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Officials: Driver arrested after running from Arizona immigration checkpoint

Updated  December 17, 2019 4:20am MST
Crime and Public Safety
Associated Press

Driver arrested after running from Arizona immigration checkpoint

A driver is in custody after speeding through an immigration checkpoint in southern Arizona and leading authorities on a high-speed chase on Interstate 10 toward Phoenix.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. - A driver is in custody after speeding through an immigration checkpoint in southern Arizona and leading authorities on a high-speed chase on Interstate 10 toward Phoenix.

According to officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the car failed to yield to Border Patrol agents working an immigration checkpoint south of Casa Grande.

Arizona Department of Public Safety officials say the driver allegedly fired shots at border officers before the chase began about 3 p.m..

DPS says the chase came to an end on I-10 near Sacaton. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, the car's driver and two people found inside the car's trunk were arrested.

The name of the suspect wasn’t immediately released.

DPS, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Gila River Police Department was involved in the incident that caused heavy backups along the freeway.

No law enforcement officers fired their weapons, according to officials.

"This was a very serious situation for everyone involved," said Border Patrol Agent Joe Curren. "Someone who is going to go to the lengths to flee a Border Patrol agent. There are a lot of safety risks there."