SAN DIEGO — Acknowledging the continued need for a united front against transnational criminal organizations, the San Diego Border Patrol and its Mexican counterparts have intensified binational collaboration to address the issue of increased human smuggling throughout the San Diego/Tijuana border region.
The San Diego Sector Border Patrol, Instituto Nacional de Migracion, Guardia Nacional, and the Secretaria de La Defensa Nacional are ramping up mirrored and southside patrols along the immediate border and are dedicating additional resources toward information sharing efforts that deliver consequences to bad actors, uphold the principles of lawful immigration, and secure border communities.
These operations target smugglers who exploit vulnerable individuals seeking illegal entry into the United States, disrupt bandit activity, and assist with stemming the flow of migrants into the United States. Last week these coordinated efforts led to the arrest of two suspected cartel members in Mexico who were armed with an assault rifle near the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area.
“Transnational criminal organizations have little regard for human life and frequently place migrants in danger along the shared U.S. / Mexico border,” stated Chief Patrol Agent Patricia D. McGurk-Daniel. “This collaboration with our Mexican counterparts signifies our mutual commitment to addressing the grave challenges posed by criminal organizations involved in human smuggling. Together, we are working tirelessly to dismantle their operations and keep people out of their dangerous grasp.”