Two SUVs involved in separate accidents in California on Tuesday entered the U.S. from Mexico through a ten-foot gap in a border barrier, federal authorities said in a report Wednesday.
One of the sports utility vehicles, which allegedly pushed in 25 illegal immigrants, soon became involved in a fatal accident at State Highway 115 and Norrish Road in Holtville, which killed 12 of the occupants at the scene, and a 13th short time , the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the Mexican government, ten of the deceased were Mexican citizens, while the nationalities of the other three were not immediately clear, according to The Associated Press.
The other SUV was found in flames about ten minutes after entering the US, with 19 people hiding in the brush nearby, the report said. It was unclear how the fire originated.
Gregory Bovino, the sector head of the Border Patrol in El Centro, said the incidents were an example of the disregard with which human smugglers treat their victims.
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“People smugglers have repeatedly proven that they have little respect for human life,” Bovino told the AP. “Those who may be illegally considering crossing the border should dwell on the dangers that all too often lead to a tragedy – tragedies with which our border patrol agents and first responders are very familiar.”
“Human smugglers have proven time and time again that they value little human life.”
To the left is an opening in a metal fence along the border between America and Mexico in California. To the right is a Ford Expedition SUV that crashed with a large rig, resulting in 13 deaths. (Border Patrol / Associated Press)
Border patrol agents discovered the opening in the barrier on Tuesday at 6:05 a.m. and then learned that the sports utility vehicles had entered the U.S. after checking surveillance video from the area, reports Times.
Just over an hour later, at 7:11 a.m., border patrol agents arrive at the scene in Holtsville where the vehicle collided with 25 people – a Ford Expedition – with a large rig.
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It is suspected that everyone driving in both SUVs entered the US illegally, the Border Patrol said in a news release, according to the Times.
No staff members were chased by border patrol personnel at the time of their accidents, the agency said in a statement.
The gap in the metal fence was near Gordon’s Well exit near Interstate 8, a Customs and Border Protection spokesman told the newspaper.
How long the opening lasted – and whether more vehicles or pedestrians entered the US by the time it was not immediately clear. It was also not clear whether the damage to the barrier was repaired after Tuesday’s discovery.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched an “investigation into human trafficking” in connection with the fatal crash, the Times reported.
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The AP reported that the incidents took place during the harvest season in the Imperial Valley agricultural area in California. The region supplies salads, onions, broccoli and more to US supermarkets
The area where the accidents took place became known for illegal crossings in the 1990s, when U.S. enforcement in San Diego pushed the migrants to more remote areas, the AP reported.
Associated Press contributed to this story.