A 13-year-old Guatemalan girl was rescued from smugglers by Border Patrol agents following a 24-hour search southwest of Tucson on Monday.
Agents arrested a 62-year-old man for human smuggling after finding the girl's brother, a child and a woman during an inspection at the Arivaca Road Immigration Checkpoint.
While the group was being processed, agents learned the 13-year-old girl was separated from the group and left with smugglers at a residence in Arivaca, a news release said.
Agents combed the area before finding her in good health at a home with a 24-year-old man, who was also illegally in the country. She was taken to Tucson for further processing.
"The girl and her brother, now in the U.S. Border Patrol’s care, were able to speak with their mother residing in the United States, who expressed relief that her children were safe," the agency said.
