Southwest
2 American women arrested at border for smuggling unaccompanied minors: CBP
Two American citizens were arrested by El Centro Sector Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents earlier this week, according to that agency.
A female driver and passenger, both unnamed, were transporting two girls, ages 10 and 12, when they approached the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint near Westmorland, California.
CBP said the driver initially claimed she was driving from Arizona to California but later admitted that she had crossed the U.S. southern border with Mexico at the San Luis Port of Entry in Arizona earlier in the day. The vehicle was then referred for secondary inspection.
Two unnamed female suspects were caught smuggling children into the United States. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection )
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During that inspection process, agents noticed that the children’s names and photos did not match those on their identification cards and discovered that they were not related to the driver or passenger. After questioning, they discovered that the children were unaccompanied minors from Mexico.
“And this, folks, is how the trafficking of children starts,” said Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino of the El Centro Sector. “It’s almost unbearable to think about what heinous crimes await children who aren’t with their parents. The border environment has been rife with this type of activity over the past several years. However, the focus has now shifted, and heavy sentences await smugglers who hurt kids.”
Both adults were charged under 8 U.S.C. § 1324, which prohibits smuggling and transporting immigrants into the United States.
Fox News Digital reached out to CBP’s El Centro Sector.
US NORTHERN BORDER SEES ROMANIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INFLUX AS EXPERT PREDICTS WHAT COULD BE DRIVING THEM
A field of lettuce in front of the border fence on Jan. 30, 2019 in San Luis, Arizona, near the port of entry to San Luis Rio, Colorado, Mexico. (Getty Images)
Just last month, two Mexican nationals were found guilty in what was described as the “deadliest human smuggling event in U.S. history.”
Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega face life in prison after abandoning a tractor trailer filled with illegal immigrants in the baking San Antonio sun in 2022.
Sixty-seven illegal immigrants, including children, were locked inside. The incident resulted in the death of 53 people.
RITZY FLORIDA ENCLAVE BECOMES CHINESE SMUGGLING HOT SPOT AS FORMER MILITARY IDENTIFIES DRIVING FORCE
A U.S. Border Patrol agent sits in a truck on a road outside a ranch gate near Carrizzo Springs, Texas. (Eddie Seal/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Earlier in the month of March, Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul and Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, both Guatemalan nationals, were arrested by federal agents and accused of operating one of the largest human smuggling rings in the country.
The pair allegedly smuggled 20,000 illegal immigrants into the United States from 2019 until their arrests.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
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