State Employee Under Governor Katie Hobbs Arrested and Charged for Allegedly Smuggling Illegal Immigrants

An Arizona state employee working for the Department of Agriculture (AZDA) was arrested earlier this month for alleged human smuggling, resulting in his termination.

Joshua Castro, who worked as a food inspector, was charged with both a felony and a misdemeanor after he was caught appearing to transport illegal immigrants in his state uniform after they crossed the border from Mexico into Arizona.

The Arizona Sun Times asked Border Czar Tom Homan for comment. White House Spokesman Kush Desai responded on his behalf, “The days of actively aiding and abetting illegal aliens invading our country are over. The Trump administration will never waver on putting Americans and America First with a no-nonsense approach to immigration enforcement. In this administration, anyone who commits crimes exposes themselves to criminal liability.”

State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) expressed his outrage 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,” he said. “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 @GovernorHobbs’ state government.”

Hoffman added in another post, “Hobbs is the most incapable and inept executive in America.”

He said the incident would hurt the chances of Hobbs’ appointee, Paul Brierley, to head the AZDA, who is currently the acting director. Brierley barely received confirmation in the State Senate Committee on Director Nominations, which Hoffman chairs. Hoffman voted against his confirmation. Brierley came under fire for social media posts attacking President Donald Trump.

Hobbs’ office issued a statement after the news came out. “The governor strongly condemns the actions of this former employee,” KOLD reported. “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.”

According to the complaint, Border Patrol agents saw a black Chevrolet Impala acting suspiciously earlier this month near a known smuggling route by Interstate 19. A day later, they saw the same vehicle with two passengers inside, so they pulled the driver over. Castro identified himself and said he was merely giving hitchhikers a ride. However, the two men admitted they paid smugglers to get them across the border, and were told to look for Castro’s car to pick them up. One man said he paid smugglers 150,000 Mexican pesos, which is $7,600 in U.S. dollars, and the other said he paid $12,000.

Hobbs has expressed hostility to the second Trump administration’s efforts to stop illegal immigration numerous times. She vetoed the Arizona Legislature’s Arizona ICE Act, which would have authorized state and local enforcement of federal immigration laws in cooperation with federal authorities.

Hobbs publicly stated she will not support or participate in Trump’s deportation operations, describing them as “misguided policies” that harm communities. During a November 2024 press conference in Nogales, she said she would not tolerate policies that “terrorize communities,” citing Trump’s deportations.

In January 2025, Hobbs announced that Arizona would not use state resources to assist ICE in arresting illegal immigrants who “aren’t causing harm. … We’re going to stand up to the administration just like I have from day one when they’re not getting it right for Arizonans,” she said.

Hobbs attacked Proposition 314, the “Secure the Border Act,” which passed last fall with over 62 percent support from Arizona voters. She claimed that it was an “unfunded mandate” without clear implementation. It allows local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants entering Arizona outside ports of entry.

In January, the Trump administration ordered federal prosecutors nationwide to investigate state or local officials who obstruct immigration enforcement. The DOJ has begun suing officials, including the state of New York and its top officials, for prioritizing “illegal aliens over American citizens.”

– – –

Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].