Caravan of 128 illegal immigrants caught near border

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Border Patrol agents stopped a caravan of 128 people that illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency says agents encountered the group several miles west of the Lukeville Port on Friday.  Agents patrolling near the international border fence found the group, presumably brought to the border by human smugglers who remained in Mexico.

The group was comprised of adults and children, some as young as 4-years-old, from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico. Agents also identified several adults in the group who had been previously been charged with immigration violations.

18 ILLEGALS FOUND IN CABIN OF TRUCK

Agents medically evaluated all 128 immigrants and determined they were in good health.  After transporting everyone to the Ajo Border Patrol station for processing, the immigrants were turned over to the Enforcement Removal Operations within Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Transnational criminal organizations exploit the vulnerability of foreign nationals with false promises of legal status and encourage dangerous crossing methods, placing their safety at risk," the agency said in a statement.

While the caravan wasn’t the largest this year, it was among the most populous in recent months. In June, a caravan of 31 parents with kids was found trying to cross the border.

In March and April, the U.S. saw the largest caravan, consisting of approximately 1,000 people, mostly from Honduras, trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

Tucson Sector Border Patrol officials continue to publicize warnings about the dangers of entering the U.S. illegally; especially during the summer months when desert temperatures can exceed 120 degrees.