In one of the most bizarre headlines to emerge today, several college football players from Arizona Christian University (ACU) have been implicated in an ongoing scheme to smuggle migrants into the United States. The revelations have rocked the small NAIA program, raising serious questions about oversight and the role of athletics in illegal activities.
According to Jason Wolf of The Arizona Republic, the smuggling operation involved at least two football players from ACU: Malakai Robert Samuelu and his teammate Meamoni “Junior” Faualo. In 2022, the two players reportedly borrowed a car from a fellow teammate and drove to the U.S.-Mexico border to pick up migrants and transport them into the country.
Although Samuelu and Faualo were caught, prosecutors declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence and unreliable witnesses. However, as Wolf’s investigation uncovered, these two players were not acting alone—there were several others tied to the operation.
One former ACU player told The Arizona Republic that he had been recruited on Snapchat to drive migrants from border towns to metro Phoenix. The player, who remained anonymous, revealed that he was paid $1,000 for each person he successfully transported. This recruitment tactic shows how pervasive and well-organized the smuggling scheme became within the football program.
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Despite these shocking revelations, Wolf reported that local prosecutors frequently declined to press charges in similar cases. The primary reasons? A lack of “adequate probable cause” and the difficulty in using migrants as reliable witnesses in court. This pattern of non-prosecution has only further fueled concerns that such activities might be widespread and unchecked.
The smuggling issue appears to be deeply embedded in ACU’s football program. According to multiple sources, many players were aware of the illegal activity. Brady Martin, a former backup quarterback at ACU, described how the smuggling was an “open secret” among the team. In an interview with Wolf, Martin recalled how, during a recruiting visit to ACU, a fellow player casually asked if he wanted to make easy money by smuggling migrants from the border. “The kid touring me asked if I wanted to go pick up Mexicans at the border and bring them back for $750 a pop,” Martin said, adding that he initially thought it was a joke. “I laughed. I thought he was playing with me. And then they were like, ‘He’s not playing, though.’”
Martin’s host, former backup quarterback JJ Mcelhenny, was implicated by several players as the one assigning the smuggling jobs. While Mcelhenny denied these allegations, three different ACU players confirmed to The Arizona Republic that Mcelhenny was responsible for distributing these illegal assignments. Martin explained how players would transport four or five migrants in their cars, driving them to designated locations such as AutoZone or Walmart parking lots in Glendale. Upon arrival, the players would hand the migrants over and receive cash payments on the spot. Martin was shocked by the open nature of the operation and warned his teammates, “You’re asking to go to jail.”
This issue highlights larger systemic problems at Arizona Christian University, particularly concerning oversight within the athletics department. Wolf’s report raises significant questions about how coaches and administrators failed to recognize or address this illicit activity. The smuggling ring exposes not only a criminal underbelly within the football program but also a broader failure of leadership. Wolf pointed out that, as the smuggling became common knowledge among players, coaches and administrators should have been more vigilant. The lack of transparency and accountability allowed the operation to persist unchecked.
“As another fall sports season kicks off, the findings also raise serious questions about the vetting and compensation of high school and small college coaches, considering their tremendous influence,” Wolf wrote. He emphasized the need for parents and community leaders to warn young athletes about the dangers of becoming involved in illegal activities, particularly in regions where human smuggling is prevalent.
Arizona Christian University, an NAIA school, has made headlines for more positive reasons in the past. In 2021, ACU’s kicker, Nester “Manny” Higuera, gained attention for his performance. However, the current smuggling scandal has overshadowed any athletic success. The Firestorm football team is off to a rough start in 2024, with an 0-1 record after a 17-12 loss to Fort Lewis College. While the football team struggles on the field, they now face much larger issues off the field, as the university grapples with the implications of these criminal activities.
As the investigation continues, ACU’s football program finds itself under intense scrutiny. Whether or not additional charges will be brought against those involved remains uncertain, but the revelations have already cast a dark shadow over the university’s athletics and its administration.
