see also: in February 2008:   Marijuana Seized by CBP Officers at San Luis, Ariz. Port   Border Patrol in Tucson Seizes 4 Tons of Marijuana   CBP Officers in Philadelphia Discover Venomous 8-Legged Stowaway   Arizona Event to Assist Border Patrol Applicants   Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Announce International Initiative Against Traffickers in Counterfeit Network Hardware   CBP Officers in Calif. Find Smuggled Women in Truck Engine Compartment ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Tucson, Ariz. – Border Patrol agents apprehended 62 illegal aliens today from a residence in Rio Rico, Ariz.

Early Thursday morning, agents assigned to the Nogales Border Patrol Station were conducting routine patrol duties and stopped a vehicle, which resulted in the arrest of five illegal aliens. While questioning a suspected smuggler, information was obtained about a large number of illegal aliens in a nearby house.

When agents arrived at the residence and knocked on the door, a man who was later determined to be an illegal alien gave consent for the agents to enter. 62 illegal aliens were discovered hidden in this small humid two bedroom residence. The condition of the residence was described as unhealthy and unsafe.

All 62 people were determined to be Mexican citizens illegally present in the United States. Four of the illegal aliens were held for prosecution of 8 USC 1324 (Alien Smuggling). This charge carries as much as five years in Federal Prison for each smuggled alien.

The remaining aliens are pending immigration removal proceedings.

To report suspicious activity anywhere within the Tucson Sector, please call us toll free at 1-877-USBP-HELP.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.