A Mexican driver was caught on camera as he barreled through a US border patrol checkpoint, blew a barrier into the air, and severely injured a border agent in San Diego County. He was later sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California.
28-year-old Jorge Garcia-Osornio, who was illegally present in the US, with another two illegal immigrants hiding in the vehicle, was arrested after a high-speed pursuit. Surveillance video captured the incident on November 14, 2017, at the checkpoint located 45 miles east of downtown San Diego.
Garcia made an illegal U-turn as he approached the waiting line before the checkpoint. When a Border Patrol agent tried to stop him, Garcia managed to escape through the shoulder of the freeway. Then he made another U-turn and went directly to the checkpoint.
The video shows Garcia’s car driving at a high speed through the gap between a parked patrol car and the cars stopped in the waiting line at the checkpoint. However, he slammed through a traffic sign, and border patrol agent M. Medina was standing nearby.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the flying debris resulted from the collision severely injured agent Medina. He suffered from vomiting, throbbing headache, blurry vision, a gash on his face, shaking uncontrollably, and loud ringing in his ears and was immediately sent to the hospital.
Garcia then kept driving at speeds over 100 mph for another 3.5 miles on the highway. He was later arrested after his car crashed on a hillside. One of the illegal immigrant passengers said he feared for his life.
Garcia was likely to receive between $1,400 to $2,000 for smuggling the immigrants across the border. He pleaded guilty for driving the wrong way on the freeway, reaching at least 100 mph when fleeing from the checkpoint, using a dangerous weapon in the commission of the offense, and seriously injuring a Border Patrol agent.
“This defendant had no regard for the safety of his passengers, other drivers on the freeway or agents at the checkpoint,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “It’s a miracle no one died in this incident. Smugglers operate in a world where immigrants are just dollar signs, not people.”
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