SW Arizona News

Agents from the Yuma sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported the arrest of five individuals on March 19, including two convicted felons, who allegedly attempted to evade Wellton Station agents. This announcement was made in a post on X dated March 24.

The post identified the convicted felons as Sergio Diaz Malaga and Edgar Osvaldo Beltran Araujo. According to the post, Malaga's criminal history includes grand theft auto, receiving stolen property, providing false identification to a peace officer, and possession of burglary tools. Araujo has a conviction for aggravated driving under the influence in Maricopa County.

According to CBP's website dedicated to the Wellton Station, it was established on February 1, 1955, with two patrol inspectors covering the Wellton and Tacna areas. Between April 1964 and August 1967, Yuma Sector agents provided coverage. Today, Wellton Station agents are responsible for managing 65 miles of international border with Mexico and operating a remote forward operating base called "Camp Grip" in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.

Screenshot of Yuma Sector Chief's March 24 post on X | X

The Yuma sector covers an area of 181,670 square miles of desert between California and Arizona. It includes 126 miles of the U.S. border stretching from the Imperial Sand Dunes to the Yuma-Pima County Line. Over the last two decades since its establishment in 2004, this sector has doubled in size and encompasses three border stations: Blythe in California and two others in Arizona - Yuma and Wellton.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security tasked with safeguarding national borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, CBP operates at 328 ports of entry and protects 7,000 miles of land borders along with 95,000 miles of maritime borders.