One man drowned, another is arrested by Border Patrol
One man drowned, another is arrested by Border Patrol on Imperial Beach and several run away
The body of a foreign national was found of the coast of Imperial Beach early Saturday.
The man is believed to have been part of a group of about five to six foreign nationals who were attempting to enter the country from the Pacific Ocean, according to the U.S. Border Patrol and Imperial Beach Sheriff’s Station.
The group of men were spotted by lifeguards first around 6:30 a.m,, said Sheriff's Sgt. David Ross.
Border Patrol took one man into custody. That man told them he and the the man who drowned were trying to enter the country illegally from Mexico. Another two or three suspected illegal immigrants either ran off or swam back out to sea, officials said.
Border Patrol Agent Steven Pitts said the man in custody will face stiff prosecution because he attempted to enter by sea. The Border Patrol and Coast Guard have stepped up patrols along the water to keep people from dying, he said.
"They were swimming in the ocean trying to make it to the beach," Pitts said. "This underscores the dangers of trying to cross through the ocean. It's so unpredictable."
The suspected illegal immigrants used self-propelled sea scooters and were equipped with wetsuits and fins, Ross said.
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