San Diego Border Patrol addresses maritime incidents in Imperial Beach
By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–Numerous situations that the San Diego Border Patrol has dealt with serve as a reminder of the continued difficulties they confront in protecting the nation’s borders.
These incidents serve as a sobering reminder of the risks involved in relying on smugglers and trying to enter the border by ocean.
Border Patrol agents stationed at the Imperial Beach station observed three people fleeing north on the beach of Border Field State Park on September 11 at around 2:40 a.m. They headed back south into Mexico and managed to avoid capture.
Subsequently, two more individuals were spotted north of their location, and with the assistance of the Border Patrol’s ATV unit, both individuals were apprehended, including one suspected smuggler.
In another incident on September 12, around 12:30 a.m., about 20 swimmers were spotted 200 yards west of the Border Field State Park Beach. Upon being detected by Border Patrol agents and their law enforcement partners, the swimmers chose to return to Mexico. The group included at least three children.
The same night, at around 2 a.m., a party of six swimmers were seen crossing the Tijuana River north into the tributary, adding to the evidence of the perilousness of ocean crossings. Six immigrants were detained after border patrol agents stopped the group along Seacoast Drive.
“These incidents highlight the relentless efforts of smugglers who exploit vulnerable individuals, putting their lives at risk regardless of age or swimming ability,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel, who serves the U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector. “Attempting to cross the border through treacherous waters is a life-threatening choice. We urge individuals to avoid these perilous journeys and to enter the United States through a designated port of entry.”
In a related incident at approximately 2:15 a.m., a personal watercraft was spotted from the State Beach traveling north from Mexico at a high rate of speed. The watercraft dropped off two individuals near the Hotel Del Coronado south of Avenida del Sol. Agents responded to the area, however, the individuals could not be located, and the watercraft returned to Mexico. Later that morning, at approximately 5 a.m., a second watercraft was observed with two individuals onboard crossing the international border. Moments later, the watercraft dropped off one individual near the Imperial Beach pier before returning to Mexico. Agents took that individual into custody.
According to Border Patrol agents, these events occur just days after a similar event last Saturday where a convicted rapist was smuggled into the United States by watercraft and arrested by agents on West Dahlia Avenue in Imperial Beach
“These incidents underscore the complex and ever-evolving challenges we face in safeguarding our borders and keeping our communities safe. We remain dedicated to our mission of protecting our nation while emphasizing the grave risks involved in entrusting human smugglers and attempting unlawful border crossings, especially through treacherous ocean waters,” McGurk-Daniel concluded.
