Federal agents have arrested a suspected cartel scout in ZIP 85139 just south of city limits, according to U.S. Border Patrol agents who described the arrest Friday as “near the town of Maricopa.”

It was part of a broader bust carried out by Casa Grande station agents last week. The agents Feb. 24 found the Mexican national in the Maricopa Mountains between Maricopa proper and Interstate 8. Through their investigation, the agents said they found evidence he was associated with the Los Memos transnational criminal organization, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The agents arrested a single unidentified man who admitted he crossed the border illegally, according to the Border Patrol. The agents found “observation devices” used by cartel scouts in the man’s possession.

The next day, Border Patrol agents arrested another two men in the Silverbell Mountains for being in the country illegally. The agents said the men were in mountain perches known to be used by human and drug smugglers. The two men were found with surveillance devices as well as solar panels with batteries.

“The U.S. Attorney’s office has been a valuable partner in our efforts to secure the border,” said Chief Patrol Agent Sean McGoffin of the Tucson Sector. “Taking away the eyes and ears of the smugglers makes it harder to move people and contraband, making it safer for agents and communities on both sides of the international border.”

“In three events, Casa Grande agents arrested three illegal alien scouts and one foot guide, two confirmed to work for the Los Memos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said McGoffin on X, formerly Twitter.

On President Donald J. Trump’s first day in office, he signed Executive Order 14157, which designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a transnational criminal organization and a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department.