Arizona border agents find body in SUV in human smuggling case
Jul 16, 2020, 6:00 PM | Updated: Jul 17, 2020, 7:27 am
(Getty images Photo/John Moore)
(Getty images Photo/John Moore)
PHOENIX — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Arizona found a body in a vehicle driven by a suspected human smuggler, authorities said.
The Arizona man was arrested in Douglas after Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration inspection vehicle stop and discovered six Mexican nationals inside his GMC SUV, authorities said in a press release Thursday.
Agents also found a body bag containing a human corpse.
Border Patrol believes the driver may be employed by a southern Arizona mortuary and was transporting the remains while attempting to smuggle illegal border crossers further into the United States.
Federal human smuggling charges have been filed against the driver. He will remain in custody until there is a determination in his case, officials said.
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The six Mexican nationals were processed for immigration violations.
The human remains were sent to a local mortuary.
Two 13-year-old residents of Douglas were also arrested following an immigration inspection vehicle stop. Border Patrol believed they were connected to the crime after seeing their car in the same spot as the smuggler’s GMC SUV, officials said.
One has since been release, while another was turned over to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office and placed under arrest for an unrelated, outstanding felony warrant.
