LAS CRUCES, N.M. – El Paso Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents working at a checkpoint in Las Cruces found themselves pursuing a suspected smuggler after he ran through the inspection area while agents in Clint arrested a convicted felon.

Thursday evening, U.S. Border Patrol agents working at the I-25 immigration checkpoint north of Las Cruces encountered a late model Mitsubishi SUV as it approached the primary inspection area. As agents were inspecting the vehicle, the driver fled the inspection area at a high rate of speed. Agents pursued the suspect and called for assistance from other law enforcement partners in the area. The driver raced north on I-25 highway then exited in Hatch, New Mexico and fled on foot. While unable to locate the individual, agents were able to identify the suspected driver as a Mexican national. The passenger in the vehicle that was being smuggled is a Guatemalan national and is pending removal.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested five individuals for illegally entering the United States including one with a history of sexual assault.

Late Monday night, Clint Border Patrol agents were alerted to a group of five individuals illegally crossing into the United States two miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. Using their skills and training, agents nearby were able to track and apprehend the five as they attempted to hide in the desert brush. All were transported to the Clint Border Patrol station for further processing.

During record checks, agents found that one of the men, Jaime Rodrigo Saquipulla-Lliguichuzhca, a 41-year-old Ecuadorian national, had been arrested in December 2002 by the New York City Police Department. He was charged and convicted of Statute Rape 3rd (Felony). Saquipulla-Lliguichuzhca was arrested by Homeland Security Investigation Agents in Astoria, Queens, New York in January of this year and was subsequently removed from the U.S. on February 21, 2020. Saquipulla-Lliguichuzhca will be prosecuted for Illegal Re-entry and remanded to the El Paso County Detention Facility to await criminal proceedings.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol while remaining anonymous by calling 1-800-635-2509 toll-free.

It is important to note that an arrest or criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered evidence of guilt. Subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter at @USBPChiefEPT and @CBPWestTexas.