SUV Carrying 25 Smuggled Immigrants Entered Through a Hole in the Border Wall
As details continue to emerge about the deadly SUV and trailer truck accident that occurred last week, the California Highway Patrol has confirmed that the 1997 Ford Expedition was packed beyond capacity with 25 individuals as they entered the United States through a hole in the border wall between California and Mexico.
The collision occurred in California’s Imperial Valley, one of the nation's main farming regions that produces vegetables for the rest of the country during the winter months. The crash happened roughly 30 miles from the border wall where there was an opening in the wall fence big enough for a vehicle to drive through. It’s not clear how the portion of the steel bollards was removed, but that portion of the wall was put up before the Trump administration constructed additional border wall in the region.
Thirteen individuals died as a result of the collision. Ten of the individuals, including the driver of the SUV, were of Mexican descent. The Guatemalan government has confirmed that one of the deceased was a 23-year-old from Guatemala City. Information on the country of origin for the two remaining deceased individuals has not been released. Authorities are waiting to make contact with the family before they release the victims' identity.
Although specific information including the identities and ages of those killed in the crash have not been released, authorities have shared that the SUV was smuggling the passengers into the states. The youngest who was injured was a 15-year-old girl, and the eldest was a 56-year-old woman from Guatemala. The young girl is suffering from minor injuries while the older woman is battling major injuries according to CHP. The driver of the tractor-trailer was a 68-year-old man who suffered major injuries as well.
Border patrol agents captured the moment the SUV illegally entered the state's border through patrol surveillance footage. The surveillance footage shows the Ford Expedition driving through the hole in the border wall and further shows that a Chevrolet Suburban was following the SUV. There were 19 individuals inside of the Suburban, which caught fire on the interstate shortly after it entered the U.S. It is not unclear what caused the fire. All individuals inside the Suburban were able to escape, although border patrol agents immediately took them into custody.
Shortly after the Suburban caught on fire, the Expedition carrying the 24 migrants and driver met tragedy of its own when it collided with the tractor-trailer. While the cause of the crash is yet to be determined, border patrol agents have shared that the expedition was not under pursuit.
Smugglers had removed the middle and back seats of the expedition, which can legally seat eight passengers. It’s still unclear how 25 individuals were able to cram into the vehicle even after the seats were removed.
Authorities explain that because the SUV was overweight and above capacity, maneuvering the car, hitting the brakes, and overall operation would have been significantly difficult. Former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official Frank Borris shared with the AP, “You’re going to have extended stopping distances, delayed reactions to steering inputs and potential overreaction to any type of high-speed lane change.”
The deaths of the smuggled migrants are a glaring reminder of the dangers that exist when migrants enter the country in ways outside legal ports of entry. The Missing Migrant Project has documented the deaths of migrants crossing into the U.S. and has recorded a steady rate of migrant deaths since 2016.
Frank Laczko who is the Director of the Data Analysis Centre of the International Organization for Migrants (IOM) shared, “These numbers are a sad reminder that the lack of options for safe and legal mobility pushes people onto more invisible and riskier paths, putting them at greater danger.” Laczko adds, “The loss of lives should never be normalized nor tolerated as an assumed risk of irregular migration.”
