6 arrested after 4 swim around border wall: Border Patrol
Douglas Braff
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Six people were arrested in Imperial Beach, California on Sunday after four of them—all undocumented—were caught swimming around the southern border wall, according to KYMA Yuma and other outlets.
U.S. Border Patrol said agents were patrolling the foggy coastline Sunday morning, according to the local news station, when they spotted four men walking along the beach while donning ripped wetsuits without equipment.
When they approached the men, they took off. The agents apprehended a 17-year-old, but the remaining three hopped into a GMC Acadia SUV.
Agents pulled the SUV over as they tried to escape the area and found the trio in wetsuits, plus a driver and passenger.
All five adults and the 17-year-old were taken to the Border Patrol station for processing. The driver and the passenger are charged with human smuggling and the vehicle was seized by Border Patrol.
“As a constant reminder to the public, if you see something out of the ordinary near the coast, don’t hesitate to call authorities,” Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said, per a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol press release. “Attempting to swim around the border wall is very dangerous, especially in the thick fog that was present that morning, yet callous smugglers continue to guide people on this dangerous course.”
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @DouglasPBraff.
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