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New Mexico Woman Arrested in Martin County Accused of Human Trafficking

MCSO
MCSO

Martin County - Tuesday April 4, 2023: Over the weekend, Martin County Sheriff Deputies conducted a traffic stop in Stuart on a vehicle that made an illegal turn, and than, mysteriously, the driver turned off the vehicle's headlights.

The driver was 56-year old Brenda Boaz of New Mexico. She had two other people in her car.

One of passengers was an undocumented man who told the Deputies that he had no ties in Martin County, but once he was dropped off, he planned to live on the streets until he could find a job.

The other person, a woman, said she was here (in Martin County) to connect with other family members who were already here. The two undocumented individuals were turned over to Border Patrol, along with a ledger found inside the vehicle titled, “Trips Taken”.

According to a release from the Martin County Sheriff, Boaz had recently picked up an unknown number of undocumented aliens in New Mexico at the border with Mexico. The stop in Stuart was just one of a number of planned drop offs of undocumented aliens smuggled into the county, said the Sheriff.

Over the past few days Boaz has been "dropping them off in various parts of the United States," states the release, and she has been "getting between $2500 and $3000" for each person she has smuggled into the country.

In Boaz's vehicle Deputies also found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, plastic baggies and marijuana.

MCSO

Boaz was taken to the Martin County Jail on charges of human smuggling, transporting drugs into the state, possessing or selling a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia.