US hiker shot, robbed by suspected cartel members in California wilderness

3 weeks ago
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SAN DIEGO (TMX) – Two hikers in California’s Jacumba Wilderness were attacked and robbed by suspected Mexican cartel members this week, including a U.S. citizen who was shot in the leg, officials said.

At around 11 a.m. Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s El Centro Sector were alerted to the shooting in the Jacumba Wilderness.

Border Patrol agents were dispatched to the area, approximately 1,000 feet north of the U.S.–Mexico border, where they encountered a group of hikers who said two members of their group were attacked by armed individuals.

Two hikers, a U.S. citizen and a Canadian citizen, encountered the suspected cartel members and were ordered to approach them. When the hikers refused to follow their commands, the armed men “fired a volley of shots,” striking the U.S. citizen in the leg. The assailants then robbed the two hikers of their cell phones and backpacks.

The Mountain Disrupt Unit, Border Patrol Tactical Unit, and Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue agents located and stabilized the victim at around 12:08 p.m.

Agents created a “protective perimeter” and the victim was extracted by a helicopter crew from Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations San Diego.

The victim was then transferred to Reach Air Ambulance and flown to Sharp Medical Center in San Diego.

Customs and Border Protection said agents tracked the assailants back to the border where they returned to Mexico.

“The wounded hiker is an ‘I told you so moment,’ highlighting the importance of adequate infrastructure the Border Patrol has been championing for years now,” El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino said in a statement. “Suspected cartel terrorists, however, are fixing to learn this type of conduct will be an end game type of activity here in the Premier Sector. All threats, anywhere, or at any time throughout this sector will be addressed vigorously.”…Read more by TMX staff

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