An historic canyon near San Diego may no longer be a popular spot for illegal border crossers.
Immigration officials on Monday announced the completion of the so-called Smuggler's Gulch project, which involved moving 1.3 million cubic yards of dirt to form a berm across a scrub-covered canyon just inland from the Pacific Ocean.
The canyon and its surrounding area were staging areas for immigrants to gather by the hundreds then rush across the border en masse. The U.S. Border Patrol says the berm makes it faster and safer for agents to patrol the area.
It is part of a larger project dating back to 1996 that has seen 14 miles of fencing installed.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
