Immigrant smuggler killed after crashing border crossing in San Diego

Officers at a border crossing in San Diego killed a migrant smuggler who was caught bringing two Chinese illegal immigrants into the U.S. earlier this week, authorities said Wednesday.

Customs and Border Protection had previously announced the Monday shooting at the San Ysidro port of entry between the U.S. and Mexico, but revealed new details, including that the smuggling suspect was killed after he refused to stop for officers, and began firing a gun at them.

Officers returned fire, striking the man. They then tried to revive him but were unsuccessful, authorities said.

“The CBP officers risked their own lives to protect the public from this gunman,” said Pete Flores, CBP’s director of field operations. “Human smuggling is always dangerous. This unfortunate incident demonstrates the total disregard smuggling organizations have for what they consider to be cargo.”

Smugglers, enticed by big paydays, are becoming more brazen in their attempts to sneak migrants across the border, and the number of weapons reported in smuggling prosecutions is also on the rise, according to court documents reviewed by The Washington Times.

While the prices involved in Monday’s incident weren’t reported, a man caught smuggling a Chinese women in through the Otay Mesa border crossing last month said he was being paid $7,000 for the attempt. The woman was hidden inside the dashboard of a Ford Expedition, which had been modified to hide her.

In this week’s incident, both Chinese men were also “secreted” in the vehicle, CBP said.

San Diego police, who responded to the shooting, said they’re still trying to piece together what happened, but said according initial interviews the suspect drove into the port of entry and refused to stop for officers.

Eventually his vehicle was blocked in. That’s when he began to fire a gun, then fled his vehicle and continued to fire.

Officers returned fire, killing the man.

Police said seven CBP officers were involved in the incident. None were hit by the smuggler’s gunfire.

The smuggler was identified as a 23-year-old U.S. citizen. His name was not being released until his family was notified.