8-year-old boy rescued from suspected human trafficker
By: Eloy, AZ - Sheriffs from two southern Arizona counties say cooperation between multiple agencies led to the recent rescue of a young boy from a suspected trafficker earlier in Eloy.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple held a news conference in Marana early Friday afternoon to discuss the incident that began late Wednesday night.
Around 10 p.m., Sheriff Dannels says his office and other state and federal agencies were notified of a suspect attempting to smuggle a child into the U.S. The suspect reportedly crossed the border into Cochise County and was already in Pinal County en route to the Phoenix area.
A Pinal County deputy spotted the suspect’s vehicle near Eloy, and it was pulled over by a multi-agency task force. The car had a Mexican license plate and was being driven by a Mexican citizen, a woman. A boy and girl were also in the car.
Deputies from Cochise County also responded, as well as Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers. The vehicle was seized while deputies searched it for narcotics, and the woman got a motel room nearby.
A deputy later spoke with the woman, and PCSO says her story made no sense. Sheriff Dannels says deputies also spoke with the 8-year-old boy, who was giving “clearly coached answers.”
Investigators say she confessed to trafficking the boy for money, and that the other child in the car was her own daughter. She reportedly said she didn’t know the child’s family or his final destination beyond Phoenix.
The woman, whose name has not yet been released, has been placed in federal custody.