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Border Patrol Seizes
Two Aircraft Involved In Alien Smuggling By Daniel Baxter |
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April 5, 2012 - Customs and Border Protection U.S.
Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector disrupted
two separate incidents in which individuals attempted to
utilize two commuter aircraft as a means to smuggle
illegal aliens out of the Imperial Valley on March 30. The Imperial Valley lies in California's Imperial County. It is located in southeastern Southern California, and is the site of a urban area largely centered around the city of El Centro.
The Valley is bordered by the Colorado River to the east
and, in part, the Salton Sea to the west. Farther west
lies the San Diego and Imperial County border.
To the north is the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley, which together form the Salton Trough, or the Cahuilla Basin, also the county line of Imperial and Riverside counties, and to the south the international boundary with the U.S. state of California and Baja California. |
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Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol agents
from the El Centro Sector seized this Beechcraft King
Air commuter aircraft that was set to smuggle illegal
aliens out of the Imperial Valley. |
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The first incident occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m., when Border Patrol agents conducting anti-smuggling operations near the Imperial County Airport arrested six Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States as they attempted to board a commuter aircraft.
Agents
also arrested one female and one male, both Mexican nationals,
suspected of transporting the individuals to the airport. A male
United States citizen was identified and arrested as the pilot
of the aircraft being used in the smuggling event.
The second
incident occurred at approximately 8:15 p.m., when Border Patrol
agents encountered a second group of individuals boarding a
different commuter aircraft. After a brief investigation by
agents, it was determined that the pilot, a male United States
citizen, was attempting to smuggle five Mexican nationals, also
present in the country illegally.
In total, 12 illegal aliens and four suspected smugglers
were arrested. As a result of these incidents three vehicles
and two aircraft were seized for involvement in criminal
activity. All four suspected smugglers are being held
pending prosecution under alien smuggling charges. A total
of five aircraft have been seized by the El Centro Sector
Border Patrol since fiscal year 2010.
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