BP agents apprehend felon, foil smuggling attempts

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents working near Dome Valley arrested nine individuals and apprehended a previously deported felon in two separate human smuggling attempts on Sunday and Tuesday.

According to information provided by the Yuma Sector Public Affairs Office, the first incident happened at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, when Wellton Station agents observed a white 2005 Toyota Sequoia passing through Dome Valley.

Upon seeing the agents, the driver of the vehicle sped off. Agents located the vehicle abandoned on the side of the road a short distance away with footprints of five individuals leading away from it.

Agents tracked and apprehended all five individuals. All of them were illegal entrants from Mexico, who were subsequently charged with immigration violations.

In the second event, which happened at approximately 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Wellton Station agents attempted to perform an immigration inspection on the occupants of a white 2004 Ford F-150 traversing through Dome Valley.

The vehicle fled from agents northbound along Highway 95 before changing direction and heading south. The driver pulled to the side of the road and allowed the four occupants to exit the vehicle.

He then attempted to drive away. Agents were able to apprehend all of the fleeing occupants, who had entered the country illegally from Mexico. The driver, who is a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody for human smuggling violations after he eventually stopped.

During processing, agents identified one of the illegal entrants as being previously deported and having a felony conviction for possession of a firearm in Los Angeles, Calif. He and the other individuals were charged with immigration violations.