East County News Service

Photos courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol

January 25, 2025 (Jacumba Hot Springs, CA) – Two hikers in the Jacumba Wilderness were robbed and attacked, with one man shot by “suspected Mexican cartel terrorists,” according to a press release issued by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

According to the CPB, agents from the El Centro sector were dispatched following a 911 call reporting that a man had been shot and needed assistance. The agents found  a group of hikers about 1,000 feet north of the international border in the Jacumba Wilderness, which is near the San Diego County and Imperial County line. The hikers reportedly stated that two of the hikers, an American and a Canadian, were ordered by armed men to approach.

When the hikers refused, “the assailants fired a volley of shots toward the hikers, striking one victim in the leg. The assailants advanced on the downed hiker and his Canadian companion, robbing them of their cell phones and backpacks,” the release states.

Source:  U.S. Customs and Border Protection

January 28, 2023 (San Diego) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the San Diego Field Office kicked off the new year strong, seizing more than $9 million worth of dangerous drugs at its ports of entry. From January 4 through January 22, nine significant seizures led CBP officers to extract 515 packages of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin from travelers’ vehicles.

East County News Service

July 21, 2020 (San Diego) – A horse named “Ollie” reported missing in May has been found by Border Patrol Agents in the Tijuana River Valley area of San Diego.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced Monday that agents found the horse tangled in a thicket on July 15. 

Members of the Imperial Beach Station's All-Terrain Vehicle Unit were tracking a group of people who crossed the border illegally when they discovered the horse tangled in thick brush, according to CBP agent Jeff Stephenson. A K-9 team and horse patrol agents joined the ATV team to clear a path to access the trapped horse, which appeared to be weak and in distress.

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2015 (San Diego)—Ancient treasures seized in seven U.S. cities, including San Diego, have been returned to the Italian government this week, Homeland Security has announced.

By Miriam Raftery

September 7, 2011 (San Diego) — A load of hot sauce hauled by a Mexican trucker had a secret ingredient: more than a ton of marijuana, with a street value of $1.4 million.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa cargo facility disiscovered the marijuana hidden in boxes of hot sauce on Friday.