San Onofre

A 32-year-old man was arraigned in federal court Thursday on charges that he led Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase through Orange County with three frightened illegal immigrants in his car.

Avelardo Rodriguez of San Ysidro was arrested Wednesday night after a Border Patrol car rear-ended the car he was driving on a residential street in Stanton, said Agent Steve Kean, a spokesman for the U.S. Naturalization and Immigration Service.

Rodriguez faces felony smuggling charges in U.S. District Court in San Diego in connection with the chase that began at the San Onofre Border Patrol checkpoint and lasted for more than 40 minutes, Kean said.

Kean said Rodriguez was transporting the illegal immigrants north from San Diego when he approached the checkpoint about 8 p.m. The Border Patrol agent standing in the middle of Interstate 5 signaled Rodriguez to pull over into an inspection area, Kean said.

Instead, Rodriguez allegedly gunned his car and sped north, away from the checkpoint. Two Border Patrol cars took off after the car, following it into Orange County and up to Stanton, in northern Orange County.

In a cul-de-sac there, Rodriguez reportedly stopped the car, jumped out and began to run. One of the Border Patrol vehicles then struck the rear end of Rodriguez’s car, causing a minor wrist injury to one of the agents, Kean said. The agents, however, managed to catch up with Rodriguez. The illegal immigrants remained in the car.

According to Kean, they were angry at having been placed in danger and may be willing to work with authorities prosecuting Rodriguez.