Cuban Resident in the U.S. Arrested in Arizona for Human Smuggling

A 32-year-old Cuban man, who had recently become a permanent resident of the United States, was apprehended in Arizona while attempting to smuggle immigrants, according to official reports on Tuesday. The incident occurred on August 27, when agents from the Brian A. Terry Station in Naco, Arizona, disrupted a human smuggling attempt following a vehicle chase near Bisbee, as detailed by Sean McGoffin, the Chief of the Tucson Sector Border Patrol, on the social media platform X.

During the operation, authorities arrested the Cuban driver—whose name remains undisclosed—who had allegedly brought two unaccompanied minors and an adult male, all from Mexico, as well as a 19-year-old Ecuadorian woman, into the U.S. illegally. These four passengers, who were in the U.S. without legal status, were also detained and subsequently deported, McGoffin confirmed.

Background checks on the Cuban national revealed that he resided in Avondale, Arizona, after entering the country unlawfully in 2022 and seeking asylum during an encounter with the Border Patrol. The detained individual now faces multiple human trafficking charges and will appear before a federal court for prosecution. If found guilty, he could face a lengthy prison sentence and potential revocation of his immigration status, emphasized the Border Patrol Chief.

Surveillance, Escape, and Capture

On the night of August 27, using surveillance technology along the U.S.-Mexico border wall, Border Patrol officers detected several individuals illegally crossing into U.S. territory through the desert. Agents patrolling near the suspected crossing site observed a recent model Toyota Tacoma leaving an area frequently used by human traffickers, the official communication stated.

Authorities attempted to stop the vehicle for an immigration check, but it sped away, prompting a pursuit. Other Border Patrol agents further along the road deployed spike strips to deflate the vehicle's tires, bringing the chase to an end. Several occupants fled on foot into the desert, where they were later apprehended, while the Cuban driver exited the vehicle and approached the agents, surrendering without further incident, according to the report.

Increasing Cuban Involvement in Human Trafficking

The number of Cubans being detained and prosecuted in the U.S. for human trafficking has been on the rise. Earlier this month, a high-profile case emerged when the Department of Justice revealed that 12 Cuban nationals were charged with being part of an international criminal network involved in immigrant smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering. This network allegedly operated for over four years, facilitating the illegal entry of thousands into the country.

At the end of August, a Cuban man, who had been convicted of human smuggling in 2024, was deported after being detained again by immigration authorities, as reported by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The individual had been found guilty the previous year of attempting to smuggle 29 people, including several children, in the back of a tractor-trailer.

Bárbaro Reyes Gómez, 46, was arrested on August 22 by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in San Antonio, Texas, after serving a 13-month prison sentence for smuggling illegal immigrants in Eagle Pass.

In Florida, Pedro César Ramos Cruz, 33, received a 10-year federal prison sentence for smuggling undocumented immigrants into the U.S., re-entering the country after deportation, and firearm possession by a foreign national.

Humberto Yosvany Arriola-Rivero, 30, will spend nearly a decade in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to traffic humans and sexually assaulting an immigrant, according to the Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney's Office.