Smuggling Pursuits Jump 475 Percent in One California Border Sector

San Diego Sector Border Patrol officials announced an alarming trend of “dangerous failure-to-yield” incidents involving human smugglers. Officials say the 475 percent increase in pursuits in October led to crashes causing serious injuries and hospitalizations.

Between October 1 and 27, San Diego Sector agents engaged in 23 failure-to-yield incidents involving human smugglers. During the same period one year ago, the agents only engaged in four such incidents — an increase of 475 percent, officials stated.

In many of these failure-to-yield incidents, USBP agents witnessed “excessive speeds, reckless driving, vehicle crashes, and property damage accounting for numerous injuries and hospitalizations,” sector officials said in a written statement.

Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke added, “This reckless behavior poses a serious risk to our neighborhoods, the motoring public, and our agents. We will not tolerate these tactics and will continue to seek criminal prosecution for anyone involved in them.”

Officials cited an incident that took place on October 19 at about 7 a.m. Agents working near Chula Vista, California, received information about a suspected human smuggling incident. Agents responded and attempted to stop the vehicle by using their emergency lights and siren.

The driver failed to yield and led agents in a pursuit that entered local neighborhoods. At some point, the driver stopped and all of the occupants jumped out and fled on foot.

The driver absconded, but a follow-up investigation led to his arrest. The agents also located several of the migrants after they fled on foot. All were determined to be in the U.S. illegally, officials stated.

Other articles by Breitbart Texas detail the dangerous tactic of smugglers fleeing from Border Patrol agents.