Officials in Tijuana say 15-20 people have been arrested in connection with a series of razor wire thefts along a section in and around the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The wire was installed a few months ago in anticipation of the thousands expected to arrive in the so-called Central American Caravan.
Tijuana’s secretary of public safety, Marco Amezcua, says the US Department of Homeland Security has asked his office for help. Tijuana’s border liaison director has also been asked to assist.
Residents in Tijuana have told local media sections of the concertina wire are being sold in neighborhoods for around (us)$2.50 to help protect homes and property – 400 feet can sell in the U-S for around (us)$100.00. According to a report by the Citizens' Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, Tijuana was the most violent city in the world in 2018, with drug-related killings averaging around 7 per day.
Sources in the border patrol have told me after the wire has been replaced the agency is expected to order more frequent patrols along those sections where the wire was installed. That could also include more use of surveillance technology.
It’s not clear how much of the high-end wire has been stolen.
Photos: Customs and Border Protection