Agents Find 3 Undocumented Immigrants in Trunk at I-8 Checkpoint

PINE VALLEY, CA: Three Mexican citizens were allegedly found hidden in the trunk of a car Sunday at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 8 east of San Diego.

Agents were alerted to the car, a 2015 Kia Forte, at about 3 p.m. Sunday by a Border Patrol K-9.

When asked to open the trunk, the driver of the car allegedly tried to speed away but was stopped when agents deployed a tire-deflating device, according to a news release.

Agents then proceeded to check the trunk of the Kia, where they allegedly discovered the three men.

"Agents assisted the three men in the trunk, who indicated that the enclosed area was very tight and extremely hot (in excess of 100 degrees) and had little air flow," a Border Patrol spokesperson stated in the news release. "During subsequent questioning, agents determined that the subjects were citizens of Mexico illegally present in the U.S."

The driver, a 22-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of human smuggling.

"Campo Station agents did a fantastic job in detecting this human smuggling load, leading to the rescue of three individuals, and now the driver faces criminal prosecution," said Patrol Agent in Charge David BeMiller.

Between Oct. 1, 2015 and May 31, the San Diego Sector rescued 46 people, according to the news release.

The driver in Sunday's incident was taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, while the U.S. Border Patrol seized the Kia. 

(Photo courtesy of U.S. Border Patrol)