Ajo Station Border Patrol agents encountered a group of 128 illegal aliens several miles west of the Lukeville Port on Friday.
Agents patrolling near the international border fence found the group, presumably brought to the border by human smugglers who remained in Mexico.
The group was composed of adults and children, some as young as four years of age, and are from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico. Agents also identified several adults in the group who had been previously been charged with immigration violations. Agents medically evaluated all 128 immigrants and determined they were in good health.
After transporting everyone to the Ajo Border Patrol station for processing, the immigrants were turned over to the Enforcement Removal Operations within Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Transnational criminal organizations exploit the vulnerability of foreign nationals with false promises of legal status and encourage dangerous crossing methods, placing their safety at risk.
The Border Patrol’s mission is to protect U.S. borders between official ports of entry, but agents are equally concerned with the safety of anyone they encounter. Tucson Sector Border Patrol officials continue to publicize warnings about the dangers of entering the U.S. illegally; especially during the summer months when desert temperatures can exceed 120 degrees.
