Border Patrol Detains 171 From 3 Trucks

A total of 171 illegal immigrants riding in three vehicles were caught Monday by the U.S. Border Patrol at the San Clemente checkpoint north of San Diego and in Otay Mesa.

At the checkpoint, agents found 86 undocumented immigrants in the back of a commercial truck around 10:20 a.m.

“Apparently the driver was extremely nervous,” Border Patrol spokesman Mario Villarreal said. The rear of the truck was “jam-packed” with 77 men, seven women and two children, he said.

Ten minutes later, agents stopped a second commercial truck that was carrying 45 illegal immigrants, he said.

The drivers of both trucks, U.S. citizens from Long Beach, were arrested, Villarreal said.

Earlier in the day, plain-clothed agents in Otay Mesa noticed a van loaded with people heading north on a road near the border. Illegal immigrants had jumped a fence and then got into the van, Villarreal said.

The van’s driver accelerated, striking one of the agents and pinning him against a Border Patrol van, Villarreal said. Another agent fired two shots at the van but didn’t hit anything.

The van sped away and led agents on a 30-minute chase before blowing out a tire and stopping. The driver was caught after trying to flee, and 40 illegal immigrants were found in the van.

The agent who was hit was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and released.