Navy Halts Maneuvers After Illegal Immigrant Is Shot
The U.S. Navy Seals temporarily suspended live-fire exercises at Camp Billy Machen after an illegal immigrant wandered onto a practice field in Imperial County and was shot in the thigh.
The man, whose name was not available, got caught in the middle of exercises Monday despite red flags and patrolling vehicles throughout the 60-square-mile Chocolate Mountain Naval Reservation Aerial Gunnery Range, about 150 miles east of San Diego, a Navy spokesman said.
The man was treated at a Brawley hospital for his minor injury and released to the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service for probable return to Mexico, authorities said.
The Navy ceased live-fire exercises at the site and other fields with obstructions such as high brush pending an investigation, Navy spokeswoman Trish O’Connor said Tuesday.
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