BORDER PATROL AGENTS HOSPITALIZED BRIEFLY WITH SYMPTOMS AFTER STOP FINDS DRUGS IN VEHICLE

By Miriam Raftery

June 14, 2019 (Campo) – After Border Patrol agents stopped two vehicles in Campo on June 2^nd that were traveling in tandem and suspected of smuggling undocumented immigrants, drug paraphernalia was observed during examination of the vehicles.  “Shortly after, one of the agents began coughing and complained of nausea,” says Justin Castrejon, public affairs officer for the Border Patrol in San Diego.  The agent reported an odor from inside one of the suspect vehicles.  The San Diego County Hazardous Incident Response Team responded, ECM news partner 10 News has learned.

The agent was taken to a hospital for evaluation after the 8 a.m. stop.  That afternoon at 2:15 p.m. at a local Border Patrol station, another agent who had been involved with the vehicle stop reported symptoms of light-headedness, difficulty breathing and not feeling well.  At about that same time, one of the suspects arrested in the vehicle described similar symptoms.  Both the agent and the suspect were taken to a local hospital for treatment. 

Hazmat conducted an evaluation at the Border Patrol station and could not determine the cause of the reported signs and symptoms.  

Both of the agents and the suspect were released from the hospital later that day with no apparent lasting illness.