Another smuggler caught on video dropping toddler from border wall
IMPERIAL BEACH, California -- It's happened again.
U.S. Border Patrol agents said a smuggler was caught on video dropping a two-year-old from the 18-foot-high border wall into the arms of the child's father.
The Border Patrol told KVIA sister-station KYMA that this incident happened earlier this week in California. Agents saw a group of people illegally entering the U.S. by climbing over the border wall.
Remote video surveillance observed the small child hanging from atop the wall and dropped to a person below. Agents were able to get to the scene quickly and arrested the group.
The child was not injured.
Agents say their investigation revealed a smuggler had dropped the boy into the arms of the father; both father and son are from Ghana.
“This event could have been catastrophic,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke. “It is not only unlawful, but inherently dangerous to cross the border anywhere outside of a designated port of entry.”
This is the second such incident Border Patrol has come across in recent weeks.
As ABC-7 reported last month, a Border Patrol surveillance camera captured what officials described as "disturbing" video of human smugglers dropping two young children over a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border just west of Mt. Cristo Rey in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
Officials said after the helpless 3-year-old and 5-year-old sisters from Ecuador landed on the ground after being dropped from atop the 14-foot wall, two smugglers could be seen quickly fleeing the scene.
