see also: in September 2006 News Releases:   CBP Seized Heroin Onboard Mayaguez Ferry   The Dominican Republic to Implement Container Security Initiative and Begin Targeting and Pre-Screening Cargo Destined For U.S.   Bahamas to Implement Container Security Initiative and Begin Targeting and Pre-Screening Cargo Destined for United States   Civil Penalties for Agriculture Import Violations to Increase October 1   CBP Border Patrol Arrests Homicide Suspect in Abilene, Texas   Border Patrol Advanced Training to Move to Charleston, S.C. ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Chuls Vista, Calif. - A National Guard unit assigned to Operation Jump Start observed a vehicle attempt to drive through the International Border fence near the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

On September 25, at 8:30 a.m., the National Guard unit was patrolling the border area in a helicopter when the pilot and Border Patrol agent observer spotted a white-colored vehicle attempting to drive over a portion of the primary border fence. The fence had been cut away from its supports by a blowtorch. Once cut, the vehicle then rammed the fence and pushed it down. While attempting to use the downed fence as a ramp, the vehicle became stuck. Witnesses in Mexico reported upwards of twenty individuals exiting the vehicle and running back into Mexico.

Units from the Tijuana Police Department (Grupo Beta-is part of Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Migracion not the TJ PD) arrived on scene and seized the blowtorch equipment that had been used to cut the fence. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents arrived to take custody of the vehicle used in the failed attempt. Record checks were conducted on the vehicle’s plates and it was determined that the vehicle had been reported stolen. The vehicle was taken to the San Ysidro Port of Entry where searches by K-9 and non-intrusive devices were performed. These searches yielded negative results and the vehicle was turned over to the San Diego Police Department.

This incident serves as a stark reminder that smugglers of human cargo will go to great lengths utilizing any tool at their disposal to further their criminal enterprise with total disregard for human life. Border infrastructure plays an important role in gaining operational control of our borders. The successful resolution of this incident can also be attributed to the presence of the National Guard, who serves as a force multiplier in the Border Patrol’s border security mission.

It is through the combination of the right mix of personnel, technology, and infrastructure that the Department of Homeland Security will gain and maintain operational control. This incident is a prime example that this mix is working.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.