Border Patrol Arrests Cartel Scouts, Foot Guide in Arizona

Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested three suspected cartel scouts and a foot guide linked to the Los Memos transnational criminal organization, a faction of the Cártel de Sinaloa, in southern Arizona this week. The arrests occurred in remote desert areas known for human and drug smuggling activity, where the suspects were found with communication and surveillance equipment.

The first arrest took place Monday morning near Maricopa, when agents from the Casa Grande Station encountered a man illegally present in the U.S. during a routine patrol. The suspect, a Mexican national, admitted to crossing the border unlawfully, and agents found communication and observation devices commonly used by cartel scouts in his possession.

On Tuesday morning, agents patrolling the Silverbell Mountains northwest of Marana arrested two men—one from Mexico and one from Guatemala—after investigating suspicious activity in elevated terrain historically used by smugglers. The suspects were found with communication devices, surveillance equipment, solar panels, and batteries. Later that morning, two more Mexican nationals were arrested near Pisinemo Village on the Tohono O’odham Nation. One of the men admitted to being a foot guide for Los Memos.

All five individuals were taken to the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station for processing. Three of them will face additional criminal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy. The arrests are part of an ongoing initiative between the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station Prosecutions Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute transnational criminal organization scouts under 8 U.S.C. 1324.

The U.S. government has designated the Cártel de Sinaloa as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Executive Order 14157. Border security efforts continue to focus on disrupting cartel operations by targeting scouts who monitor law enforcement activity and facilitate smuggling across the border.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors.

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