On January 19, 2022 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro, CA port of entry discovered two women hidden in a specially built compartment in the trunk of a vehicle. The compartment was screwed shut, with the two women unable to get out without help from the outside.
The time was 5:30 p.m. when a 66-year-old male U.S. citizen arrived at the San Ysidro port of entry driving a car. The officer conducting the inspection for entry into the U.S. noticed that the man looked nervous, and referred him aside for a more intensive inspection.
A officer with a human detector dog screened the vehicle, and the dog alerted to the underside of the car’s trunk. Officers checked and found a non-factory compartment in the rear trunk area of the vehicle with 2 women hidden inside, but could not immediately open the compartment to get anyone out.
Officers removed the screws and covers for the compartment, and helped the two individuals hidden inside out of the trunk. The two women, ages 25 and 37, were both Mexican citizens with no status or documents to be able to legally enter the U.S. They will be returned to Mexico, and the driver will face smuggling charges.
