A 22-year-old man was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents Sunday afternoon after attempting to flee the Border Patrol checkpoint in Pine Valley and was discovered to be smuggling three individuals in his car trunk, officials said.
On Sunday around 3 p.m., agents at the checkpoint on I-8 encountered the man driving a 2015 Kia Forte. A K-9 alerted agents to the vehicle and agents asked him to open the trunk.
Border Patrol agents said the man immediately attempted to flee from the checkpoint by speeding off, but agents activated a nearby tire-deflator device and successfully stopped the driver.
Agents inspected the car's trunk and discovered three men inside. The driver was arrested for human smuggling.
The three men in the trunk were assisted by agents because they said they had little air flow in the hot and tight trunk.
During more questioning, agents said they determined that the men were citizens of Mexico who were illegally present in the United States.
The driver is being held in Department of Homeland Security custody. The car was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
