Justin De La Torre, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector, announced that two vehicle stops near Kingman earlier this month resulted in the arrest of five individuals for alien inadmissibility. All were processed for removal. This statement was made on X.
“Two vehicle stops along Interstate 40 near Kingman, Arizona earlier this month led to the arrest of five illegal aliens,” said De La Torre, Border Patrol Chief. “All subjects were charged for alien inadmissibility under 8 USC 1182 and processed for removal from the U.S. Border Security Is National Security.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Border Patrol agents recently conducted an enforcement operation along Interstate 40 in Yuma, Arizona. They stopped a vehicle driven by Miguel Ángel Mezo-Antele and arrested him along with four passengers for unlawful entry. This operation is part of ongoing efforts to address immigration violations on Arizona highways.
In the past year, the District of Arizona prosecuted 77 individuals for illegal reentry and 73 for illegal entry, totaling 150 cases related to alien inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1182. These figures underscore active immigration enforcement within the state.
Vehicle stops on interior highways like I-40 are a crucial method used by Border Patrol to detect immigration violations. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), traffic checks away from the border help intercept individuals attempting to evade detection at ports of entry.
De La Torre has served as Chief Patrol Agent of the Yuma Sector since January 2025 and has been with Border Patrol for 25 years. He previously held the position of Deputy Chief Patrol Agent in the Tucson Sector and has occupied multiple leadership roles, as reported by AZFamily News.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for safeguarding national borders and preventing illegal entry. Since its establishment in 1924, CBP has operated across 328 ports of entry, protecting 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.
