ST. GEORGE — Two Illinois men accused of first-degree human smuggling are in jail after a 7-year-old child was found in the backseat of a vehicle.
On Saturday, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper stationed at mile marker 63 monitoring traffic noticed a white Nissan pass by with window tint that appeared darker than it was allowed by Utah law, according to a probable cause statement filed in support of the arrests.
After the trooper pulled out into traffic and caught up to the vehicle, the Nissan reportedly drifted over the fog line. The trooper then initiated a traffic stop at mile marker 71.
While speaking to the driver, 33-year-old Alejandro Marcos Carrillo-Lira, the trooper detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana. Also in the vehicle were a front-seat passenger, 19-year-old Brandon Vargas Cardoso and a 7-year-old girl sitting in the back seat.
According to the report, the trooper’s suspicions of possible criminal activity continued to mount, and after the passenger admitted to smoking marijuana, the trooper deployed a K-9 to conduct a free-air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle.
When the animal reportedly indicated to the possible presence of narcotics, a search of the vehicle ensued, but no narcotics were found.
It was during the search, however, that troopers realized there was no clothing or any personal belongings for the girl sitting in the backseat, which is when authorities began inquiring about the child.
The driver initially claimed the youngster was his daughter, but when Lira was unable to provide even the basic details about the girl, the suspect reportedly admitted that the girl was being smuggled across the country, the report states.
Both men were transported to the UHP Division Office in Cedar City for questioning. The Department of Child and Family Services was also contacted and the child was placed in the care of a social worker.
The suspects were interviewed and their cell phones were searched, which reportedly confirmed that money was exchanged “to smuggle the child across the country,” the report states.
Shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday, the suspects were transported and booked into the Iron County Jail on first-degree felony aggravated human smuggling.
The passenger was also placed on an immigration hold.
A no-bail hold was also requested, being that neither suspect had any ties to Utah, and due to the seriousness of the charge, the trooper wrote, the suspect would likely flee the jurisdiction of the court.
The request was approved and an order to hold both suspects without bail was signed by District Judge Matthew L. Bell.
Authorities say this is part of an ongoing investigation.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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