Hundreds of Illegal Immigrants Caught at Arizona Border in a 2-Day Span
U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended over 650 illegal aliens on Monday and Tuesday who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in the Yuma sector in southwest Arizona.
A news release from the Custom and Border Patrol said, “The groups were primarily Guatemalan nationals, not believed to be associated with the large caravan being monitored traveling through Mexico at this time.”
According to the CBP, the groups entered on either side of the San Luis Port of Entry, which connects the cities of Yuma, Arizona, and San Luis Rio Colorado in Mexico.
The CBP said that “there is outdated border wall structure” in this sector, and large numbers of people have started illegally coming into the U.S. by crossing through shallow portions of the Colorado River.
Vinny Dulesky, the special operations supervisor for Yuma Sector public affairs, told Fox News that illegal immigrants come through the east side of the port of entry by cutting through the Border Patrol’s metal fences. Repairing the fences “can get pricey,” Dulesky said.
Overall, “The area lacks infrastructure that would deter pedestrian entries,” according to the CBP.
#CBP #USBP Twenty-eight Guatemalan and four Honduran family groups, not part of the migrant caravans, surrender to Yuma Sector agents Wednesday after crossing the Colorado River vehicle barriers #NationalSecurity #SouthwestBorder pic.twitter.com/5vztseq1Ov
— CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) November 16, 2018
“Year to date apprehensions in Yuma Sector are up over 150 percent compared to this date in Fiscal Year 2018. Total Fiscal Year 2018 numbers were more than double total Fiscal Year 2017 numbers,” the Border Patrol’s news release said.
According to CBP statistics, a total of approximately 521,000 were apprehended crossing U.S. southwest border region illegally during Fiscal 2018 (which ran from October 2017 to September 2018).
In October 2018, CBP captured 60,745 people compared to 34,871 in October 2017.
During October 2016, while Barack Obama was still in office, 66,842 people were apprehended.
The first wave of the Central American migrant caravan arrived in Tijuana, Mexico earlier this week, and participants were seen scaling the U.S.-Mexico border fence in San Diego on Tuesday.
Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring any asylum seekers to come through a port of entry.
“Anybody that jumps the border fence or crosses between the ports of entry will be arrested and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. That includes this group,” CBP San Diego Sector Chief Rodney Scott said, according to KSWB.
#SanDiego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said – We are ready and will do our job and will make sure everyone is arrested and prosecuted. #CBP #USBP pic.twitter.com/Z1buXKBrIc
— CBP San Diego (@CBPSanDiego) November 14, 2018
“We are hardening this area quickly,” Scott added. “We spent years securing the border here in San Diego, and we’re not going to let groups of people just show up and run us over.”
The Pentagon has deployed 1,300 Marines to the vicinity as part of “Operation Secure Line” to assist the Border Patrol in strengthening the border.
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