26 Migrants Rescued in Arizona Desert Human Smuggling Incident

Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended 26 migrants in the Tabletop Mountains after received a 911 distress call. In a separate incident, agents apprehended a previously deported felon attempting to sneak back into the United States.

Casa Grande Border Patrol Station officials received a 911 distress call on June 2 regarding a group of migrants lost in the Tabletop Mountains about six miles south of Interstate 8, according to information provided by Tucson Sector Border Patrol officials.

Casa Grande Station agents and a Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) team began a search and rescue operation. Officials requested assistance from CBP Air and Marine Operations Tucson Air Branch and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, officials stated.

The search and rescue team located the migrants. Border Patrol agents began immediate treatment for several of the migrants suffering heat-related illnesses. Helicopter aircrews flew four of the migrants suffering severe dehydration to a local hospital.

Sector officials reported temperatures in the area on Wednesday reached in excess of 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a separate incident, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a previously deported criminal alien.

Agents patrolling the area near Topawa, Arizona, encountered a migrant who illegally crossed the border from Mexico. During a background check, agents identified the man as Andres Pablo-Carrillo, a Guatemalan national.

All apprehended migrants undergo a biometric background investigation during processing. A criminal records check revealed that a court in Oakland, California, previously convicted Pablo-Carrillo for gross vehicular manslaughter.