The Border Patrol said Thursday there has been a five-fold increase in “failure-to-yield” incidents in San Diego in which speeding smugglers fail to stop and threaten their passengers with dangerous maneuvers.
The latest incident occurred Oct. 19 when agents chased a suspected human smuggling vehicle into a neighborhood near Chula Vista and the occupants fled on foot. The driver and several passengers were subsequently arrested.
Since Oct. 1, there have been 23 failure-to-yield incidents involving suspected human smuggling in the San Diego Sector, compared to just four incidents last October, according to the patrol.
Agents say many of the incidents involve excessive speed, reckless driving, crashes and property damage and have resulted in numerous injuries and hospitalizations.
“This reckless behavior poses a serious risk to our neighborhoods, the motoring public, and our agents,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke. “We will not tolerate these tactics and will continue to seek criminal prosecution for anyone involved in them.”