Maryland Smuggler Arrested: 13 Migrants Found in Flatbed Near Deming

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: A Maryland man has been apprehended by Border Patrol agents in New Mexico, accused of smuggling 13 undocumented individuals into the United States. The operation took place near Deming when agents observed a suspicious tractor-trailer on Interstate 10. According to court documents, Jarol Wilberto Arroyo-Cerin, 40, from Maryland, was driving the vehicle and was subsequently arrested.

The migrants, including nationals from Guatemala, Ecuador, and Mexico, as well as an unaccompanied juvenile, were discovered hidden in compartments of the trailer and cab. Arroyo-Cerin is alleged to have transported them for financial gain, instructing them to hide under the flatbed.

Arroyo-Cerin, a U.S. citizen, faces federal charges of conspiracy to illegally bring, transport, hide, or encourage unauthorized immigrants to enter or stay in the United States. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.

The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector announced today that Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar and U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison are leading the investigation and prosecution of this case.

View the Criminal Complaint (Arroyo-Cerin).pdf for more details on the charges against Arroyo-Cerin.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.