Mexican Nationals Caught Stealing Concertina Wire at US Border

Soldiers from the Kentucky-based 19th Engineer Battalion work in a public park in Laredo, Texas, where they are installing barbed and concertina-wire on Nov. 17, 2018. Thomas Watkins/AFP/Getty Images

Parts of the concertina wire at the San Diego border were stolen and sold by Mexican nationals in March. Mexican authorities seized the military-grade wire and returned it to U.S. authorities.

The United States Customs and Border Patrol San Diego Sector (CBP) installed the concertina wire as a preventative effort against the migrant caravan’s illegal border rush back in November, 2018. Now, with Tijuana’s recent spike in crime, pictures of Mexican houses can be seen online reinforced with the stolen wire to keep intruders out.

“The people arrested were mainly Mexican [citizens], and most were people who have been deported from the United States, and people who have problems with drug addictions and live mostly on the street,” Tijuana Border Liaison Director Reynaldo Gonzales Mora told the Washington Examiner. More than 12 people have been arrested.

High Crime Catalyst

In 2018, Tijuana ranked as the number-one most violent city in the world per capita, according to a report from the Mexican civil security organization Seguridad, Justicia, y Paz. The migrant caravan has contributed to the city’s severe crime rate.

Since December when the caravan arrived at Tijuana 280 migrants from the caravan have been arrested, Municipal Delegate Genaro Lopez told Fox News on Dec. 13. They were originally arrested for drug possession and charged with breaking into people’s homes.

However, Border Patrol confirmed to NTD News the stolen wire has already been retrieved and returned by Mexican law enforcement officials.

“We are grateful for this partnership, as it enhances border security efforts for both countries,” a CBP spokesperson said in an email.

According to the email, construction of a 14-mile wall began in June 2018, and is nearing completion. Some gaps in the wall were temporarily filled with concertina wire, making it susceptible to damage and theft. The wire was also used to enhance the old wall, while the new barrier was under construction.

From NTD.com