US Border Patrol Agents working in the San Diego area reported a 28% increase in illegal border crossings during the first half of the current fiscal year, compared to the same period last year, the federal agency said Monday.
From last October through the beginning of this month, agents in the San Diego sector encountered 86,074 people who had entered the United States illegally, according to Border Patrol Public Affairs. During the first six months of the previous fiscal year, that statistic topped 67,222, the agency reported.
A total of 55% of migrants detained locally so far this fiscal year have come from countries other than Mexico, with the top five countries being Colombia, Cuba, Peru, Nicaragua and Turkey.
Working with other federal personnel and state and local agencies, Border Patrol agents have also thwarted more than 300 maritime smuggling attempts in the San Diego area so far this fiscal year, apprehending 619 people during the operations, according to officials.
Additionally, Border Patrol officers seized more than 1,900 pounds of narcotics in the region during the period, including 583 pounds of fentanyl, putting the agency on track to surpass the previous record for seizures of 1,052 pounds of the drug, established last fiscal year, along with 765 pounds of methamphetamine, 514 pounds of cocaine and 45 pounds of heroin.
“These results are a direct testament to the heart and soul of our officers,” Chief Patrol Officer Aaron Heitke said. “In the midst of turmoil, uncertainty, and even global pandemics, our agents show up and get the job done.”
San Diego sector staff staff stations at Boulevard, Campo, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Murrieta, Otay Mesa, and San Clemente.
