Tucson Standard

The Chief Patrol Agent of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Sean McGoffin, has reported that CBP agents from the Yuma station thwarted an attempted robbery by bandits, one armed with a machete. The incident involved an "illegal border crosser" situated on the Mexican side of the Colorado River.

In a Facebook post dated May 15, the Yuma Sector provided further details about the event. The post read: "An attempted robbery by a bandit wielding a machete was halted by #YumaStation agents assigned to the Yuma Riverine Unit. Agents spotted two bandits, one with a machete, trying to rob an illegal border crosser who was standing on the bank of the Colorado River in Mexico. The agents maneuvered their boat toward the area and the victim, a Peruvian national, was able to get away from the bandits. The bandits retreated from the area and Mexican authorities were notified of the incident."

The CBP agents involved in this incident were part of the Yuma Riverine Unit. According to a webpage dedicated to this unit on the US Customs and Border Patrol website, individuals assigned to this unit undergo specialized training which includes a 24-hour course and certification as a crewman. Those who achieve certification are then evaluated before attending a four-week Marine Law Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. There are currently 39 border patrol riverine units across America, including 16 along the Southwest border.

Screenshot of SEan McGoffin's May 14 Post on X | X

The CBP's webpage devoted to its operations reveals that Yuma Sector spans 181,670 square miles encompassing open deserts, rocky mountain ranges, sand dunes, and parts of the Colorado River. It extends from California's Imperial Sand Dunes to Arizona's Yuma-Pima County line. Established in December 1954 with just two stations, it has since expanded into three sectors located in Yuma and Wellton, Arizona, and Blythe, California. Additional stations were opened in Somerton, Arizona and Wellton in February 1955.

The U.S. Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency operating under the Department of Homeland Security. Its mandate is to secure the nation's borders and prevent illegal entry of people and contraband. Since its establishment in 1924, it operates across 328 ports of entry and safeguards 7,000 miles of land borders along with 95,000 miles of maritime borders.