San Ysidro border entry point closed after gunfight

U.S. authorities have closed the San Ysidro Port of Entry on the border with Mexico after a gunfight there early Tuesday.

San Ysidro is the nation's busiest border crossing. Roughly 40,000 vehicles cross there daily from Mexico.

Three vans loaded with suspected illegal immigrants tried to speed through the crossing Tuesday afternoon, drawing gunfire from at least two U.S. agents, authorities said.

Three people in the vans and a traveler in a nearby car were injured in the failed attempt to cross into San Diego from Tijuana. About 70 people inside the vehicles were taken into custody, according to authorities.

Smugglers on occasion attempt to run the port of entry but rarely in such an apparently coordinated fashion. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection fired their weapons at the vehicles, authorities said.

-- Richard Marosi

Comments

[billy curtis]

pretty brazen. Maybe spike strips, etc are needed down on the border!

[James Bringham]

Why do we continue to allow anyone croos from Mexico into our Country. We are idiots yes all of us Americans that were born here. We are letting this country turn into a third world country slowly. All the people with common sense will leave over the next 50 years and Cali will be for the poor only Nobody will run a business here. California sucks and so do the illegal immigrants. Go away and dont come back until you have papers. If they dont care and break the law to get here what kind of people do you think they are. JUst criminals and we Americans are ignorant. I cant wait to leave this god forsaken state.. Adios

[Larry]

They should keep it closed until Mexico gets serious about helping curb illegal immigration.

[tucanofulano]

San Ysidro handles over 40,000 vehicles daily, and the few Border Patrol Agents there are armed with peashooters. Meanwhile DHS decided to spend $35 Million for a couple of buildings on the border. Not a penney for San Ysidro, but for two border crossings some 12 miles apart, both in Montana, that together handle some 25 (twenty five) vehicles daily. Now that sure is brillient, Mr. Obama.

[Louweegie272]

This story is particularly interesting the day a report from the Census Bureau said that Immigration to California is slowing. In light of the terrorist arrests in New York, I'm glad we are starting to have more security at our borders.

[Bob]

Been through that one, years ago. That's a very crowded place to shoot.

[Paula Olivares]

The border is open now. See this web page. Scroll to bottom for San Ysidro.

http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/

[Guillermo Quezada]

How can it be a gunfight if only the customs officers are shooting. I know that english is my second language, but I imagined that the LA times would know the what a gunfight is.

[kadafi]

Now these coyote's should be shot. (This is in reference to the Griffith Park incident) Not the illegal's just the coyote's please.

[kate]

Was this real or a demonstration project?

[Wes]

This is just another example of how desperate these people are to get out of their own country. My major problem with these individuals is the attitude they bring with them and their obvious hatred they show toward America and the American People on a daily bases. You see it and hear it every day in grocery and department stores, and they don't even have the decency to speak ENGLISH !
AND. just as annoying, is that all you hear from them is:

I AM A PROUD MEXICAN AND I LOVE MY COUNTRY.

Someone please explain to me WHY and just what is it that they are so PROUD of.

let me strongly suggest that they go back and change the country they are so PROUD of and LOVE so much, and STOP trying to change MY COUNTRY. It's not going to work.

We a TIRED of your ARROGANCE and DISRESPECT of US, our COUNTRY, and our FLAG.

[dno]

People:
Just because they are coming across the Mexican/ US border does not mean they are Mexican. Mexico is the crossing point where Salvadorians , Hondurans and other South Americans who are driven from their own countries by everything from local politics to local economy. Imagine the refugees of WWII being driven across Europe by the forces of the Axis. The journey kills many either by accident or by murder. The Mexican Government can only keep this human chain moving. They have little enough resources to maintain it's ongoing war with the cartels for control of their country which is only a stones throw from our own border.

[Bob]

Why not follow through on Tom Metzger's suggestions:

1. Bring home the troops.
2. Build military installations, for training and staging, along the borders.
3. Create appropriate firing ranges.

But DO NOT build walls ... at least until the illegals are expunged!

Bob

[N/A]

Its not the people being smuggled in. its the smugglers'.

Only INS shoot at the vans, there was no fire from the vans?

There is one of the biggest drug cartels in Tijuana and they often disguise themselves as police and military. America dont you see the news that there has been many different chiefs of police in Tijuana only in the last couple of years because the mob kills them so they don’t investigate or fight crime. That their families have to live in a military compound just so they don’t get kidnapped and killed. that mexico has their military along the border fighting the drug dealers.

There is DEA in the Mexican side working with the Mexican military to fight the drug dealers.

It is illegal for mexicans to try to cross the US border illegally.

and just like in any other country, Mexico has people from all over the world; Just like the US.

and of course that the US is the #1 buyer of drugs... and manufacturer of firearms... the same equipment that the mob uses to kill the law enforcement on both sides...