TECATE, Calif. — Shortly before 1:00 p.m., on Aug. 27, Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Cajon Border Patrol Station observed a man climbing over the border fence approximately one-quarter mile East of the Tecate Port of Entry. As the agents made contact with the man, two police officers from Tecate, Baja California, Mexico also came over the fence. The agents immediately arrested all three men without incident.
The three Mexican citizens were transported to a Border Patrol facility for processing and interviews. Records checks on the first man showed he had at least five prior felony arrests in the United States. He is being held in DHS custody pending prosecution for re-entry after deportation.
No criminal records were found for the two police officers. They stated they were chasing the man after he had assaulted someone who was waiting to cross through the port of entry. San Diego Sector’s Foreign Operations Branch (FOB) contacted the Tecate Police Department and were able to confirm the men’s story. They were indeed on-duty officers in the performance of their duties.
The police officers were processed and subsequently returned to Mexico through the Tecate Port of Entry, where the FOB arranged to transfer them to their chain of command.
To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.