Guillermo Arias/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images
- Approximately 70 people tried to swim into the US, around a border fence in the Pacific, authorities say.
- A woman, believed to be from the group of swimmers, was pronounced dead.
- 36 Mexican nationals – 25 men and 11 women – were taken into custody by border patrol agents.
One woman died and 36 Mexican nationals were detained after approximately 70 people tried to swim around a border fence in the Pacific that separates Tijuana and San Diego, authorities said Saturday.
A large group of people attempted to illegally enter the US from Tijuana by swimming around the border barrier and to the beach at Border Field State Park in San Diego on Friday night, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement.
Paramedics were called after border patrol agents came across an unresponsive woman who was believed to be from the group of swimmers, the statement said.
Agents performed CPR on the woman while waiting for firefighters and lifeguards, the CBP said. She was pronounced dead by emergency medical services within an hour.
Border patrol agents later took a total of 36 Mexican nationals – 25 men and 11 women – into custody and transported them to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing, the CPB said.
The 300-foot section of fencing is one of the most closely watched parts of the southern border, according to The New York Times.
In the last 12 months, Insider previously reported, the United States has recorded the most illegal border crossings since records began in 1960.
"This is yet another example of the ruthless tactics smuggling organizations use to bolster their power and profits," said the San Diego sector's chief patrol agent Aaron Heitke. "We will work tirelessly to pursue and bring to justice those responsible for this tragedy."