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  4. Calexico CBP Officers Find Man Hidden in Rear Seat of a Car

Calexico CBP Officers Find Man Hidden in Rear Seat of a Car

Release Date
Tue, 03/10/2020

CALEXICO, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico downtown port of entry found a man concealed inside the rear seat of a car.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico downtown port of entry found a man concealed inside the rear seat of a car.“The primary focus of our national security mission is to protect the American homeland from all threats,” said CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego, Pete Flores.  “Although we routinely encounter individuals attempting to enter our country illegally, this incident serves as another example of the inhumane tactics human smugglers will utilize in order to circumvent our laws.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico downtown port of entry found a man concealed inside the rear seat of a car.At approximately 1:10 a.m. on March 9, an 18-year-old woman driving a black Mitsubishi arrived to the Calexico West port of entry.  The CBP officer at the booth referred the vehicle and driver to for a more in-depth examination.

A CBP canine team screened the vehicle and the detector dog alerted positive to the vehicle’s rear seat.  CBP officers searched the rear seat and discovered a 48-year-old male Mexican citizen hidden within a non-factory compartment.  Officers extracted the man from the compartment and escorted him into a secure area for further processing.

CBP officers took the driver, a U.S. citizen, into custody and later transported her to the Imperial County Jail to await criminal proceedings.

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 securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021