Feds: Smuggling Suspect Caught for 28th Time

Van that rammed border had special tires to resist spike strips

By Susan Taylor
|  Friday, Sep 25, 2009  |  Updated 11:55 AM PDT
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What Agents Found Under the Seats

A shot of one of the vans after it slammed into a pickup up on the U.S. side of the border.

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Agents Say Why They Opened Fire at Border

One expert said he's never seen such a brazen attempt to cross the border illegally.
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Shocking details have emerged in wake of a shooting at the San Ysidro port of entry earlier this week involving three vans and 78 illegal immigrants.

Two Mexican men have been charged in connection with an incident earlier this week when three vans tried to storm across the U.S.-Mexico border Tuesday. A driver and passenger in one of the vans were charged with immigrant smuggling. Documents show the passenger has been arrested 28 time for immigration violations. 

Among the other details that have come to light since the incident was the fact that at least one of the vans that drove through the San Ysidro border checkpoint apparently had special tires that can resist a spike strip.

The vans were packed with 78 illegal immigrants. Federal officers said they felt threatened and opened fire to stop the vans; four people were injured in the incident. The passengers allegedly paid about $3,000 each for a space inside those vans.

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Posted Sep 25, 2009
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