COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. — A Cochise County Sheriff's deputy was taken to a trauma center Thursday night after they were injured while attempting to stop a suspected "smuggler," officials said.
The deputy was in the process of deploying speed spikes to detain a driver fleeing from law enforcement when they fell 15 feet and sustained serious injuries, the sheriff's office said.
The suspect was eventually arrested and the injured deputy was flown to a trauma center in Tucson. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said the deputy was undergoing surgery Friday morning.
Amber Bernadette Fuaga, 47, of Maricopa was booked into jail and is facing charges of human smuggling and DUI.
In a statement, Sheriff Mark Dannels expressed frustration in regards to the frequency of incidents involving deputies trying to apprehend suspects involved in smuggling crimes.
"This is the third time in the last several days where my deputies and citizens have been placed in harms way by reckless and violent criminal smugglers due to a border being neglected by those entrusted in Washington D.C. to protect Americans," the sheriff stated.
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