Latest news with #BorderPatrol
The Hill
6 hours ago
- The Hill
Pregnant US citizen detained by Border Patrol agents: ‘We didn't do anything wrong'
(KTLA) – A pregnant U.S. citizen who was detained by federal agents approximately two weeks ago has since given birth to a healthy baby girl, but her boyfriend is now being held out of state and her problems are far from over. Cary López Alvarado told Nexstar's KTLA that she 'tried to remain strong' during the scary ordeal, which took place outside a building where her boyfriend and cousin were doing maintenance work on June 8. She was nine months pregnant at the time. Video taken by López depicts her struggling with a masked agent wearing a Border Patrol uniform asking to see her identification as she was protecting a truck carrying her boyfriend Brayan Nájera and cousin Alberto Sandoval — the latter of whom is also a U.S. citizen. All three of them were eventually detained. Further footage posted on social media shows agents detaining López after they had pinned her truck between a wall. 'They had my boyfriend on the ground already, and they had tackled my cousin down … that's when I was inside the car just banging on the door,' López said. '[I was asking] 'What are you doing? Why are you guys treating us like this? We didn't do anything wrong.'' According to a statement from a Department of Homeland Security representative, López was arrested because she was obstructing agents from accessing a car containing 'two Guatemalan illegal aliens' inside. 'During this incident, agents were assaulted, and an additional subject was taken into custody for pushing an officer,' the statement read. The then-soon-to-be-mother was taken to a processing facility in San Pedro, where, according to her, the agents automatically assumed she was undocumented. '[They said] 'But you're from Mexico, right?' And I'm like 'No, I'm from here,'' López said. '[They asked] … 'Where's here?' and I'm like, 'Here, the U.S., Los Angeles.' 'They put us in chains, so I had a chain from my hands under my belly that went all the way to my legs,' she added. 'Every now and then, I would fix my hands because I felt like I would be putting too much pressure because the chain went under my belly.' López was released after complaining of stomach pain and went straight to a hospital where she started having contractions, which she believes were caused by the stress of what she had gone through. Four days after the incident, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, but the stress isn't over yet, as the baby's father, Nájera, is said to be detained at a facility in Texas despite López saying he has a spotless record. 'He doesn't have any criminal record or anything,' she said. 'They took him while he was working, and that hurts because he didn't do anything wrong. He was just working and taking care of his family. Why are you treating other people this way when they aren't criminals?' 'The color doesn't matter, the race doesn't matter … at the end of the day, we are all human,' she continued through tears. López's legal team told KTLA that she has not been charged with any crime. In the meantime, she will remain at home with her new baby girl. A GoFundMe has been set up to help López hire an immigration attorney for her boyfriend and to alleviate costs associated with childcare in his absence.
American Military News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Zero illegal immigrants released into US by Trump admin in May
Under President Donald Trump, U.S. Border Patrol agents did not release any illegal immigrants into the United States in May, compared to 62,000 illegal immigrants released into the country last May under former President Joe Biden's administration. According to information obtained by The New York Post, zero illegal immigrants were released by Trump's Border Patrol in May, and only 8,725 migrants were apprehended while illegally crossing the southern border between the United States and Mexico. The outlet noted that the number of migrants apprehended by Border Patrol agents represented a 93% decrease from last May when 117,905 migrants were caught illegally crossing the southern border. In a Tuesday statement, the White House said the latest data from Border Patrol's operations marks the 'latest victory in President Donald J. Trump's relentless commitment to securing the homeland and a remarkable turnaround from the 62,000 illegals released into the country under the Biden Administration just one year ago.' The White House added, 'Promises made, promises kept.' In a statement to The New York Post, acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Pete Flores highlighted the Trump administration's strong border policies, such as ending the Biden administration's catch-and-release policies. 'Under the leadership of this administration, CBP has received historic support resulting in another 93% decrease in illegal crossings along the southwest border this month when compared with last year,' Flores said. READ MORE: US troops detain 'illegal aliens' in military zones along US-Mexico border Last week, National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez told The New York Post that Border Patrol agents were close to achieving the agency's goal of establishing full 'operational control' of the southern border. 'Under the Biden administration, our agents were pulled off the line. We were doing all the processing, detaining, transporting and essentially baby-sitting, the border was wide open,' Perez told The New York Post. 'It was unsecured because we didn't have enough agents on the line to actually protect and deter. So now we've got the complete opposite. All of our agents are actually patrolling the border for the first time in many, many years.' In a Tuesday post on X, formerly Twitter, Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, said that the president's leadership has led to the 'most secure border' in American history. Homan noted that the Border Patrol only encountered 'a total of 95 illegal aliens across the entire southern border' in 24 hours, marking the lowest number of illegal immigrants encountered at the border in a single day. 'Compare that to the Biden Administration who surpassed more than 10,000 per day. On top of that, they released the vast majority into the US,' Homan tweeted. 'How many were released under Trump for May? Zero.'
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
3,000ft cross-border tunnel used by 'terrorist' cartels discovered
The 3,000ft tunnel included lighting, a fully functional ventilation system and tracks to move contraband across the US-Mexico border amid a crackdown on drug trafficking A huge 3,000ft tunnel used for drug smuggling has been uncovered beneath the US-Mexico border. The "large-scale narcotics smuggling tunnel" linking Tijuana to the San Diego area extended more than 1,000ft inside the US, and described by Border Patrol agents as "highly sophisticated". It included lighting, a fully functional ventilation system and tracks to move contraband, and appears to be the latest attempt by organised criminals to maintain drug trafficking routes amid a tough crackdown at the 1,954-mile border. The US Border Patrol's San Diego Sector Tunnel Team raided the tunnel on Monday after becoming aware of it during its construction. They located the entrance point inside a home in the Nueva Tijuana neighbourhood of Tijuana and alerted Mexican authorities, who served a warrant at the location. Upon arrival, they found a tile had been laid at the entrance in an attempt to hide it from authorities. When officers made it inside the tunnel they encountered a set of "haphazard" barricades erected along the way, designed to prevent them from finding out where it ended up. Border Patrol agents eventually discovered it led to a commercial warehouse in Otay Mesa, California. The tunnel, which went about 50ft underground at its deepest point and was 2,918ft long, is now set for "immediate remediation" by the US Border Patrol. Contractors have been instructed to fill it in with thousands of gallons of concrete to prevent its use by what the US government describes as "Foreign Terrorist Organisations". Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol's San Diego Sector, said: "As we continue to strengthen the nation's air, and maritime border security, it's not surprising that foreign terrorist organisations would resort to underground routes. "Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives. "I'm grateful for the exceptional work of the Tunnel Team agents who placed themselves in danger, as well as the cooperation of our Mexican law enforcement partners." The tunnel raid forms part of a hardline border and immigration policy encouraged by Donald Trump's White House, with the US president having signed an executive order just hours into his second term ordering a stop to the "invasion of the United States through the southern border". Yesterday, Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to resume raids on farms and hotels after employers complained that the "invasive" operations disrupting the industry and scaring off foreign-born workers. Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, said: "The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbour violent criminals or purposely try to undermine Ice's efforts."
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Border Patrol agents shut down massive drug smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and San Diego
U.S. Border Patrol agents recently discovered and disabled a nearly 3,000-foot-long narcotics smuggling tunnel sitting beneath the US-Mexico border. Agents found the tunnel — which linked Tijuana and San Diego — in early April while it was actively under construction. The underground passageway ran under part of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and had a projected exit point near or inside a commercial warehouse space in San Diego, according to an announcement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Upon entering the "highly sophisticated" tunnel, authorities were met with barricades seemingly placed to prevent law enforcement from finding its entrance, the announcement noted. San Diego Authorities Arrest 3 Noncitizens Allegedly Involved In Transporting More Than $5M Worth Of Meth The tunnel — which reached depths of around 50 feet underground at its deepest point — measured 2,918 feet long, 42 inches tall and 28 inches wide. It was equipped with lighting, electrical wiring, ventilation systems and a track system for transporting large amounts of contraband. Read On The Fox News App Dot Sec Sean Duffy Finalizes $150M Grant To Build New Port Of Entry On Southern Border Border Patrol agents — working alongside Homeland Security Investigations and Government of Mexico authorities — found the entrance point to the tunnel on Monday inside a house in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood in Tijuana. The entrance had recently been covered up with freshly laid tile, according to the announcement. Trump Admin's Dot Announces Deal For High-tech Border Checkpoint In Crucial California Sector Thousands of gallons of concrete will soon be poured into the tunnel to prevent it from being used by Foreign Terrorist Organizations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection noted. "As we continue to strengthen the nation's air and maritime border security, it's not surprising that foreign terrorist organizations would resort to underground routes," Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego Sector, said in a statement. "Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives." More than 95 tunnels have been decommissioned in the San Diego area since 1993. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Border Patrol agents shut down massive drug smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and San Diego
Los Angeles Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: As concerns arise around ICE and racial profiling, ‘Could it happen to me?'
To the editor: The article about racial profiling fears regarding the Trump administration's immigration enforcement set me to thinking ('Fears of racial profiling rise as Border Patrol conducts 'roving patrols,' detains U.S. citizens,' June 15). Could it happen to me? I'd characterize myself generally as recognizable as Latino. I assure myself that I was born here in a family that has been in California for 125 years. Yet, we hear of Latinos who are U.S. citizens getting detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I further assure myself that I'm a Stanford law graduate living in an upscale community, and have been a practicing business litigation attorney for 48 years. No matter; if my friend, Sen. Alex Padilla, can be manhandled by law enforcement officials, who am I to think I would be exempt? But I'll be damned if I'll go around carrying my passport 'just in case.' It galls me most of all that I, a Vietnam-era vet, could be subject to having my citizenship questioned simply on the basis of physical appearance under policies promulgated by President Trump and his political advisor, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller — neither of whom ever served in uniform, and neither of whom would even be in this country but for the historical American tradition of chain migration. To cut to the chase, what is a sound basis for determining whether someone on the street might be foreign born without authorization to be in this country? I don't have the answer, but both moral and secular law dictate that it should not be their skin tone or physical appearance. Agustin Medina, South Pasadena .. To the editor: 'Growing concerns of racial profiling,' you think? It really doesn't take much to come to this conclusion. ICE, along with other federal agencies, has been rampaging through neighborhoods in our city where our Latino co-workers and neighbors live and grabbing people off the street, with seemingly no reason other than the color of their skin. This certainly isn't happening in Woodland Hills, where the majority of immigrants are white. And, as this is happening, the president of the United States is calling for 'remigration,' which is a term used by the far-right in Europe calling for ethnic cleansing of nonwhite people through forced or 'voluntary' deportation. This is also against the backdrop of Trump offering asylum to white South Africans. There is no evidence that they face any persecution in the country where, despite the victory of the African National Congress in the '90s, the economy still disproportionately favors white people. Let's call it what it is. This is not about catching and deporting 'violent criminals.' It is about white supremacy, or making America white privileged again. Leslie Simon and Marc Bender, Woodland Hills .. To the editor: It is clearly illegal, not to mention immoral, to stop people and ask for proof of citizenship based on the color of their skin. If ICE wants to catch people who are not supposed to be here, they need to do it neutrally. I suggest they set up checkpoints like the ones used on New Year's Eve to deter drinking and driving. They need to stop every car and ask every person, no matter their age or appearance, for proof of citizenship. And that means birth certificate or passport — driver's licenses don't count. Anyone without the proper documentation would be taken into custody until someone can come down and produce the proper paperwork. And this needs to be done everywhere, including, say, Huntington Beach. After a few days of this, let's see how popular ICE is with the MAGA crowd. Craig Zerouni, Los Angeles
