Crime & Safety
Dive Scooters Used to Cross Border Underwater
Two men are arrested near the south end of Seacoast Drive Wednesday evening after it is believed the two used dive scooters to cross into the U.S.
The U.S. Border Patrol arrested two Mexican men who allegedly entered the country illegally using dive scooters to propel across the border in Pacific Ocean waters Wednesday evening.
The two, 16- and 38-years-old, were spotted by a Border Patrol helicopter south of Seacoast Drive around 8:45 p.m. trying to conceal the devices in the sand. They were arrested and taken to a Border Patrol station for processing. No scuba gear or other equipment was found.
Attempts to cross the border by water have doubled each year since 2008, said Border Patrol agent Michael Jiminez. As crossing by land has become more difficult, people have used personal watercraft, boats and other devices to try and cross.
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"It isn't something we've commonly seen," Jiminez said about the use of dive scooters. "I've only heard about this one other time."
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