Suspected illegal immigrants spotted in pipe (AP c/o San Jose Mercury News)

Suspected illegal immigrants spotted in pipe

The Associated Press
Posted: 03/14/2009 02:49:02 PM PDT

SAN DIEGO—A robot dispatched Saturday to look for suspected illegal immigrants seen entering a drainage pipe at the nation's busiest border crossing spotted two people but they evaded capture, authorities said.

The search began after a motorist reported seeing about 12 people enter a storm drain in front of inspection booths at the San Ysidro port of entry that connects San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Vince Bond said. However, surveillance cameras showed only eight went into the storm drain opening.

The opening is in American territory just south of San Ysidro's 24 vehicle inspection booths, Bond said.

The opening connects to a 30-inch-wide drainage pipe that extends about 100 yards west to an open channel in San Diego, Bond said.

The robot spotted a man and a woman who fled before authorities reached them, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

About 40,000 vehicles enter the U.S. daily at the crossing.