Arizona
Arizona border officers say they prevented likely child-trafficking attempt – UPI.com
April 30 (UPI) — Border officers in Arizona prevented a possible child-trafficking attempt recently, federal officials said Wednesday.
Earlier at the same port, officers apprehended a man with alleged child porn in a separate incident, officials also announced Wednesday.
In the alleged child-trafficking incident, a 23-year-old woman — a Mexican citizen and legal permanent U.S. resident — was arrested Tuesday after CBP officers say she was allegedly attempting to smuggle into the United States a 5-year-old Mexican boy, according to U.S. Customs and Border officials at Arizona’s port of San Luis.
The unidentified female was stopped at about 3 a.m. local time driving a 2013 Chevrolet sedan with the young boy in a deep sleep in the vehicle’s rear.
According to officials, she presented a U.S. birth certificate for the child, who was in an “abnormally deep sleep and did not appear to be the age as indicated,” and claimed to be his mother during a primary examination.
CBP officials discovered that there was no family relationship between the child — a Mexican citizen with no valid entry documents — and the woman who claimed to be his mother. They further determined that the boy’s birth certificate, while a legitimate document, did not belong to him.
A February 2017 report suggested that cases of human trafficking in the United States spiked more than 35% in 2016 vs. 2015.
According to border officers, the woman stated that she had given sleep sedatives to the minor prior to the attempted crossing to assist in evading detection.
“Sedating children is a dangerous and common tactic we see utilized by human smugglers attempting to avoid detection through our ports of entry,” said Chris Leon, area port director for San Luis.
She is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
More than 5 million children around the world were susceptible to trafficking and exploitation, the international children’s charity Lumos said in 2021.
In 2016, the FBI rescued nearly 100 exploited children and, arrested more than 200 in a large sex trafficking sting that later expanded to Canada, Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand.
“Our CBP officers are up to date on emerging smuggling trends and committed to safeguarding our borders, especially when it comes to the protection of children,” Leon stated Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in another case that reportedly took place last week but was reported Wednesday, an unidentified man was, likewise, taken into custody at the port of San Luis allegedly in possession of “obscene material” or what was also described as “child pornography,” officials added.
On Thursday, CBP officers encountered the man, a 27-year-old Mexican citizen, at about 8 a.m. local time while trying to enter the United States via Mexico.
He possessed a B1/B2 visa, but was referred for further examination due to a “possibility” of being in violation of his visa status.
While in the secondary inspection area, border officers performed an in-depth search of the suspect’s belongings, which they added resulted in the discovery of “child pornography material.”
“This apprehension involving obscene material exploiting children emphasizes the importance of CBP’s mission and commitment to keeping our communities safe,” Leon wrote in a separate release.
Don’t miss these 5 metro Phoenix hidden gem restaurants
From Ethiopian cuisine to mesquite-grilled chicken, check out these five restaurants in metro Phoenix that have flown under the radar for too long.
A former candidate for Gilbert mayor has opened the first Arizona location of a Founding Fathers-themed ice cream shop in Chandler.
Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream is a Utah-based ice cream shop centered around the early history of the United States. Female employees scoop cones in bonnets and dresses; male employees wear tricorn hats and coats. The ice cream flavors have names like Martha Washington’s Colonial Cotton Candy and Alexander Hamilton’s Not Throwing Away My Scoop.
On a trip to Utah in 2019, Arizonan Shane Krauser went to a Brooker’s and was blown away.
“I walked out of that, called my wife Janelle and I said, ‘We will own one of these,’” Krauser said.
The couple had no previous restaurant experience, but decided to open up the chain’s first location outside of Utah, choosing a storefront near the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road. The store opened on June 6.
Krauser loves how the shop creates conversation among customers about American history.
“I love history. I love the Founding Fathers. I love the ideals of America,” Krauser said. “It’s an amazing concept.”
Opening Founding Flavors isn’t political, it’s a ‘labor of love’
Krauser is a retired lawyer turned motivational speaker who addresses topics including “freedom, the proper role of government and the parameters of the U.S. and state constitutions,” according to his website.
In 2024, Krauser ran for Gilbert mayor, but withdrew his candidacy amid scrutiny over involvement with a past investment fraud scheme and his son’s appearance in a video with the Gilbert Goons, The Arizona Republic reported.
Although the shop plans to host events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., such as one for Constitution Day in September, Krauser said he does not see the ice cream store as related to his political career.
“The mayoral run was something to be involved in politically. This is more of a labor of love,” Krauser said. “This is not political in nature at all. It’s an ice cream shop with an American theme.”
Details: 2560 W. Chandler Blvd. #3, Chandler. brookersicecream.com, 480-881-6100.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
Arizona CEO accused of stealing millions
Jeffrey Gottfurcht, the now-former CEO of Mesa startupo Cyber Dive, is accused of stealing at least $1.5 million from the company to buy gifts for his girlfriend. FOX 10’s Brian Webb has more.
PHOENIX – An Arizona chief executive officer is facing major legal trouble after being accused of embezzling money from his company.
What we know:
Cyber Dive is an Arizona startup that sells child-safety smartphones, designed so parents can monitor their children’s online activity. The company is run out of a business complex in Mesa, but the startup is barely hanging on after the CEO allegedly took off with the money to spend on his girlfriend.
Jeffrey Gottfurcht is facing federal embezzlement charges. He stands accused of lying and doctoring documents to trick investors before running off with at least $1.5 million.
On the company Facebook page, Gottfurcht claimed to be the first rheumatoid arthritis sufferer to scale Mount Everest.
Local perspective:
Red flags first popped up at the company on Feb. 13, with strange occurrences coming into the office.
Derek Jackson, who co-founded Cyber Dive, recalled the moment the discrepancies came to light.
“They mentioned to me something about getting routing documentation for funds from an acquisition deal,” Jackson recounted. “They said ‘where are those documents?’ He said he was gonna send him at 3 p.m. today, and my response was what deal are you talking about?”
Dig deeper:
Court documents show Gottfurcht used the money to buy his escort girlfriend a Lamborghini, a four-bedroom house in Miami, and a diamond ring. The girlfriend has posted videos on TikTok, but her identity is hidden because she has not been charged with a crime.
When asked to confirm if Gottfurcht purchased the car, the diamond ring, and the house, Jackson responded, “Yes. So it gets deep. Yes, it gets very deep.”
“It’s a huge gut punch,” Jackson said regarding the impact on the startup. “I think it’s been challenging to stay motivated to keep the company going because when this happened, Jeff drained the account to zero.”
At the Cyber Dive headquarters, half the workforce was let go. Jackson is now serving as the interim chief executive officer, looking for new investors to keep the lights on while coming to grips with the loss of a partner and friend.
Jackson stated that the total amount of money taken is closer to $4 million.
“I was in the army. I was an intelligence officer. I was targeting people in ISIS. I don’t even hate terrorists as much as I hate Jeff right now,” Jackson said.
The other side:
No one answered the door at the Paradise Valley home Gottfurcht shares with his wife and three children. Court paperwork shows that his wife is seeking a divorce, and helped turn her husband in to the authorities.
What’s next:
Gottfurcht was previously arrested in Scottsdale in May over allegations of domestic violence. He remains behind bars on a $250,000 bond.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Derek Jackson, and from court documents.
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