TUCSON, Ariz. — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Cuban man on Easter Sunday for allegedly smuggling two women into the United States near Three Points, authorities announced Thursday.
Agents from the Tucson Station spotted a Hyundai Accent leaving an area frequently used by human smugglers along Ajo Highway. After stopping the vehicle for an immigration inspection, they discovered the passengers — a 29-year-old woman from Mexico and a 30-year-old woman from Uzbekistan — were in the country illegally.
The driver, a 33-year-old Cuban national, also lacked legal documentation to remain in the United States. All three individuals were arrested, and the vehicle was seized.
According to records reviewed at the Tucson Station, the Cuban driver had previously been apprehended near Brownsville, Texas, in 2023, where he claimed fear of persecution in his home country and was released pending an immigration hearing.
The Mexican woman had been previously removed from the U.S. multiple times and was prosecuted for immigration violations as recently as October 2024.
The two women are now being processed for removal proceedings, while the driver faces federal human smuggling charges. If convicted, he could be sentenced to federal prison, deported, and permanently banned from the United States.
Border Patrol officials encourage the public to report suspicious activity anonymously by calling 1-877-872-7435.
