A look inside one of the 12 new ambulances purchased as part of the city's switch from a private provider to Salem Fire service.
San Diego, California – Federal prosecutors say four people have been charged in the past month for attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border through the San Ysidro Port of Entry using ambulances and fabricated medical emergencies. The latest case, filed earlier this week, has brought renewed scrutiny to a rare but growing method of border crossing that has immigration authorities on alert—and some advocates worried about the consequences for real patients.
The most recent incident occurred on July 6, when Elias De Jesus Cobos-Oviedo allegedly tried to bring a previously deported Guatemalan citizen into the United States under the guise of a life-threatening emergency. According to court documents, Cobos-Oviedo arrived at the port of entry in an ambulance accompanied by a paramedic and a man he claimed was a California resident in urgent need of CPR. Customs and Border Protection officers, suspicious of the situation, directed the vehicle to secondary inspection.
Once there, officers noticed signs that the medical emergency might have been staged. The man, identified as Pedro Jesus-Gonzalez, had dry blood on his body and a defibrillator placed incorrectly, despite showing normal breathing. Fingerprinting revealed that Jesus-Gonzalez was a Guatemalan citizen who had been previously deported. A medical evaluation showed his vitals were normal, and he displayed no need for emergency care.
Cobos-Oviedo, who was released on bond, faces one felony count of bringing in aliens for financial gain—a charge that carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Neither the paramedic nor Jesus-Gonzalez has been charged, though both were detained and listed as material witnesses.
This marks the fourth incident in just over four weeks in which individuals have allegedly used ambulances to disguise unauthorized border crossings. In each case, the driver or patient presented a California ID, and subsequent checks revealed prior deportations. The U.S. attorney’s office confirmed that in the three earlier cases, only the patients were charged. In this latest incident, only the driver faces criminal prosecution.
The first case, on June 10, involved Juan Moreno-Morales, who prosecutors say admitted to faking a medical emergency as part of a $15,000 smuggling arrangement. He is scheduled to appear in court in August. The two June 17 cases ended with one dismissal and one deportation.
Miguel Diaz, a paramedic in Mexico who works with Cobos-Oviedo, called the allegations shocking, insisting his colleague would never risk his career or patients. But others see a more complicated picture. Attorney Ricardo Gonzalez noted that while the crackdown on border fraud is intense under the Trump administration, the approach could backfire in life-or-death situations.
“They may delay too long for emergencies when someone has to be at the hospital immediately,” Gonzalez said. “And that would be concerning.”
