Immigration
Arizona Border Patrol agents find 32 migrants in moving box truck after dramatic pursuit
The driver and the front-seat passenger jumped out of the car and fled into the desert
October 28, 2022 4:51am
Updated: October 28, 2022 1:29pm
Arizona Border Patrol agents encountered 32 migrants concealed in a moving box truck in Tucson on Monday after a dramatic pursuit of a truck on I-10.
Authorities said the pursuit began at around 6 p.m. local time on Interstate 10. Border Patrol agents had attempted to stop the truck near the Frontage Road and Grant Road intersection, but the truck sped away, according to a press release by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
After a chase, the truck finally stopped on a rural road southwest of Tucson. The driver and the front-seat passenger jumped out of the car and fled into the desert.
Inside the truck they had abandoned, Border Patrol agents found 32 undocumented immigrants in the cargo compartment. The migrants included 31 adult men and one unaccompanied minor from Mexico and Guatemala.
Tucson Station agents rescued 32 migrants locked in a #MovingTruck Monday.
— John R. Modlin (@USBPChiefTCA) October 26, 2022
The driver dangerously fled from agents' lights and sirens, eventually stopping outside Tucson. Despite placing the migrants in extreme danger, no one was injured. Full story: https://t.co/2G2KmxcZyF pic.twitter.com/MLNJrq8OQC
The migrants were taken to the Tucson Border Patrol station for processing.
The agents conducted an “exhaustive search” of the area in hopes of finding the smugglers. However, they have not yet located the two men that fled the scene.
"Tucson Sector Border Patrol continues to see smugglers transport migrants in box trucks and livestock trailers, a disturbing trend that greatly endangers migrant lives," CBP said.
"U.S. Border Patrol agents and their law enforcement partners are dedicated to the safety and security of all whom they encounter and regularly rescue migrants from these extremely dangerous situations," the agency added.
