U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped fleeing smugglers resulting in several arrests on December 18, 2019.
The first event occurred near Boulevard, California at 7:30 p.m. An agent using surveillance equipment observed a group of people running north from the U.S/Mexico international border into the United States.
As agents responded, 11 people loaded into a red Ford truck and packed themselves into the cab and under the bed cover as the truck sped away. Agents quickly located the truck and attempted to initiate a vehicle stop but the driver continued to flee at a high rate of speed.
Minutes later, Border Patrol agents deployed a tire deflation device and successfully stopped the truck.
Agents arrested the driver, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, who is being held in Federal custody pending alien smuggling charges.
The 11 Mexican national passengers sustained no injuries and are being processed for removal. The passengers included four men and seven women, one of which was a 15-year-old girl. The truck was seized.
