U.S. Customs and Border Protection temporarily shut down the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego-Tijuana, to install additional fortifications for migrant caravan in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The lanes reopened after about three hours. USP NEWS: SAN YSIDRO PORT OF ENTRY MEX
San Diego, California – A shocking human smuggling attempt at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry has led to federal charges against a U.S. citizen after border officers discovered a man crammed inside the dashboard of a vehicle, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Elizabeth Janeth Ramirez-Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested on May 16 and charged with bringing in aliens for financial gain. The case is part of a surge in border-related prosecutions: 134 similar were filed this week alone in the Southern District of California, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties.
The incident unfolded at the Otay Mesa border crossing, just southeast of downtown San Diego. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Ramirez-Martinez during a routine inspection and searched her vehicle. According to the federal complaint, officers were stunned to find a Vietnamese national stuffed into a hidden compartment inside the dashboard. The individual was concealed so tightly that officers had to dismantle part of the vehicle to remove him safely.
Federal prosecutors allege that Ramirez-Martinez placed the man into the compartment before reaching the border and then screwed the panel shut to hide him from detection. The immigrant later confirmed these details to officials, saying he had been placed there deliberately by Ramirez-Martinez in an attempt to smuggle him into the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that the Southern District of California remains one of the nation’s busiest jurisdictions for border-related crimes. The region, which spans a 140-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, includes the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa Ports of Entry. Research states that San Ysidro is the busiest land border crossing globally.
Ramirez-Martinez now faces federal charges that could result in significant prison time if convicted. Authorities have not disclosed whether additional individuals organized the smuggling attempt or if further arrests are expected.
Officials highlighted the incident as an example of the extreme and dangerous lengths smugglers are willing to go to bypass immigration laws — often putting lives at serious risk. The Vietnamese national involved in the case was taken into custody by immigration authorities. The investigation remains ongoing.
