SALTON CITY, Calif. –Monday, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station arrested two men after failing to stop their vehicle while being referred to the secondary inspection area of the Highway 86 checkpoint.
At approximately 1:30 a.m., a Border Patrol agent encountered a blue 2003 Ford Mustang at the Highway 86 checkpoint. The agent referred the vehicle to the secondary inspection area. The man failed to stop and continued to travel north at a high rate speed avoiding inspection.
The driver of the vehicle, a 20-year-old man and United States citizen, and his passenger, a 21-year-old man also a United States citizen, continued to drive north bound on Highway 86. A Border Patrol agent deployed a controlled tire deflation device (CTDD) the driver swerved the vehicle towards the deploying agent. The agent was able to jump out of the way and pulled the CTDD in front of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle ran over the CTDD and changed direction by driving westbound on Highway 195 for approximately 16 miles until it was forced to stop near Avenue 66.
Agents arrested both men and discovered a shotgun and loaded handgun in the vehicle.
The men were taken to the Indio station for further processing and disposition. The U.S. Border
Patrol seized the vehicle and the weapons.
The FBI's Palm Springs Office was contacted and will respond to the incident. Prosecution will be sought for violation of 8 USC 758 - High Speed Flight from a Checkpoint.
The El Centro Sector’s Community Awareness Campaign is a simple and effective program to raise public awareness on the indicators of crime and other threats. We encourage public and private sector employees to remain vigilant and play a key role in keeping our country safe. Please report any suspicious activity to the Border Community Threat Hotline at 1-800-901-2003.