On the morning of Friday, March 6, municipal police officers arrested a suspected human smuggler in the vicinity of the Nido de las Águilas neighborhood in Tijuana. He was attempting to facilitate the illegal crossing of a group of people into the United States.
The arrest occurred after a citizen’s report alerted authorities to the presence of several people near the border fence. Upon arrival, officers located six men. Five of them were hiding, lying face down on the ground, while the sixth was standing near the fence.
Upon noticing the officers, one of the men attempted to flee, accelerating his pace. However, after a brief chase, he was apprehended by the officers and identified as Manuel “N,” 37 years old.
According to the official report, the detainee was not only identified by the migrants as the one who coordinated the illegal crossing, but he also admitted this to the officers. He was therefore turned over to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), where his legal status will be determined for the crime of human trafficking.
According to the migrants, Manuel “N” charged them between 200,000 and 300,000 pesos to facilitate their crossing into the United States.
In light of this incident, the municipal police issued a warning to the public not to trust individuals or groups offering irregular crossings into other countries, as in many cases these are networks that profit from people’s desperation, extorting them from dangerous situations, fraud, extortion, or even making them victims of other crimes.
