EXCLUSIVE: Border Patrol Stops Large Human Smuggling Attempt in California  

Border Patrol agents in California have arrested 23 individuals in a human smuggling bust, according to Customs and Border Protection.  

Four of the individuals arrested are believed to be human smugglers, and 19 are Mexican nationals, the agency reported.  

Border Patrol agents spotted a vehicle on Jan. 31 in the El Centro Sector of the U.S. border with Mexico, which they believed was being used for smuggling activity. 

An investigation led agents to an apartment complex in Seeley, California, about 100 miles east of San Diego, where they saw individuals being transferred between vehicles.  

Seven individuals attempted to flee the scene when agents approached, but officials pursued them. In addition to the 23 arrests, federal agents seized six vehicles that are connected to the investigation.  

“El Centro Sector was the most secure section of the entirety of the 2,000-mile Southwest Border for fiscal 2026 2025, a fact that this transnational criminal organization must have overlooked,” acting Chief Patrol Agent Joseph A. Remenar says.  

“Our agents are dedicated to ensuring that El Centro Sector retains this level of security moving forward, as evidenced by this noteworthy interdiction,” he said. “This criminal organization found out the hard way that El Centro is not a conducive environment to conduct their illicit activities.” 

Those arrested face federal prosecution, according to the agency.  

Encounters with illegal aliens at the southern border have declined significantly over the past 12 months. 

CBP agents reported encountering 4,633 illegal aliens in the El Centro Sector in fiscal year 2025, down from over 17,000 in 2024 and over 50,000 in 2023. 

Since returning to office in January 2025, President Donald Trump has taken a number of actions to discourage illegal immigration, including reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy, ending the “catch and release” policy, installing more border walls, and launching a large-scale deportation operation across the U.S.