Around 7:30 p.m., on Monday, June 3, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at the San Ysidro port of entry, along the San Diego/Tijuana border, engaged a subject with deadly force after he fired multiple gunshots at the CBP officers in an attempt to evade inspection by failing to stop. The subject, a 23-year-old male U.S. citizen, did not survive. CBP officers with EMT training, and other medical personnel on site, provided immediate medical aid to the subject until San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel arrived on scene.
CBP officers found two additional people secreted inside the subject’s vehicle who were not injured. Both were Chinese nationals, two men ages 18 and 27, with no legal status to enter the U.S.
“The CBP officers risked their own lives to protect the public from this gunman,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations. “Human smuggling is always dangerous. This unfortunate incident demonstrates the total disregard smuggling organizations have for what they consider to be cargo.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is cooperating with the San Diego Police Department’s investigation. Per CBP policy, the agency will also conduct an internal investigation of the incident led by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility and DHS Office of the Inspector General.
Both vehicle and pedestrian northbound operations at the port of entry were suspended for about 30 minutes Monday evening before operations resumed. Although the westbound vehicle egress to exit the port of entry was closed Monday evening to preserve the scene, the eastbound vehicle egress remained operational, with minimal delays to the port of entry through the evening. There was no impact to pedestrian traffic or to southbound vehicle traffic at the border crossing.
