by Matthew Holloway | Apr 13, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
As news reports from various sources and DHS officials such as Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan publicly extol the effectiveness of the Border Patrol in shutting down human smuggling, Border Patrol is sharing more reports and video of their apprehensions than ever before for greater transparency. On top of that, they also appear to be actively mocking or ‘trolling’ the criminals online.
In one such post to X, Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin shared a side-splittingly humorous take on an apprehension of a U.S. citizen with two prior alien smuggling arrests.
McGoffin posted, “Camo clothes don’t blend well with upholstery,” addressing the five desert camouflage-clad illegal immigrants captured with their smuggler, who were shown in images crammed into the trunk of a sedan.
The USBP Chief said in a statement, “A U.S. citizen with two prior alien smuggling arrests was again arrested trying to smuggle 5 illegal aliens through the State Route 86 immigration checkpoint. She now faces a slew of smuggling, harboring, concealment, and transportation charges under 8 USC 1324. The illegal aliens, despite 3 being dressed in camouflage, were easily spotted attempting to hide in the back seat. All 5 aliens face Inadmissibility charges, with one earning a Re-entry charge under 8 USC 1326.”
A previous post on April 9th struck a similarly jocular tone with what reads like a standard joke set up, “What happens when a cartel foot guide, a cartel affiliate, and a gang member all climb over some metal bars and into the country illegally? They get arrested because we don’t play!”
In another post on April 8th, the USBP Chief openly mocked a captured cartel smuggler for who was caught carrying “devout artifacts associated with cartel culture and displayed matching tattoos.”
The post read, “Bad Spirits will not triumph over our Nation’s Guardians! 3/29: Three Points Border Patrol Station agents arrested a human smuggler who illegally entered the U.S. through the desert on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation. This smuggler, who has numerous immigration violations, was identified as a faction member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación. He carried devout artifacts associated with cartel culture and displayed matching tattoos. Jail will afford him plenty of time to think about his direction in life, as he will be charged with re-entry of a removed alien under 8 USC 1326.“
An April Fools’ Day post definitely set the tone for the more entertaining updates as well, showing a likely AI-generated image depicting McGoffin mounted upon a “Premier Patrol Llama” citing “the rising costs of maintaining horses.”
The new direction in social media may owe to the appointment of Sean McGoffin, who replaced the previous Chief John Modlin, upon his promotion to acting Deputy Commissioner. Or as a musical post to X from the White House on Thursday may illustrate, the shift in tone could be from the top-down.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
During remarks from the Trump administration’s Border Czar Tom Homan at a joint session of the Arizona legislature, House and Senate Democrats abruptly left the chamber carrying signs allegedly naming “legal residents and students who have been disappeared by Homan and ICE.”
The Democrat lawmakers then exited the House of Representatives to join news crews with between 10 and 20 demonstrators present to protest Homan’s speech.
In a press release from Arizona House Democrats, Senator Catherine Miranda (D-LD1) stated, “It’s disturbing that my colleagues are giving a platform to someone who has caused so much harm to our community.” She claimed, “Tom Homan isn’t just deporting people, he’s responsible for kidnappings, disappearances, and the deportation of individuals for reasons as unjust as having tattoos, protesting, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
In his remarks, Homan directly addressed the Democrat narrative saying, “I try not to curse much, if I offended anybody I don’t care. I don’t, because I get irritated when I started talking about the false narrative being pushed by the left.“ Speaking to the Democrat House Members and Senators directly he said, “Thank you for making my day. I love haters. They make my day every day.”
Referring to them later he said, “Under the Biden administration, half of the men and children? They were smuggled into this country. Taken out the hands of their families, giving them to a criminal cartel to be smuggled into this country. And we’re the bad guys?”
“All these people who just walked out, what did they do? Did they speak up about that? Did they speak up to the fact that 300,000 of these children can’t be found because they’re released to unvetted sponsors? The last administration had one goal: process quick, release quick, because there’s no overcrowding. We can say ‘the board is secure, nothing to see here,’” said Homan.
Homan told the joint session, “So at the end of historic immigration, where millions of people come across the border, 9 out of 10 of them will end up with an order of removal from a federal judge. That’s why there’s going to be massive deportation operations. You can’t demand due process and ignore the decision at the end of that due process, which is an order removal. The law requires it. That’s exactly what’s going to happen. There are gonna be consequences. And if we don’t do it, if we don’t do it, we send the whole world a message, enter United States illegally. It’s a crime.”
He later noted, “It’s not okay to be in this country illegally. And people hate on me for that. If you’re in the country illegally you should be looking over your shoulder. It’s not okay to enter this country illegally, it’s a crime.“
Homan observed, “We will not apologize for sending two plane loads of terrorists out of this country. I cannot believe any judge will order anybody bringing those two plane loads of terrorists back to this country. President Trump put America first. Of course we’re litigating that case. We just had a big win on that yesterday.”
“We’re going to keep having wins because President Trump’s put America first. He’s not going to apologize for removing terrorists from this country ever. And I will not rest until every member of TDA and MS -13s are eradicated from this country. Then I’ll take a day off. But until then, hate on me all you want,” concluded Homan. “I know I got a lot of haters in this room, but I don’t give a shit. We’re gonna get this job done with no apologies.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 8, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin posted to social media Thursday detailed the apprehension of a Phoenix couple in Benson, AZ.
According to McGoffin’s account, a Phoenix couple, allegedly on a trip to Bisbee, AZ were stopped by the Arizona Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol in Benson and were found to be transporting three illegal immigrants. Border Patrol working with the AZ DPS took the driver and his girlfriend into custody along with the three illegal immigrants.
In his post McGoffin wrote, “The driver claimed he and his girlfriend were picking up some belongings in Bisbee when the 3 illegal aliens from Mexico asked for a ride.” Reportedly this wasn’t the driver’s first brush with human smuggling however, as McGoffin added, “Apparently, he didn’t learn not to smuggle aliens when he was sent to prison in 2022 for the same crime.”
According to the release, both the driver and his girlfriend are now facing charges under 8 USC 1324 for smuggling illegal aliens and the three illegal aliens will face charges under 8 USC 1182 for Alien Inadmissibility as well as re-entry restrictions under section 212 of immigration law.
McGoffin noted that the incident is under investigation by the Tucson Sector Border Patrol working in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona under U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. According to USCBP statistics, the Border Patrol has arrested 4,323 Criminal Non-Citizens encountered from Fiscal year 2025 to February, 289 of whom had outstanding warrants or wants, out of a total of 193,164 encounters including both Title 8 Apprehensions and Title 42 Expulsions.
The arrests are just the latest in a series of apprehensions in southern Arizona as previously reported by AZ Free News, that have seen local and state authorities working in conjunction with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Later the same day, McGoffin shared video footage of agents assigned to the Willcox Border Patrol Station interdicting and arresting a human smuggler who was transporting four illegal immigrants into the U.S. including one in the trunk of the car. He wrote, “Luckily, agents where there to thwart the illegal operation potentially saving lives.”
The smuggler will also be charged under 8 USC 1324 and the illegal aliens he was transporting will likewise be charged under 8 USC 1182. Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 4, 2025 | News
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.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 3, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
On Monday, Arizona lawmakers joined activists in hosting an anti-deportation discussion panel at South Mountain Community College.
The event, “Resisting Mass Deportation,” featured State Senator Catherine Miranda (D-LD11) and State Representative Brian Garcia (D-LD08) along with American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona executive director Victoria Lopez, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) Arizona members, and Arizona Luminaria staff writer John Washington (also the author of the books “The Dispossessed: A Story of Asylum at the US-Mexico Border and Beyond” and “The Case for Open Borders”).
The ACLU of Arizona and LUCHA Arizona arranged the panel.
“Trump’s mass deportation agenda has oversaturated the news. His administration is pushing the moral and legal bounds of our country to expedite deportations, disregarding people’s rights and humanity in the process,” read the ACLU event page. “At the same time, the Arizona state legislature is advancing several bills that would force our state to do the anti-immigrant bidding of the federal government, use state resources to fuel the mass deportation machine, incentivize police to prioritize immigration enforcement over public safety, and more.”
A press release from the ACLU described the panel as a means of organizing “to take direct action to stop anti-immigrant legislation advancing in the state legislature.”
One such bill of concern for the anti-deportation faction is SB1164, the “Arizona ICE Act.”
The Arizona ICE Act would enable officials or agencies of Arizona or a county, city, town, or other political subdivision to enter into agreements with any federal agency for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws. The legislation would also prohibit officials or agencies of Arizona as well as counties, cities, towns, or other political subdivisions from establishing, adopting, or enforcing “any policy, pattern, or practice” that hinders cooperation with federal immigration authorities in immigration enforcement. SB1164 also allowed local governments to access federal resources and state agencies to issue grants for purposes of immigration enforcement.
The House Government Committee passed the Arizona ICE Act last week.
Miranda, who co-chairs the Latino Legislative Caucus, spoke out against the bill recently. She claimed the bill would only “worsen public safety.” Miranda expressed confidence in Governor Katie Hobbs’ intent to veto the bill.
“Arizona knows from experience that encouraging local agencies to engage in federal immigration enforcement will lead to racial profiling and discrimination, particularly against Hispanic, Latino, and other immigrant communities,” said Miranda.
Hobbs’ lack of support for the bill would conflict with her recent pledge last month to secure the border and reduce illegal immigration. Hobbs issued an executive order reminiscent of her predecessor, Doug Ducey, which directed the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Homeland Security to create a joint task force, Operation Desert Guardian, to expand border security. The task force partners with the federal government and local law enforcement to stop transnational crime organizations within the border counties.
Under the Trump administration, border encounters dropped by over 90 percent and drug smuggling has slowed tremendously. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels confirmed as such in a recent interview with KTAR News.
“Whether you like Trump or not, it’s irrelevant. It’s working,” said Dannels.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
