A suspected Arizona human smuggler was arrested Monday following a high-speed chase resulting in a crash that ejected illegal immigrants from the vehicle, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s office.
Timothy Bryoles allegedly led deputies on a four-mile chase along I-10 after an officer attempted to pull him over Monday morning, according to a county sheriff’s office Facebook post. Bryoles crossed into oncoming traffic during the chase, leading the car to crash near mile marker 213, and two illegal immigrants flew out of the car, according to the county sheriff’s office.
“At one point, the suspect vehicle crossed over into oncoming traffic. The vehicle ultimately rolled over near mile marker 213. Two of the four passengers (all undocumented) were ejected from the vehicle and were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries,” the sheriff’s office said.
An armed U.S. citizen was arrested for human smuggling on I-10 near Eloy, AZ, Wednesday.
Casa Grande Station agents assisted @PinalCSO with a vehicle stop and discovered five smuggled migrants. A loaded firearm on the driver’s person was seized following his arrest. pic.twitter.com/Jq6k5FEj7O
— John R. Modlin (@USBPChiefTCA) February 6, 2023
Bryoles was taken into custody at the Pinal County jail and charged with unlawful flight and aggravated assault, according to the sheriff’s statement. The sheriff’s office is also investigating Bryoles for possible drug use.)
Arizona has seen an uptick in illegal border crossings and human smuggling in recent months, where they have been described taking payments from migrants, Daily Caller reporter Jorge Ventura said during a December Fox News interview. In December, when then-Governor Doug Ducey tried to curb illegal border crossings with a makeshift border wall, the administration responded by suing the state, according to the Associated Press. (RELATED: Border County Declares Emergency Over Illegal Immigrants Overwhelming Local Health Care System)
Pinal County is only an hour and 20 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Distancecalculator.com, making it an ideal location for smugglers to transport migrants through.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s office provided their data to the DCNF showing that traffic stops and pursuits involving illegal immigrants from 2018-2022 show an increase from just 20 stops all the way to 498. From 2020 to 2022, the percentage of traffic stops increased by 377.53% and pursuits jumped by 461.54%.
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