Woman arrested for attempting to smuggle undocumented immigrants

A 36-year-old El Centro woman was arrested Wednesday after allegedly attempting to smuggle six undocumented immigrants inside a vehicle while crossing through the Border Patrol Highway 86 checkpoint near Westmorland.

Cynthia Ann Villegas was taken into custody at 5:25 p.m. Wednesday at the checkpoint by BP agents and booked into county jail on suspicion of bringing undocumented immigrants into the United States, county Sheriff’s Office arrest records stated.

Villegas was held on no bond for the alleged felony offense, arrest records stated.

According to a federal court complaint, Villegas approached the checkpoint in a Chevrolet Tahoe with one front-seat passenger and five rear passengers.

When a Border Patrol agent questioned Villegas on her citizenship, he observed Villegas shaking and avoiding eye contact. The agent also observed the vehicle’s front passenger staring blankly straight ahead and not acknowledging the agent’s presence.

The vehicle was then referred to secondary inspection, where a Border Patrol agent questioned the six passengers as to their citizenship.

The Border Patrol later determined the passengers were citizens of Mexico without the proper immigration documentation to enter, reside or work in the United States legally.