A Chinese illegal immigrant was apprehended in California on Wednesday after unlawfully entering a Marine Corps base and disregarding commands to depart, as reported by The New York Post.
According to Border Patrol's El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino, US border patrol agents were alerted by the base about a Chinese national who had entered without permission and failed to comply with instructions to leave.
The individual's purpose and intentions for breaching the base are still under investigation, Bovino stated.
The trespasser had reportedly attempted to gain access to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California, without proper identification, as per a spokesperson from the US Marine Corps' Training and Education Command.
Despite being instructed to depart at the Condor gate by installation security, the individual proceeded onto the base without authorization and was subsequently detained by military law enforcement.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was then contacted by the base, and the individual was taken into custody. CBP confirmed that Border Patrol agents responded to a report concerning a suspected Chinese national who had driven onto the base without permission.
Upon arrival, Border Patrol agents confirmed that the individual was indeed a Chinese national unlawfully present in the US.
Since October 1, over 22,000 encounters involving Chinese nationals at the southern border have been recorded, marking a significant increase from previous years. This surge has raised concerns among officials and Republican lawmakers, who fear that individuals from China crossing the border could pose national security risks, including engaging in espionage activities or cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure or government agencies.
