A 20-year-old Mexico resident has pleaded guilty to smuggling seven migrants into the U.S. illegally through sewer pipes in southern California, according to federal prosecutors.
The individual, identified as Kevin Noe Campos Villa, now faces a potential 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine following his arrest in January. Several of the migrants he was escorting had to be rescued from the Tijuana River by San Diego lifeguards, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Campos, a resident of Tijuana, was apprehended by the Border Patrol on Jan. 22 about two miles west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry during heavy rainfall. The attorney’s office explained that sewer tubes between the United States and Mexico have grates to prevent illegal entry, but due to heavy rain, the grates were open, allowing Campos to exploit the situation and smuggle the migrants into the U.S.
According to court records, two of the rescued migrants expressed fear for their lives during the river crossing as they did not know how to swim. One individual recounted being swept away by the river’s current and clinging to a tree branch until rescue.
Investigators revealed that Campos admitted to agreeing to guide the group of migrants in exchange for $6,000. He also disclosed his involvement in assisting other smugglers by constructing ladders to facilitate illegal border crossings.
Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel emphasized the lack of concern for safety by transnational criminal organizations, stating that U.S. Border Patrol agents will continue targeting human smugglers and enforcing consequences for those violating U.S. laws.
Campos has been charged with Bringing in Illegal Aliens at a Place other than a Designated Port of Entry and is scheduled for sentencing on June 17.
