TUCSON, Ariz. –Willcox Station Border Patrol agents arrested a 41-year-old Douglas woman and four undocumented men, one identified as a felon, Sunday afternoon.
Agents patrolling State Route 80 stopped a vehicle to conduct an immigration inspection and identified four male passengers as Mexican nationals illegally present in the country.
and Border Protection
Agents arrested the driver, along with the four men, ages 21 through 33, and seized the vehicle.
During processing, agents conducted record checks on the Mexican nationals and discovered each man had previous immigration violations. Agents also identified one the men as 21 year-old Pedro Mayo-Gatica, a confirmed member of the Locotes street gang who was deported earlier in the year following several felony convictions in California for sexual misconduct with a minor, as well as firearms charges and gang activities.
The Douglas woman will remain in custody pending disposition on human smuggling charges. The illegal aliens in the vehicle will be presented in federal court for immigration violations.
Mayo will also be presented for immigration violation proceedings and could face additional charges as a previously-deported felon.
All persons apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using biometrics to ensure illegal immigrants with criminal histories are positively identified.