Tucson federal judge convicts 4 border-aid volunteers

The first of several trials of humanitarian-aid volunteers ended with a guilty verdict Friday, as a federal judge in Tucson said four volunteers broke the law when they left food and water in a desolate border area.

The volunteers with Tucson-based No More Deaths left water jugs and cans of beans in an area west of Tucson where dozens of sets of human remains were recovered in recent years. The August 2017 trip to the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge broke the law when the volunteers failed to obtain a permit, drove on prohibited roads and left food and water on the refuge, according to a verdict filed Friday in U.S. District Court.

After a trial this week, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernardo P. Velasco found the volunteers guilty of all charges. They face up to six months in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

Natalie Hoffman was convicted of operating a motor vehicle in a wilderness area. Hoffman and Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco McCormick were convicted of entering a national wildlife refuge without a permit and abandoning property there. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
https://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-federal-judge-convicts-border-aid-volunteers/article_237e51ce-1b6f-11e9-9c3c-ab5ab1b4e19a.html