Tucson Standard

Agents with the Tucson sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have announced the arrest of an unidentified lawfully admitted permanent resident on charges of smuggling Guatemalans following a traffic stop. This information was shared in a March 24 post on X by Chief Patrol Agent Sean McGoffin.

According to McGoffin, a Santa Cruz County Deputy stopped the vehicle for traffic violations, which led to the discovery of three illegal aliens inside, along with the Iranian national driver and a U.S. citizen passenger. A search revealed a gun in the driver's pocket, another gun under the passenger seat, and fentanyl in the vehicle’s center console. Both individuals are facing state charges of prohibited possessor and misconduct involving weapons, as well as federal charges including alien smuggling, possession of a controlled substance, and felon in possession of a firearm. The investigation is ongoing.

The Tucson Sector covers much of Arizona, extending 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. According to CBP’s webpage dedicated to this sector, it was originally known as the Nogales Sector when established on July 1, 1924; its headquarters moved to Tucson two years later.

Screenshot of Sean McGoffin's March 24 post on X | X

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), part of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for safeguarding national borders and preventing illegal entry. Since its establishment in 1924, CBP has operated across 328 ports of entry while protecting 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.