Sean McGoffin, Chief Border Patrol Agent of the Tucson Sector, said that agents at the Nogales immigration checkpoint arrested a local man for smuggling three Mexican nationals hidden in a work truck. He noted that the individual had a prior smuggling arrest. The statement was made on X.
“7/27 Local man smuggles three people in a work truck, making him a tool…for the cartels,” said Sean Mcgoffin, Border Patrol Chief. “Great job Nogales!!!”
At the Nogales immigration checkpoint in Arizona, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents recently stopped a smuggling attempt involving 17 Mexican migrants, including a child, crammed into overheated vehicles. According to AZFamily, this discovery was made during a traffic stop near the border and highlights the dangers of human smuggling.
In the past year, according to reports from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, 21 cases were prosecuted against 24 individuals for smuggling illegal aliens into or within the state. These figures reflect ongoing efforts to target repeat offenders involved in human smuggling operations.
Border Patrol in Arizona frequently encounters smuggling operations using vehicle concealment methods such as hiding migrants in trunks or packing them into overheated cars. These dangerous tactics are common, as documented by AZFamily in their report on the Nogales checkpoint arrests.
McGoffin has served as Chief Patrol Agent of the Tucson Sector since late 2024 and has nearly 30 years of Border Patrol service. KOLD News reported that he previously led the Yuma Sector and has overseen operations in several other regions.
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. As outlined on its history webpage, CBP has operated across 328 ports of entry since its establishment in 1924, protecting 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.
