Migrant kidnappers arrested; aid workers evacuated due to gunfire

Authorities in Sonora-Arizona corridor deal with criminal activity even as they try to manage thousands of daily unauthorized crossings

Julian Resendiz

Updated: Dec 22, 2023 / 10:44 AM CST

Border Patrol agents line up migrants for transportation to processing centers in Southern Arizona this week. CBP says it is dealing with 10,000 daily migrant apprehensions along the southern border.

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The migrant surge isn’t the only concern facing border agents in southern Arizona. Drug activity and kidnapping in the region remain rife.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens on Friday said a collaborative effort with the Government of Mexico resulted in the arrest of several individuals allegedly preying on migrants trying to cross into the United States between ports of entry.

The collaboration “resulted in the arrest of seven criminals that had been extorting and kidnapping migrants within the Sonora, Mexico-Arizona corridor. (This is) yet another danger migrants face when they choose to ignore our laws,” Owens tweeted.

On Friday, NewsNation correspondent Ali Bradley reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has apprehended more than 10,000 migrants per day along the southern border this week. The vast majority crossed between ports of entry and surrendered to border agents. The numbers don’t include those who evaded the Border Patrol with the help of smugglers.

Tucson Sector Border Patrol Chief John Modlin says the number of apprehensions in Eastern Arizona is rising. He reported 17,500 apprehensions in the week ending December 1, followed by 18,900 in the week ending December 8.

Mexican police display several suitcases holding 314 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. The suitcases were seized from a truck traveling from Sinaloa, Mexico, to the border.

On the Mexican side, the Office of the Attorney General on Friday reported the arrest of a man allegedly driving a truck with several suitcases packed with crystal methamphetamine in Altar, Sonora, some 60 miles south of the U.S. border. The truck reportedly was ferrying nearly 700 pounds of meth from Sinaloa to the border.

A day earlier, the same federal agency reported the arrest of two bus drivers allegedly transporting 46 undocumented Guatemalan nationals along Federal Highway 2 to Nogales. The Federal Prosecutor for Drug Crimes (FEMDO) likewise reported the arrest of four people in the state capital of Hermosillo, Sonora, for migrant kidnapping.

On the U.S. side, local news media on Friday reported how a gun battle just south of the border wall near Sasabe, Arizona, forced the evacuation of aid workers and a construction crew on Wednesday. The aid workers reported hearing continuous gunfire, and CBP arrested an armed man who crossed the border, laid down his weapon, and surrendered, according to the Arizona Daily Star.