By Staff Reporter |

An American citizen is in critical condition after evading Border Patrol agents while smuggling illegal aliens over the weekend.  

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detailed the incident in a Tuesday press release. Detection technology observed the unnamed citizen driving a “suspicious” white Nissan Rogue traveling northbound from the border near Parker Canyon Lake around Sonoita around 3 pm on Saturday. The pursuit leading to the crash began after field agents located the car driving on state Route 83.

The vehicle stopped briefly to allow three individuals to exit, where they ran into the surrounding high desert. The vehicle continued northbound to evade Border Patrol agents along the highway, driving further for about four miles before apparently losing control and rolling onto its side. The driver lost consciousness on impact and sustained critical injuries. 

Agents arrested two Guatemalan illegal immigrants and one Mexican illegal immigrant following the crash. All face charges for illegal reentry into the country, while the incapacitated driver faces alien smuggling charges. 

U.S. citizen involvement in illegal alien smuggling has continued even amid heightened border security and mass deportation efforts under the Trump administration. A key initiative concerned Mexico and Canada committing 20,000 total troops and personnel to the southern and northern borders, respectively, to stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling. 

Border Patrol also recently teamed up with the Department of Defense to beef up border security.

Field agents apprehended other Americans smuggling seven illegal aliens on Tuesday, also in the Sonoita area. The illegal aliens faced illegal entry and illegal reentry charges. 

Two vehicles driven by two American citizens were apprehended in Willcox earlier this week. 

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