By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)
U.S. Border Patrol agents continue to apprehend tens of thousands of people and seize large amounts of illegal drugs being trafficked and smuggled across the southern border.
BP Chief Raul Ortiz said Tuesday that within the past 96 hours, agents apprehended 13,584 illegal foreign nationals and reported roughly 4,013 gotaways. Gotaways are those who illegally enter primarily between ports of entry and intentionally avoid getting caught. Law enforcement officers have told The Center Square they have no idea who or where they are.
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Agents also seized 445 pounds of marijuana, 118 pounds of methamphetamine, 14 pounds of fentanyl, 22 pounds of cocaine, and two firearms over this same time period. Ortiz also said agents apprehended six sex offenders, five known gang members and one known felon.
The previous week, he said 10 agents were assaulted while apprehending 2,043 illegal foreign nationals. Over the same week, they reported 7,570 gotaways. They also seized 1,058 pounds of methamphetamine, 343 pounds of marijuana, 140 pounds of fentanyl, 66 pounds of cocaine and 16 firearms. They apprehended nine sex offenders and four felons, including one with a record of manslaughter.
In a 24-hour period just before Memorial Day weekend, Ortiz said three agents were assaulted. Agents had uncovered 132 pounds of fentanyl, five pounds of methamphetamine, 248 pounds of marijuana, and three bulk cash seizures in three sectors totaling $299,110. They also seized 50,532 rounds of ammunition and 15 guns. They also apprehended three known felons and three known gang members.
The 286 pounds of fentanyl they seized in a short timeframe is enough to kill roughly 64.8 million people with 2 milligrams being a lethal dose.
He also posted a video captured by Border Patrol technology showing how an individual climbed up and jumped over the border wall in the San Diego Sector after dropping a 4-year-old child over it to enter the U.S. illegally.
A 4-year-old was dropped from the border barrier by an unknown subject in San Diego, Monday. Responding Agents and EMS providing first aid to the child also reported gunshots near their position while tending to the child. Remarkably, the child is ok! Do not trust smugglers! pic.twitter.com/MlOp2qka72
— Chief Raul Ortiz (@USBPChief) May 22, 2023
Despite high numbers of people and drugs coming through the San Diego Sector, CBP recently announced it was lowering part of the border wall in on area from 30 feet to 18 feet.
He made the announcement after the number of people who illegally entered through the southern border alone totaled more than the population of six states. The number of people illegally entering through the northern border this fiscal year outnumbers total illegal border crossers from four previous fiscal years combined.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.