by Matthew Holloway | Jul 1, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Carlos Munoz-Perez, an illegal alien, Mexican national, and pedophile sex-offender with prior convictions for illegal entry and unlawful sexual activity with a minor was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents near the San Pedro River.
In a statement released to several social media platforms by Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin, the agency stated that Munoz-Perez was arrested on Saturday, June 22nd, and a records check of the suspect revealed his disturbing history.
“Agents conducted records checks on the subject and learned he had prior convictions for illegal entry and unlawful sexual activity with a minor,” McGoffin wrote. The Chief revealed, “He was sentenced to 12 years for Sexual Exploitation/Child-Prod Performance in 2011.”
According to the Tucson Sector of CBP, Munoz-Perez is facing charges for his illegal re-entry as a previously removed convicted felon. McGoffin wrote, “Thanks to the vigilance and determination of agents, this predator will not reach our communities and will not victimize more of our children.”
The Border Patrol is collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its ongoing investigation and additional charges may be filed against him as applicable.
In a series of similar posts to X, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday, “While rioters and bad-faith politicians attempt to stop immigration enforcement in Los Angeles — @ICEgov continues to arrest criminal illegal aliens. Under @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem, law enforcement is committed to making America SAFE again.”
DHS shared information about twenty captured illegal alien criminals from the Los Angeles area described as the “Worst of the worst—LA Edition.” Seven of the criminals were sex offenders, five of them committed sex crimes against minors.
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 | Jun 20, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Near the Arizona-Mexico border, just inside Mexican territory, a joint operation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Tucson Sector and Mexican authorities located and raided a cartel safe-house which stored military-grade machine-guns, ammunition, heavy ordinance, stolen vehicles, and drugs.
In a release to social media on Monday, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks described the May 23rd raid in cooperation with Mexican federal officers. Banks wrote in a post, sharing images of the seized weapons and drugs, “USBP agents in Tucson shared intel with the Government of Mexico (GoM) that led to a successful raid south of the border.” He added that the Mexican authorities seized “4 AK-47s, 3 mortar grenades, 3 stolen vehicles, 3,250 rounds of ammo, 62 magazines, 27 tactical vests, [and] 16 sacks of marijuana.”
Banks assessed the raid saying, “This joint effort dealt a serious blow to cartel operations—removing weapons, resources, and mobility from criminal hands.”
Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin commented on the raid as well, crediting the CBP’s Casa Grande International Liaison Unit for contributing to the raid in a statement posted to X. He wrote, “Government of Mexico officials acting on information from the Casa Grande Border Patrol station found and dismantled a cartel ‘Rip Crew’ in Mexico during a mirrored or parallel patrol just south of the border.
“Four rifles, tactical gear, a dodge truck, and ammunition were seized from two criminal operatives. These cartel bandit factions are known to victimize migrants near the border region.
“Historically, the exploitation of migrants by cartels is multi-faceted, by stealing from people that aim to illegally cross into the U.S, or by targeting other competing cartels and their human ‘Cargo’. Great job Casa Grande International Liaison Unit for getting info to our partners in Mexico.”
In a subsequent post to X, McGoffin again praised an International Liaison Unit (ILU), this time from the Sonoita Border Patrol Station, for “forging new alliances to combat organized crime in the #border region.” He explained that two agents from the unit “have fostered relationships with Government of Mexico officials from the Municipality of Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico, to increase law enforcement presence south of the border.”
The chief said, “The area south of #Sonoita, Arizona has been exploited by criminal organizations in the past due to its remoteness from other Mexican towns. The newly appointed Mexican officials of the area have pledged to increase patrols and collaboration with Border Patrol to ensure safety and security for the ranching communities on both sides of the border.”
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 | Jun 5, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Two Arizona teenagers were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents working in the Tohono O’odham Nation alongside three illegal aliens from Guatemala and one Mexican national in the midst of a human smuggling operation last week.
Border surveillance technology identified a suspect vehicle: a silver 2005 Honda Civic, which had earlier been detected driving southbound on Interstate 19 between Tucson and Nogales. The vehicle was observed driving toward the border and then abruptly reversing course and turning north. Agents at the Three Points Border Patrol Station were alerted to the driver’s unusual behavior at 6 PM Friday according to a statement from Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Agents located the vehicle and noted that it appeared to be “heavily laden,” and performed a vehicle stop. As the vehicle stopped, two male figures in camouflaged clothing were spotted attempting to exit the vehicle when the driver took off, attempting to flee with the trunk open and the two males still inside. The responding agents were quickly engaged in a vehicle chase. The pursuit quickly went off road where it dramatically ended.
“The Honda was driven cross country, off-road, through brush, dirt banks and washes causing significant damage to the vehicle. During the off-road pursuit, agents reported seeing the two men in the trunk nearly ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle came to a stop approximately 100 yards from FR-19. The driver, front passenger, and the two men in the trunk exited the vehicle and fled the area on foot.”
In a post to X, CBP Chief Patrol Agent for the Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin described the encounter, “Three Points Border Patrol Agents were led on a vehicle chase by two reckless teenagers in a Honda Civic. The vehicle chase ended abruptly only after the vehicle was disabled due to the teenagers erratic off-road driving.”
The scene the agents found when approaching the vehicle was harrowing. They observed a three-year-old child with a bloodied nose lying face down on top of a woman identified as his mother in the back of the vehicle. Agents rendered first aid and removed them from the vehicle.
An Air Marine Operations air asset patrolling nearby also responded to the incident and spotted the suspects fleeing on foot. They were able to guide the responding agents to their location where all four were arrested.
McGoffin concluded in his post to X, “The teenagers’ actions nearly cost the lives of everyone in their Honda. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. The Phoenix teens are now in a world of trouble as they will face federal human smuggling charges for their actions. The illegal aliens will be presented for removal proceedings.”
According to the CBP statement, “Smuggling organizations frequently recruit juvenile and young adult drivers from Phoenix to pick up human and narcotic smuggling loads along the border.” This has been reflected in several reports by AZ Free News over the past few months.
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 | Jun 4, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin shared powerful video Monday of its 20th annual Valor in the Desert ceremony in which the Border Patrol honors the fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives to defend America’s borders.
The ceremony featured an honor guard complete with a riderless horse, symbolically placed dress-duty campaign hats, and the solemn tolling of the bell for each of the officers lost in the line of duty. It also included remarks by McGoffin.
According to the CBP.gov In Memoriam page, seven officers, Jeffrey T. Kanas, Jacob A. Raines, Jose Martin Rodriguez-Lua Jr., Jesus Anaya, John Dale Leatham, Laurencio Gonzalez Jr., Christopher Luna, and Freddy Ortiz, were killed in the line of duty in 2024.
Year to date, one officer, David C. Maland, lost his life on January 20, 2025, when he was shot and killed by Teresa “Milo” Consuelo Youngblut, an alleged radical leftist transgender vegan cult-member during a traffic stop on Interstate 91, near Newport, Vermont, according to Law Enforcement Today. At the corresponding Valor Memorial in Washington, D.C. on May 19th CBP Acting Commissioner Pete Flores told the gathered Border Patrol staff and families, “Each year we gather here to honor our fallen CBP agents, officers and professional staff. This observance holds deep meaning for CBP, its employees, and the families and friends of the fallen, serving as a solemn reminder of the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem offered a similar sentiment saying, “Today we honored not just the fallen heroes who gave their lives in the line of duty, but the families and friends who carry their memory forward. I encourage all who knew one of these fallen officers, agents, and individuals to continue to talk about the ones you’ve lost and share these stories and memories with their friends and family members. These men are examples of the same bravery and selflessness that have defined the American people for centuries, and their commitment to defending our nation will never be forgotten.”
“To our CBP families: We grieve with you and we honor you,” Flores told the families. “You will always remain a part of the CBP family.”
Noem added, “To the friends and family of the fallen here: we recognize your sacrifice, and we are eternally grateful. Let this ceremony, and the laying of this wreath, serve not as the end of our work of remembering them. Let it be just the beginning.”
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 | May 6, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Tucson Border Patrol Specialty Units and Homeland Security Investigations agents have arrested an illegal immigrant wanted by the Mexican government for smuggling weapons across the border.
“Gun runner runs out of luck. The arm of the law caught up to a Mexican arms smuggler when Tucson Border Patrol Specialty Units from Casa Grande teamed up with Homeland Security Investigations to arrest a man wanted by the Government of Mexico,” said Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin on X.
The Chief Patrol Agent added that the man arrested was living in Phoenix illegally and was handed over to Mexican ‘Federales’ or La Agencia de Investigación Criminal who were shown in a posted image in uniform with their backs turned and faces obscured along with HSI Agents and the suspect. McGoffin added, “Now he will face the music in Mexico, as he was promptly removed from the U.S. into the custody of Mexican Officials.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hosted a press conference Friday morning with law enforcement partners in Tucson highlighting DHS and interagency efforts to interdict firearms being smuggled into Mexico.
CBP’s Director of Field Operations for Tucson Guadalupe Ramirez, who led the presser, told reporters that the Department of Homeland Security alongside local and federal partners have in recent days successfully “stopped child abduction, interdicted criminals fleeing prosecution, interdicted illegal contraband such as controlled substances, precursors, arms, and recovered myriad of other violations involving currency and stolen vehicles.”
He added, “Our successful interdiction and seizures play a critical role in protecting America’s borders, the national security by preventing illegal weapons, reaching dangerous criminal networks in Mexico. CBP has the authority for departure control of any person, baggage vehicle or material departing the United States and all are subject to inspection and search by CBP officers to ensure compliance with applicable outbound laws.”
Ramirez concluded, “Together with our partners, we’ll continue to target and examine high risk outbound conveyance destined to Mexico, we’ll increase outbound interdiction focused on weapons and currency trafficking of weapons and ammunition intended for terrorism. It is not just a border violation, it is a direct act of supporting terrorism that threatens national security and international security. Engaging in weapons trafficking, particularly to support designated foreign terrorist organizations comes with severe legal consequences including terrorism related charges and long sentences and financial penalties.”
Brendan Iber, Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) noted during the conference that the ATF has “determined that cartels prefer large caliber and or belt-fed rifles such as the Ohio Ordinance M2 50 caliber rifle, the Ohio Ordinance M240 7.62 millimeter, the FN M249 5.56 millimeter, and the Barrett M82 50 caliber Semi-Automatic rifle.”
He continued, “These cartels and terrorist organizations are often responsible for the most heinous violent crimes affecting the communities and neighborhoods of the United States. Under President Trump and Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, and since January 20th of this year, ATF has prevented nearly 9,700 firearms from falling into the hands of dangerous criminals or terrorists.” Iber added, “Since the announcement from Attorney General Bondi earlier in the week of the 9,700 firearms, I will tell you here in Arizona alone, that number is now up to 11,000.”
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.
