Tucson Standard

A Phoenix woman has been sentenced for smuggling illegal immigrants and assaulting a federal officer. "USAO_AZ continues to strive to promote justice for our community," wrote John R. Modlin, chief patrol agent of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Tucson sector, in a July 9 post on X.

In his post on X, Modlin shared a link to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, which elaborated on his statement. According to the news release, Shatasia Emoney Sanders Taylor, 25, will spend 27 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. She was sentenced the previous week after pleading guilty to Alien Smuggling and Assault of a Federal Officer in September 2023.

The incident occurred on February 7, 2023. CBP agents observed Taylor picking up individuals they believed were undocumented noncitizens near Bisbee. When an agent approached her stopped vehicle and reached his arm through the passenger door window, Taylor accelerated, dragging the agent several hundred feet before stopping. The news release stated that three undocumented noncitizens were in the back seat of her vehicle at the time.

Screenshot of John R. Modlin's July 9 post on X | X

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona includes approximately 180 assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) and is led by U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino. It operates large offices in Phoenix and Tucson, as well as smaller offices in Yuma and Flagstaff.

U.S. Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security responsible for safeguarding national borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates at 328 ports of entry and protects 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.