NOGALES, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) - In one of the most heavily patrolled areas of the U.S.-Mexico border, two men were caught on camera hopping the international boundary fence into the United States from Mexico.
The video was shot by the Mexican news station, Azteca. In the video, you can see two men sneak along the 20-foot border fence after climbing over from Mexico. They carry large bundles of what could be narcotics like marijuana and are seen talking on cell phones, possibly to someone helping them avoid capture.
In the video, there are no border agents who immediately come and try to detain the border jumpers. Agent Matthew Eisenhauer says Border Patrol was very aware of what was happening.
"A lot of times we need to keep ourselves composed, keep ourselves thinking outside the box in the sense that we need to understand a 360 of what's going on at all times," said Eisenhauer.
While the Mexican station was recording the border jumpers on the ground, Border Patrol's Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) had a view from above. At the Tucson Sector headquarters, Eisenhauer showed Nine On Your Side the video they had. It shows the two men climbing over the wall and sneaking around while agents on the ground were in communication with the towers to create a plan of action. The surveillance video was not released.
"There were children in the area, there are vehicles driving by, we need to be aware of all those things when we go to interdict the group," Eisenhauer said.
Before border patrol agents could detain the two men, they ran back to the wall still holding the bundles. They climbed back over to the Mexican side in less than 15 seconds and disappear from view into Nogales, Sonora.
