Sean McGoffin, Border Patrol Chief of the Tucson Sector, announced that Tucson agents had arrested a Mexican national with felony convictions and gang affiliations who had been previously deported in 2009. The statement was made on X.
“Illegal Alien who joined California gang arrested in Arizona by Border Patrol,” said Sean Mcgoffin. “Tucson Border Patrol agents arrested Jose Perez-Conteras in Tucson on Wednesday, August 20th. While in custody, Immigration and Criminal Database records revealed that Perez had a lengthy criminal history in California, to include multiple felonies and affiliation to the “Chicanos with Pride” street gang.”
In August 2025, Tucson Sector agents apprehended a Mexican national with felony convictions and California gang ties who had been previously deported. This incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by gang-affiliated individuals attempting to reenter the U.S. through Arizona’s desert corridors. According to U.S. Border Patrol officials, the case reflects the sector’s priority on intercepting repeat offenders before they reach interior communities.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, in fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol agents arrested about 17,000 individuals with prior criminal convictions, representing roughly 1.1% of the 1.6 million total apprehensions. These figures highlight the recurring problem of aggravated felons attempting illegal reentry, a pattern frequently encountered by Tucson Sector agents in Arizona.
Recent enforcement reporting indicates that Arizona arrests of gang-affiliated migrants mirror broader national trends where California remains a hotspot for gang-related immigration cases. The Tucson Sector has repeatedly publicized arrests of individuals with ties to transnational gangs, underscoring that while California encounters are higher in volume, Arizona’s desert corridors remain a key crossing point. This was documented in Tucson Sector statements and comparative border enforcement analyses.
Sean L. McGoffin is the Chief Patrol Agent of the Tucson Sector, overseeing one of the busiest border areas in the U.S. He began his career there in 1996 and later served as chief in the Big Bend, Havre, and Yuma sectors before returning to Arizona in late 2024. McGoffin has emphasized targeting reentry cases, improving prosecutions, and strengthening rescue efforts.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security, is tasked with safeguarding the nation’s borders and preventing illegal entry. Since its establishment in 1924, CBP has operated across 328 ports of entry, protecting 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.
