In yet another stunning failure of leadership from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, a now-former employee of the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) has been arrested at the southern border for alleged human smuggling of illegal aliens — a scandal that now threatens to sink Hobbs’ controversial nominee to lead the agency.
Joshua Castro, who served as a produce inspector for the AZDA, is facing both felony and misdemeanor federal charges after Border Patrol agents caught him allegedly transporting illegal aliens across the U.S. border earlier this month, KOLD reported.
According to a federal complaint filed by the U.S. District Attorney of Arizona, Castro was first spotted on April 9 speeding away from a known smuggling route near Nogales.
Border agents later caught up to him after witnessing the same vehicle ferrying two illegal aliens — Mexican nationals who admitted to paying between $7,600 and $12,000 each to be smuggled into the United States.
According to the news outlet, Castro was wearing his state-issued uniform during the incident, despite being off-duty.
More from KOLD.com:
On April 9, Border Patrol agents in Nogales spotted a black Chevrolet Impala quickly leaving a known smuggling route and getting onto Interstate 19, driving a certain way to see if law enforcement was around. The next evening, agents saw the same sedan in the area of Hereford Drive and International Street before losing sight of it. Agents saw only one person inside.
The following day, the agents saw the same sedan returning the way it came, but now with two passengers in the backseat. Agents followed the car onto the interstate, pulled it over and asked the driver, identified as Castro, about his passengers.
According to court documents, Castro said the two men had asked for a ride and he didn’t know them. But the agents soon determined the two men were Mexican citizens who were in the U.S. illegally.
One of the men told agents he paid 150,000 Mexican pesos (approximately $7,600 U.S. dollars) to be smuggled into the country. He said he illegally crossed the border and hid until he was told to walk to an area near a red house and look for a black car that would pick him up.
The other man told agents he was going to pay $12,000 to be smuggled into the U.S. and provided a similar account of how he crossed into the country and the directions he followed.
Castro was immediately fired. But the damage to Katie Hobbs’ credibility is already done — and the political fallout is intensifying.
Hobbs’ office scrambled to issue a sanitized statement condemning the incident and promising “mandatory training” — a laughable and insufficient response considering Arizona’s border is under siege, and members of her own administration are now tied directly to criminal activity.
“The governor strongly condemns the actions of this former employee. The Department of Agriculture took swift action, terminating the individual from their position immediately. Although this took place outside of work hours in the employee’s personal vehicle and away from work, AZDA has taken proactive steps to deter this unacceptable behavior.
Policies and procedures are being reviewed, and will include mandatory training for supervisors and employees to include information from CBP on signs to watch for and how to report concerns.”
The scandal also threatens to derail Hobbs’ controversial nominee to head the Department of Agriculture, Paul Brierley, according to KOLD.
State Senator Jake Hoffman, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Director Nominations, released the following statement on X:
“It’s no wonder Hobbs vetoes every piece of meaningful border security legislation when on her watch her own state employee is being arrested and prosecuted for the human smuggling of illegal aliens.
From cronyism to nepotism and pay-to-play to human smuggling, Katie Hobbs’ tenure as governor is proving to be one of the darkest periods in state history.
There are no words to adequately describe the obscene mismanagement occurring within Governor Hobbs’ state government.
As for Brierly, Hobbs’ nominee to lead the Department of Agriculture, the Nominations Committee and Senate Republicans had serious doubts about him already, this profound lack of management certainly won’t strengthen his case before the full senate.”
BREAKING ARIZONA SCANDAL
One of @KatieHobbs state employees at the AZ Dept. of Agriculture was arrested earlier this month for alleged HUMAN SMUGGLING of ILLEGAL ALIENS
MY STATEMENT:
“It’s no wonder Hobbs vetoes every piece of meaningful border security legislation when… pic.twitter.com/UuK7kYR9F9— Jake Hoffman (@JakeHoffmanAZ) April 26, 2025
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