A suspected human smuggler breached the Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas on Friday while evading authorities, a week after a suspected illegal immigrant breached a fence at the same military base while on the run from the U.S. Border Patrol.
The suspect led Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers on a high-speed chase in Val Verde County, Lt. Chris Olivarez said. During the chase, the suspect drove onto the base property and continued to evade authorities. The military base was put on lockdown during the incident.
After around eight minutes of evading officers, the suspect drove off-road and crashed through a second fence before absconding. Two illegal immigrants from Guatemala in the vehicle were also arrested.
A week earlier, a 17-year-old Mexican national jumped a fence at the same Laughlin Air Force Base, after fleeing Del Rio Border Patrol agents attempting to conduct a traffic stop.
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Border Patrol agents deployed canine teams and caught the teen after an hour of searching. Agents also arrested four other adult men who were in the stopped vehicle. All are believed to be illegal immigrants.
Laughlin Air Force Base said it established a cordon adjacent to the base housing to ensure the safety of base residents during the search.
“Enhancing and evaluating base security measures is a top priority for our 47th Security Forces Squadron here at Laughlin, which is what we do after each breach scenario we experience. With each instance, our security forces personnel have been contacted by the external law enforcement agencies handling the incident in order to prepare our security personnel to coordinate and respond appropriately, maintaining the safety of our Airmen and their families, while ensuring the security of our resources on base as well,” Capt. Christine Del Aguila, Chief of Public Affairs at Laughlin Air Force Base, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“For operational security purposes, we cannot expand upon what tactics, techniques or procedures are implemented in the wake of these events.”
The back-to-back incidents came just a few weeks after two Jordanian nationals tried to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
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