A woman claiming to be a nature photographer is facing charges of migrant smuggling after being stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Animas, New Mexico. The woman, Chelsea Naida Ruiz, and her companion, Jeremiah Earl Goins, were driving a black GMC Terrain with Indiana license plates when they were stopped with four migrants dressed in camouflage onboard.
The couple told agents they were on a photography trip to capture the scenic southern New Mexico landscape. According to Goins, they encountered four people in need of help and decided to offer them a ride to Tucson, Arizona. Ruiz, who said she develops commercial wallpapers from her nature photography, stated she trusted Goins when he stopped to pick up the passengers.
Federal officials, however, remain skeptical. The migrants were reportedly dressed in camouflage, a tactic often used by smugglers to help clients blend into the desert environment after crossing the border illegally. The area where the couple was stopped, New Mexico State Highway 338, is known as a smuggling route.
According to court documents, the migrants admitted to paying Mexican smugglers to help them cross into the U.S. They said they were instructed to walk for five days through the wilderness before being picked up by a designated vehicle. One migrant claimed a blonde woman told them to lie down and stay still upon entering the SUV.
During the vehicle search, agents discovered two loaded handguns with rounds in the chamber and a bag containing marijuana. Both Ruiz and Goins were taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
The couple is scheduled to appear in federal court on Wednesday in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Meanwhile, the migrants are being held as material witnesses in the case.