Smugglers Use Business Vehicles to Cross Border
Trucks stolen or bought from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Federal Express, Arrowhead Water, the City of Douglas, Channel 12 News (KPNX) have been used. Even fake Border Patrol vehicles have been confiscated.
Smugglers are using increasingly elaborate schemes to get people and drugs across the U.S./Mexico border, according to an Arizona Republic story. The trickery often involves business vehicles. Trucks stolen or bought from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Federal Express, Arrowhead Water, the City of Douglas, Channel 12 News (KPNX) have been used. Even fake Border Patrol vehicles have been confiscated. Border patrol agents have caught undocumented immigrants in dashboards, sewn into a seat, inside a piñata and inside the gas tank of a flatbed pickup truck. Inspectors found one woman under the hood of a truck, screaming, because she was being "cooked alive" by the radiator, a Border Patrol spokesman told the Republic. Inspectors routinely pull packages of drugs from hidden compartments in all imaginable part of cars, from the drive shafts to the bumpers. A Border Patrol agent in Nogales recounted a case where agents pulled over a truck that looked like it was stacked high with plywood. When they got the truck back to the station, they found the centers of the planks of plywood were cut out to make a hidden compartment for 995 pounds of marijuana. The Border Patrol counted a record 473 deaths of undocumented immigrants last fiscal year, according to the Arizona Republic story.
More Small Fleet

Developing Budget-Friendly Driver Safety Programs
From driver training and safety meetings to one-on-one coaching and incentive programs, several small fleets share how they have developed a safety culture with their drivers using low- to no-cost resources.
Read More →
Boosting Last-Mile Fleet Uptime, Safety, and Value with AI Vehicle Inspections
AI-powered inspections are transforming last-mile fleets by replacing manual checks with highly accurate automated scans that detect defects in seconds. By giving fleet operations visibility into the daily condition of their vehicles, you can identify trends over the vehicle’s lifecycle that enable improved procurement decisions, route management, driver training and accountability.
Read More →
Five Ways Seat Belts Help Prevent Injuries
There are five ways seat belts protect occupants from injuries, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
Read More →
It’s here: The 2026 Fleet Technology Trends Report
What does AI mean for fleets? Get the answer — and learn other top tech trends.
Read More →
Small Fleets, Big Impact: How Independent Drivers Power Wreaths Across America
Check out how small fleets and independent drivers power Wreaths Across America each December and why their impact matters more than ever.
Read More →
VMS Survey Finds 65% of Small Fleet Managers Run Operations Alone
A new VMS survey shows small fleet managers are stretched thin, with most handling operations solo and eager to adopt digital tools for relief.
Read More →
Tips for Driving Safely on Halloween Night
This video features a reminder from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, urging drivers to prioritize safety this Halloween.
Read More →
AI, Access, and Uptime: VMS’s Next Chapter with David Prusinski
VMS’s new Co-CEO, David Prusinski, shares how an AI-first approach will give small fleets and repair shops the tools to compete like big players.
Read More →
Fleet Managers Share Winter Prep Tips: It's Never Too Early!
Three fleets share best practices to prep vehicles for winter and prevent downtime when the cold sets in.
Read More →

