Overview
- A tip from Cochise County led a multi-agency team to stop a vehicle near Eloy late Jan. 7, where deputies found an 8-year-old boy with a woman and her daughter.
- The car had a Mexican license plate and was driven by a Mexican citizen, and Customs and Border Protection joined Cochise and Pinal county deputies in the response.
- Deputies said the boy appeared frightened and coached, had been given a different name, and could not answer basic questions about his identity.
- Body-camera video released by Pinal County shows questioning that preceded the woman admitting she was being paid $500 to deliver the boy to unknown contacts in Phoenix and beyond.
- The woman is in federal custody and the child is with federal agents as the investigation continues, including a review of possible cartel involvement.