Posted on 05/26/2006 6:18:47 PM PDT by AZRepublican
A growing number of illegal immigrants are crawling through San Diego's vermin-infested storm drains to avoid the Border Patrol. The 23-mile system of pipes surfaces in hundreds of storm grates and manhole covers in the industrial Otay Mesa area. Muddy immigrants make their way through the narrow pipes, which often carry toxic industrial sludge. They climb out of manholes and storm grates in Otay Mesa and take public transportation, taxis or are picked up in private vehicles to get from there to downtown San Diego, officials said.
Border agents are have begun working with city engineers to map out the drain system. They plan to install motion sensors along the system to alert agents of movement. City crews have also begun locking or welding shut manhole covers in some areas.
"This is probably one of the most dangerous ways a smuggler can try to gain entry," Border Patrol spokesman Kurstan Rosberg told NBC San Diego. "It's a scary feeling, I'm sure, to go through those tunnels. It's pitch black. You can't see your hand in front of your face."
Officials said immigrants pay smugglers between $1,500 and $3,000 to be guided through the drain system.
Enlighten me. Which ones are the vermin?
Makes me think of the terrifying rat-infested storm drain scene in 1983's "El Norte."
Come to think of it, that scene was set in San Diego. Guess this storm drain technique is old hat there. Although, looking back on it, the two Guatemalan Indian kiddies in the movie had an easier time getting through Mexico than nowadays.
Why don't they just put some grates in the sewer system, right on the Mexico side, so people can't get in.
***Muddy immigrants make their way through the narrow pipes, which often carry toxic industrial sludge. ***
I cant believe toxic sludge is allowed in the storm drains. If it is why arent they doing something aboput it. Storm drains areuntreated and end up in the bays and oceans.
Personally i think the toxic sludge part of this story is BS to make the story sound better.
I didn't believe it in Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan, either. "Kids, get out of the sewers! They flood them with toxic waste every midnight!" It was strong enough to turn Jason into a kid, too. Sorry if I just spoiled the movie.
Crawling through vermin-infested storm drains that Americans won't crawl through...
Is there not one Minuteman with a mig welder and a little time on their hands? ;o)
The newspapers are still misleading readers. We are not dealing with immigrants, for those folks are doing things LEGALLY. We have ILLEGAL ALIENS waltzing across our borders, not immigrants...
You are right. Storm drains carry runoff, not sewage or industrial waste.
Did you read how some people got stuck there?
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/10043147/detail.html
They got taken into custody, which just means that they were let loose and told to come back for a hearing. They won't, of course.
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