Suspected Cartel Members Assault Hikers in U.S. Border Area
A U.S. citizen and a Canadian citizen were victims of a robbery committed by two armed individuals in a southern California wilderness area, resulting in one of the hikers sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg.
This week, hikers were assaulted and robbed in U.S. territory just north of the U.S.-Mexico border by suspected cartel members from Mexico, leading to one hiker being shot in the leg, according to a statement released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on January 23 here.
The victims, comprising a U.S. citizen and a Canadian citizen, encountered two armed men in the Jacumba Wilderness, a desert region situated in southern California.
The assailants approached the hikers and ordered them to come closer. When the hikers refused, the suspected cartel members opened fire, hitting one of them in the leg.
Afterward, the suspects proceeded to rob the hikers of their cell phones and backpacks.
Once the suspects departed, the victims managed to make an emergency call, which was handled by El Centro Sector Communications from the small city of Imperial at approximately 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
U.S. Border Patrol agents were dispatched to the location, which was roughly 1,000 feet north of the U.S.-Mexico International Border, where they located the hikers and provided first aid to the gunshot victim. The Mountain Disrupt Unit, Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), and Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents all responded to the incident.
Agents established a perimeter and transported the injured hiker via air ambulance to Sharp Medical Center in San Diego for further treatment.
BORTAC and BORSTAR agents maintained the perimeter and confirmed that the assailants had returned to Mexico.
“The injured hiker serves as an ‘I told you so moment’ underscoring the necessity for adequate infrastructure that the Border Patrol has advocated for years,” remarked Border Patrol El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino.
“Suspected cartel terrorists will soon realize that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in the Premier Sector. Any threats, at any time, throughout this sector will be addressed with utmost seriousness.”
The CBP El Centro Sector also expressed their views on the incident through social media.
“These cartels believe they can bring their violence to American soil,” stated CBP El Centro Sector in a message that served as a warning to the cartels. “The El Centro Sector will not remain passive.”
