Posted on 05/18/2006 5:23:39 PM PDT by Ladycalif
U.S.-Mexico Border Crossing Closed After Shooting The vehicle was under surveillance for migrant smuggling.
(AP) SAN DIEGO A busy U.S-Mexico border crossing was shut down Thursday after federal authorities shot and killed the driver of a car headed for Mexico, officials said.
The shooting occurred on southbound Interstate 5 around 3:30 p.m. about 50 feet north of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world's busiest border crossing, which links Tijuana, Mexico with San Diego.
Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection were attempting to stop the vehicle, which was under surveillance for suspected migrant smuggling.
The driver, who was not immediately identified, was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds, said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
In a scene broadcast live by TV news helicopters, a black sport-utility vehicle sat in the middle of the roadway with a shattered driver's side window.
There were no immediate reports of any other injuries. It was unclear whether the vehicle was carrying any passengers.
The California Highway Patrol sealed off southbound access to the border and rush-hour traffic backed up for more than a mile.
It's only going to get worse........
ping
Darned shame about that windshield though.
A good start. I wonder if the Mexican government will file a lawsuit?
You've got to be kidding! Southbound?
That's what I was thinking
Actually it was CBS that did the story. Maybe they just assumed that Americans would be wanting to be snuck into Mexico to get away from the "evil" USA
It was also unclear whether the vehicle was carrying the proceeds from illegal drug sales while north of the border?
I heard on the radio the man in the vehicle attempted to run over CBP Inspectors, not a good idea to try to run over armed people.
The smuggler was probably heading back to pick up more
invaders or drugs.
Watch they will probably blame our customs agents when the smuggler was trying to run them over.
We got down there and looked for about two minutes. By then we were pretty well wierded out, and we turned around and headed north.
Looked like the outer perimeter of a state prison.
Just the left doing what they do...interjecting falsehoods as facts.
I don't think this was a question of north or south, or what he was smuggling. I think it was purely a question of a driver who refused to stop when ordered, and who evidently tried to run his car through border patrol officials.
The shooters are called "federal authorities," which seems like a singularly uninformative way of putting it. What kind of federal authorities? My first thought was maybe the Mexican Federales. But evidently it was the Border Patrol or other federal officers. Maybe the DEF, maybe the FBI, who knows?
Did they check the trunk to see if the Baldwin brothers were hiding there?
We reward them for entering the US and now shoot them for leaving? Wow, things sure have changed!
Unfortunately, I think the Senate just passed a bill that would give his illegal spouse Social Security Widow benefits.
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