Federal prosecutors in Southern California announced a series of border-related criminal cases this week, including one involving a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly smuggled into the United States while hidden inside the dashboard of a vehicle.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the incident occurred on July 30 at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
Teen found inside modified dashboard
Authorities charged Adrián Balderas-Zazueta, a Mexican citizen with a border crossing card, with bringing in undocumented immigrants for financial gain.
According to prosecutors, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a teenager concealed inside a non-factory compartment built into the dashboard of the pickup truck Balderas was driving as he sought entry into the United States.
The boy later told investigators he asked the driver for a cloth to cover a hot metal pipe he had been lying on while hidden inside the compartment during the border crossing.
Another case involved fentanyl seizure
Federal prosecutors also announced charges against Mariela De Anda Madrigal, a Mexican citizen accused of importing a controlled substance after authorities allegedly found 40 pounds of fentanyl concealed beneath the passenger side of a 2013 Kia Optima and inside the vehicle’s engine air filter housing.
According to prosecutors, she was arrested while attempting to enter the United States through the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Part of weekly border enforcement cases
The cases were among 115 border-related prosecutions announced this week by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Federal officials said the investigations involved multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other federal law enforcement partners.
