A Mexican man pleaded guilty to smuggling seven people across the southern border through sewers running between the United States and Mexico as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Kevin Noe Campos Villa, 20, is set to be sentenced for smuggling seven unauthorized immigrants across the border, according to a press release by the United States Attorney’s Office. They were apprehended when U.S. Border Patrol spotted Villa guiding the men through a sewer pipe into the country on Jan. 22, around two miles west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. (RELATED: Video Shows Illegal Migrants Overwhelming Texas National Guard, Storming Border Wall)
A people smuggler has admitted to helping seven immigrants enter the U.S. from Mexico by traveling through sewer pipes that cross the border, prosecutors say. https://t.co/gXTZi4QTig
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 22, 2024
The court documents cited by the press release state that several of the men, including Villa, fled from the Border Patrol, with three falling into the surging Tijuana River. The men — two of whom were unable to swim — later had to be rescued by San Diego Lifeguards, according to the press release. The alleged daring Shawshank Redemption-style crossing was made possible because the grates, usually fitted on the pipes to prevent border trespass, had been lifted to prevent damage during heavy rainfall, NBC reported.
San Diego Declares State Of Emergency Over Catastrophic Flash Flooding https://t.co/lz6Nhyd4Ja
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 23, 2024
As part of his plea deal, Villa admitted to accepting $6,000 for helping guide the men through the sewers, in addition to building ladders for smugglers to aid people climbing over the border fence between the United States and Mexico. He will be sentenced on June 17, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez and could face a $250,000 fine as well as up to 10 years in jail.