TUCSON, Ariz. - On Tuesday, Saif Ali Al Najafi, 25, of Glendale, Arizona, was charged by criminal complaint with Transporting Illegal Aliens while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another.
According to the complaint, on July 8, 2022, Border Patrol Agents stopped a U-Haul box truck that Al Najafi was driving near Naco, Arizona. An undocumented non-citizen sat in the front passenger seat. Inside the box of the U-Haul truck, agents discovered 13 more undocumented non-citizens, including two minor children.
One witness inside the U-Haul stated the driver opened the cargo door for the group to enter and closed it behind them. The witness said he could hear the driver place a lock on the door, at which point the witness became frightened.
A conviction for Transporting Illegal Aliens while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Another carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, or both.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: MJ-22-4680-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-117_Al Najafi
Source: USAO - Arizona
