SW Arizona News

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents with the Yuma sector have announced the arrest of 25-year-old Mexican national Jorge Fontes-Garcia. He was indicted on charges of bringing an illegal alien into the United States unlawfully resulting in death and reentry of a removed alien. This announcement was made in a social media post on March 19.

According to a federal grand jury, which returned a four-count indictment against Fontes-Garcia on March 4, the charges include bringing an illegal alien into the United States unlawfully resulting in death; conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States unlawfully; bringing illegal aliens into the United States unlawfully; and reentry of a removed alien. The incident leading to these charges occurred on August 23, 2023, when Fontes-Garcia allegedly guided eight illegal aliens across the border into southern Arizona.

Seven illegal aliens were apprehended in the desert, 19 miles south of Tacna. One individual was found dead from excessive heat exposure, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Three of the charges against Fontes-Garcia carry maximum sentences of 10 years, while conviction for bringing aliens into the U.S. resulting in death carries a potential death sentence or life in prison.

Screenshot of Yuma Sector Chief's March 19 post on X | X

The Tucson Sector covers much of Arizona, stretching approximately 262 miles from the New Mexico border to Yuma County’s border. The sector employs about 3,700 agents across nine stations located in Why, Casa Grande, Douglas, Bisbee, Nogales, Sonoita, Tucson, Three Points, and Wilcox. This information is provided by CBP’s webpage dedicated to the sector. Originally known as the Nogales Sector, it was established on July 1, 1924, with its headquarters relocating to Tucson two years later.

The U.S. Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency operating under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with safeguarding the nation's borders against illegal entry of people and contraband. Since its inception in 1924, it has been operating across 328 ports of entry while protecting approximately 7,000 miles of land borders and an extensive 95,000 miles of maritime borders.