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Casa Grande teen charged with human smuggling
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Casa Grande teen charged with human smuggling

  • Dominique Guillen
    Pinal County Sheriff's OfficeDominique Guillen

An 18-year-old Casa Grande man was charged with human smuggling Monday after a Pinal County Sheriff’s deputy found he was transporting illegal immigrants and carrying a large sum of cash, a sheriff's spokesman said.

The deputy noticed a van and sedan speeding and traveling in tandem on north S.R. 347 near Maricopa. When the deputy pulled over the sedan, passengers in the car fled into the desert, spokesman Elias Johnson said Tuesday.

The deputy was able to hold the driver, Dominique Reggie Guillen, 18, of Casa Grande, and a passenger, Gregoro Antonio Martinez Diaz, of Mexico.

Deputies searched the men and found Guillen had $1,256 in cash and Martinez, who was in the country illegally, had $2,750 in cash, Johnson said.

Martinez was turned over to the Border Patrol and Guillen was arrested and charged with human smuggling and unlawful transport of an illegal alien.

Deputies were unable to locate the van.

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