Uncommon Knowledge
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Arizona
Mexican who smuggled migrants over US border gets 10 years in Arizona jail
A Mexican man was found guilty of a number of people-smuggling offenses in Arizona and sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 28, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was given the sentence by United States District Judge John Hinderaker, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was found guilty by a jury of multiple offenses, including conspiracy to transport and the transportation of illegal aliens for profit and bringing illegal aliens to the United States for profit.
The jury also found that Dessens-Romero put lives at risk during his smuggling offenses, and that he played a critical role in a criminal operation that illegally smuggled migrants into the U.S. from Mexico.
Jae C. Hong/AP
The Mexican smuggler helped undocumented non-citizens reach the U.S. by using WhatsApp to arrange pick-ups and drop-offs. He helped guide five Mexican nationals on foot to cross into the U.S. on February 13, 2021.
Dessens-Romero led the group with limited supplies on a dangerous route through harsh weather conditions into the remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona where there was less law enforcement patrolling the area.
The group included three sisters – aged 23, 20 and 17 – and their family friend, 16. Two days later, the 23-year-old sister was experiencing significant physical distress and she was unable to eat or walk.
Dessens-Romero claimed they were close to a busy road and could leave the sick woman there to be found. However, he didn’t call emergency services and instead contacted his associates at a transnational criminal smuggling organization.
AP/Denis Poroy
Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista, Arizona, where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the U.S.
The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on February 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Law enforcement officials were unable to locate the missing woman after searching.
Dessens-Romero contacted the surviving sisters on behalf of the smuggling organization to try to convince them to remove a “missing person” social media post.
On November 20, 2021, the 23-year-old’s remains were located in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing sister.
Dessens-Romero was arrested after being caught transporting two individuals in Tennessee on June 30, 2021, by Highway Patrol.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
“Human smugglers profit from the exploitation of migrants and routinely expose them to violence, injury, and death,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the statement. “Today’s sentence shows the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable these smugglers and the criminal networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants.”
“Alien smugglers care only about the money to be made and not about the human beings whose lives they endanger,” U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said in the statement. “Unfortunately, one young woman’s desire for a better life in the United States cost her her life due to the greed and recklessness of Dessens-Romero. This case should serve as a warning to other smugglers and the transnational smuggling organizations they work for: my office and our law enforcement partners will be undaunted in our efforts to bring you to justice.”
The issue of illegal immigration is a hot topic on voters’ minds as the U.S. heads toward the November presidential election.
Commenting on the wider issues to Newsweek, Representative Mark Green, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said: “The American people have faced the devastating impacts of President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ efforts to roll back the Trump administration’s effective border security measures and replace them with catch-and-release and mass parole for inadmissible aliens.”
The Tennessee Republican said: “Homeland Republicans crafted and passed through the House legislation to address this crisis. From increasing the number of dedicated Border Patrol agents and investing in critical technology for detection and interdiction to ending these reckless catch-and-release policies and seeking to renegotiate Remain in Mexico, the Secure the Border Act is the necessary step to stop this influx––and it’s sitting on Senator Schumer’s desk.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Arizona
March Madness 2025: Where to buy Duke vs. Arizona tickets for Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game at Prudential Center
The Duke Blue Devils face the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 27, 2025 (3/27/2025) at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Fans who want to watch the game in person can purchase tickets on Seatgeek, StubHub, VividSeats.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: 2025 Men’s NCAA tournament
Who: Duke vs. Arizona
When: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Where: Prudential Center
Time: 9:39 p.m. EST
TV: CBS
Channel finder: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling
Tickets: Seatgeek, StubHub, VividSeats
Here’s a TV Schedule of the Sweet 16 games:
Thursday, March 27, 2025
BYU vs. Alabama at 7:09 p.m. on CBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and fuboTV
Maryland vs. Florida at 7:39 p.m. on TBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and Sling
Arizona vs. Duke at 9:39 p.m. on CBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and fuboTV
Arkansas vs. Texas Tech at 10:09 p.m. on TBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and Sling
Friday, March 28, 2025
Ole Miss vs. No. 2 Michigan State at 7:09 p.m. on CBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and fuboTV
Kentucky vs. No. 2 Tennessee at 7:39 p.m. on TBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and Sling
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 1 Auburn at 9:39 p.m. on CBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and fuboTV
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 1 Houston at 10:09 p.m. on TBS
LIVE STREAM: DirecTV Stream and Sling
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust.
SEATTLE — Having its best season from the free throw line in 11 years, Oregon had its worst night at the line since last year’s season opener.
Despite opening with a 19-4 lead, the No. 5 seed Ducks trailed at the half and were never able to regain control in an 87-83 loss to No. 4 seed Arizona Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
Jackson Shelstad had 25 points, Nate Bittle had 16 points and 11 rebounds and TJ Bamba scored 17 for the Ducks (25-10), whose season comes to a close in the second round for a season straight year.
UO shot 12 of 22 from the free throw line.
Caleb Love had 29 points, nine rebounds and four assists for Arizona (24-12), which advances to play No. 1 seed Duke (33-3) in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Oregon started white hot, opening a 19-4 lead in the first 5:11. But Arizona steadily chipped away and eventually took the lead after a second 9-0 run and went into the half up 42-38.
The Ducks made 6 of their last 21 attempts from the field, including just 1 of 7 threes, to end the first half.
Tobe Awaka (14 rebounds) was one of four Wildcats to score 12 points.
The Oregonian/OregonLive will update this story.
It’s not much of a secret just what the Arizona Cardinals need from this year’s NFL draft. Spoiler alert: it’s not much different from the position group they targeted early in free agency.
But some of the experts, and quite a few mock drafts, have talked around the possibility of the Cardinals targeting a DB, or even OL with the 16th overall pick.
Previously, it seemed unrealistic, but merely due to the fact that the Cardinals’ DL need was so great, taking any other position seemed irresponsible.
But then they added a pair of top-end players in Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson to the defensive line. Suddenly, other positions seemed less out of the question.
But the string of recent free agent signings might be indicating something else, for the time being.
Every team makes depth signings, and the Cardinals are not exceptions to that rule. After the initial wave of higher-profile signings took place, Arizona signed a trio of depth players in OL Jake Curhan, CB Jaylon Jones and OL Royce Newman.
Granted, none of these players figure to be starters, or even regular platoon players just yet, but it does seem odd that the Cardinals would continue to add depth to both of those position groups if they intended on making a swing for a player at those positions early in the draft.
Maybe GM Monti Ossenfort is simply gathering bodies, and some of these signings will be cut. Maybe OL Jonah Williams departs via trade or release. But Arizona also re-signed Evan Brown and Kelvin Beachum to provide consistency up front.
In the CB room, it’s apparent that HC Jonathan Gannon wants his secondary to be built from the ground up, with players like Garrett Williams, Max Melton, Starling Thomas V and others taking the bulk of the reps.
The Cardinals also looked to add a veteran CB in free agency, and even hosted CB Asante Samuel Jr. for a workout. No deal materialized at the time, but they then signed CB Jaylon Jones as a depth piece.
Granted, the power of BPA is real. If the Cardinals are high on a player like Will Johnson, or any of the various OL options, they’ll draft them. But with the way they’ve approached some of the other needs on the roster (with the exception of WR), it seems like Ossenfort is content to ride with the starters he has, with depth added behind them.
You could argue the DL is a similar situation, but with the exception of the two marquee additions, all the other signings in that unit have been in-house re-signs.
This could all end up becoming white noise if the Cardinals end up cutting some of their depth options or younger players, but that doesn’t necessarily feel likely right now.
It does seem like a pretty good bet that the Cardinals will go with a developmental pass rush option at No. 16 overall, or even work a trade and address one of the deeper positions with a later pick.
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