Mexican smuggler caught, illegal immigrant apprehended by border agents

LA Times
February 14, 2011

A Mexican smuggler zipped into U.S. waters on a wave runner Saturday and dropped off an illegal immigrant at Imperial Beach before speeding back to Baja California, where he was caught by Mexican police, according to U.S. border authorities.

The illegal immigrant who came ashore, a 25-year-old Mexican national, was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol Agents who had been tracking the wave runner the moment it crossed the U.S.-Mexico maritime border, according to agency officials.

Smugglers have used wave runners several times in recent years and are often able to escape back to Mexico.

This time, U.S. agents contacted Mexican authorities, who arrested the wave runner operator as he went ashore at Rosarito Beach.

San Diego County’s Imperial Beach, only two miles north of the border, is a favored drop-off point for unusual maritime smuggling attempts.

Earlier this month, two Mexican immigrants got to the California beach by using dive scooters, which are self-propelled underwater devices typically used by scuba divers.

The immigrants, 16 and 38 years old, were in their wetsuits, lying in the sand in an attempt to hide, when agents arrested them.

People have also tried to enter California by swimming and using personal watercraft or surfboards.

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