Woman arrested for attempting to smuggle undocumented immigrant

A 34-year-old Tucson, Ariz., woman was arrested Tuesday after allegedly attempting to smuggle an undocumented immigrant inside a vehicle.

Alice T. Begay was taken into custody at 3 p.m. Tuesday near the Highway 87 Border Patrol checkpoint by U.S. Border Patrol agents and booked into county jail on suspicion of bringing an undocumented immigrant into the United States, county Sheriff’s Office arrest records said.

Begay was held on no bond for the alleged offense.

According to a federal court complaint, Begay was driving northbound at about 3 p.m. Tuesday on the highway toward the checkpoint with a passenger in the front seat.

A Border Patrol agent noticed Begay’s vehicle traveling at a very slow rate of speed and also observed the front seat passenger lying low and barely visible.

Approximately half a mile from the Highway 78 checkpoint, Begay’s vehicle turned around and drove away.

Due to the driver’s behavior, a Border Patrol agent conducted a vehicle stop for immigration purposes on Highway 78 and Imperial Gables Road.

After questioning, the front passenger stated he did not have any immigration documents and was illegally present in the United States.

Begay and the passenger were then taken into custody and transported to the Blythe Border Patrol Station for further processing.

The passenger eventually stated that he paid a smuggler $2,000 to be transported from Guatemala to the United States.

Begay said she was instructed to transport the male passenger to Las Vegas and that she was going to be paid $2,000 for transporting him, stated the court complaint.