24 illegals nabbed on Interstate 8

Twenty-four illegal aliens were detained and two smuggling suspects arrested Monday night after U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped a tractor-trailer on Interstate 8 west of Yuma.

All of the immigrants were from Mexico and two were children ages 9 and 11, the Border Patrol said.

Twenty-one of the immigrants were found hidden within a load of wooden pallets in the trailer of the 1997 Peterbilt truck, while three others were found in the sleeper compartment, the Border Patrol said.

The aliens were found as agents assigned to the checkpoint were conducting an immigration inspection of the truck at about 10 p.m. The checkpoint is located in the westbound lanes of the highway west of Winterhaven.

The driver, a 29-year-old man, and a 19-year-old female passenger, both U.S. citizens, were being held Tuesday on felony smuggling charges. Their names were not released.