SENTRI Participant Arrested for Alleged Alien Smuggling Attempt

San Ysidro, CA – A 27 year-old U.S. citizen woman registered to participate in the SENTRI program was arrested Tuesday, July 18 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the San Ysidro port of entry after they found an undocumented migrant hidden in the vehicle she was driving, officials announced today.
CBP officers conducting pre-primary operations encountered Claudia Ramirez, a resident of San Ysidro, as she waited in line at about 1:20 p.m. to enter the United States through a designated SENTRI lane. As CBP officers inspected the vehicle Ramirez was driving, a 1990 Mazda MPV, they discovered a male juvenile hidden on the floor between the first and second row bench seats under a blanket.
The vehicle and occupants were escorted to the secondary inspection area for further investigation where it was confirmed the undocumented migrant was a 17-year old Mexican citizen. The juvenile was taken into CBP custody for processing and will be a material witness for the prosecution case.
Ramirez’ SENTRI pass was revoked and she was charged with alien smuggling. She was transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center to await processing. The vehicle was seized by CBP.