed of a truck that fled from a state trooper west of Tucson.
The entrants were found stacked on top of one another in the Dodge Ram's bed and were hidden by peg board, said agent Jim Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector.
Also taken into custody were the driver and two passengers in the cab. Hawkins declined to release any information about them, citing the ongoing investigation. It's unclear if they were citizens.
No charges have been filed. But Hawkins said the driver and passenger who fled will likely be charged with human smuggling. He said some of the illegal entrants may be held as witnesses.
The chase began about 11:15 a.m. near Three Points on Arizona 86, said Jim Oien, spokesman for Arizona's Department of Public Safety.
The officer had attempted to pull the truck over for reckless driving.
The chase continued east for about 12 miles, ending just west of South Kinney Road at 11:25 a.m. Speeds reached 100 mph, Oien said.
During the pursuit the officer passed several Border Patrol agents heading in the opposite direction and radioed for their assistance.
When the driver pulled over, he and one of the passengers ran away, but they didn't get far. They were caught with the help of a Black Hawk helicopter.