A man from Tijuana has confessed to guiding seven unauthorized immigrants through a sewer passage into the U.S. during a deluge, officials said. Kevin Noe Campos Villa, aged 20, admitted to human smuggling charges in a San Diego federal court, affirming his role in the hazardous crossing that led to several of the immigrants being rescued by lifeguards from the Tijuana River.
The young smuggler's guilty plea confirmed he directed the group through the sewer system to evade the San Ysidro Port of Entry, leveraging the open grates cleared to cope with the heavy rains. Caught by U.S. Border Patrol agents on January 22, Campos, alongside three of the immigrants, attempted to flee, leading to a dramatic rescue after they plunged into the river. Two individuals who were rescued confessed, in court records, to have feared for their lives as they were swept away due to their inability to swim, one clinging to a tree branch until saved.
The U.S. Attorney's Office reported that in his plea agreement, Campos acknowledged he took $6,000 to shepherd the group onto American soil. In addition, he conceded to constructing ladders for smugglers to facilitate border fence crossings as part of his illicit activities.
"This case is yet another example of transnational smuggling organizations placing profits over safety," U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath stated. Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel echoed this sentiment, noting the absence of safety considerations by criminal organizations and vowing that the Border Patrol will persist in clamping down on human smuggling operations.
Slated for sentencing on June 17, before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez, Campos faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for contravention of Title 8, United States Code, §1324(a)(1)(A)(i)—bringing in illegal aliens at a place other than a designated port of entry. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Adeline Schulberg prosecutes the case.
