Officials Find 20 Illegal Immigrants Stuffed In RV

POSTED: 7:15 pm PDT June 13, 2007
UPDATED: 7:34 pm PDT June 13, 2007

SAN YSIDRO, Calif. -- Customs and border patrol officers said they discovered 20 suspected illegal immigrants stuffed into a recreational vehicle in San Ysidro.

According to officials, they were hidden in various areas of a California-plated RV that entered the United States Tuesday morning through the San Ysidro border station.

Officials said they arrested a 54-year-old man who was driving the RV. He was a U.S. citizen with a California driver's license who lives in Tijuana, according to border officials.

A canine was used to screen the 1978 Dodge motor home, and the dog alerted agents to conduct a further search.

Inside, officers said they found 16 males and four females concealed in cabinets, a closet, a restroom, within a sleeper couch and in the passenger area. One of the passengers was a 12-year-old girl.

One man was from Guatamala, and the others were all Mexican citizens, officials said.

Three of the undocumented individuals were detained as witnesses, and the others will be returned to their countries of origin, officials said.

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