WHY, Ariz. — A 16-year old was arrested near Ajo in southern Arizona for allegedly attempting to smuggle a group of migrants across the border, U.S. Border Patrol officials said.
According to a post on X, previously known as Twitter, USBP agents stationed at Ajo stopped a "suspicious vehicle" on SR 85 near Why, south of Ajo.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Arrestan a un adolescente tratando de contrabandear a 7 migrantes a través de Arizona
Agents reportedly found the van crowded full of the teen driver and seven illegally-present migrants. Everyone in the van was arrested, according to the post.
Officials did not share whether or not the teen driver was from Arizona or if he had been hired in the alleged smuggling attempt. It is unknown whether or not they will be charged as an adult. 12News has reached out to USBP for more information.
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The incident comes as more and more teens are being recruited to smuggle people and illicit goods across the Arizona-Mexico border. In 2022, then-Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich claimed that the teens were being recruited on social media, and offered up to $2,000 for each person picked up at the border and then driven north to a specific location.
Up to 22 individuals were indicted earlier in 2023 in a human smuggling ring that was facilitated through advertisements posted on Snapchat.
Children as young as 12 have been caught by law enforcement in southern Arizona for attempting to transport migrants near the border.
In 2019, a teenage boy died in the Arizona desert after he got lost while attempting to guide a group of migrants.
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