Tucson Standard

Agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Brian Terry station in the Tucson Sector have arrested two New Mexico teenagers for transporting three undocumented immigrants near Palominas, according to a March 6 news release.

The incident took place on March 1 when agents reportedly encountered a black Dodge Ram truck and conducted an immigration inspection. They discovered two 17-year-olds from New Mexico—the driver and front passenger—along with three men attempting to conceal themselves in the back seat. The men, who were from Mexico, were illegally in the U.S. According to the news release, "the male driver and female passenger, both U.S. citizens, were arrested," and the truck was seized. The three undocumented men, previously removed from the U.S., will be processed for reinstatement of a prior removal order and serve as material witnesses in the driver’s smuggling case. "The female passenger will not be prosecuted at this time."

According to CBP’s webpage dedicated to the sector, the Tucson Sector covers much of Arizona, stretching approximately 262 miles from the New Mexico border to Yuma County’s border. The sector employs about 3,700 agents across nine stations located in Why, Casa Grande, Douglas, Bisbee, Nogales, Sonoita, Tucson, Three Points, and Wilcox. Originally known as the Nogales Sector, it was established on July 1, 1924, with the sector headquarters relocating to Tucson two years later.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 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.