More than 140 migrants were arrested last month as part of a multi-agency operation, officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday.
U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Yuma Sector arrested 143 people from 18 countries, CBP officials said. The agents worked with area Stonegarden law enforcement partners.
In Arizona, Operation Stonegarden provides funding to law enforcement agencies for border security, under the state Department of Homeland Security.
CBP officials say agents arrested 95 undocumented truck drivers with a state-issued commercial driver's license. The majority of these licenses (76) were issued in California.
Yuma Border Patrol agents also arrested four human smugglers and 17 undocumented migrants as part of two human-smuggling events, officials said.
In a released statement, Yuma Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle said "We are committed to protecting our citizens from all international threats, whether that is from unlicensed or untrained drivers or transnational criminal organizations engaged in human or drug trafficking."
CBP officials said the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a final rule to prevent unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining licenses to operate commercial trucks and buses.
