HOLTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — The Border Patrol says 13 people killed in a Southern California crash were among 44 people who entered the U.S. through a hole cut into the border fence with Mexico. Gregory Bovino, the agency’s El Centro sector chief, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that surveillance video showed a Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Suburban drive through the opening Tuesday. It’s believed they were part of a migrant smuggling operation. The Suburban carried 19 people, and it caught fire after entering the U.S. All escaped the vehicle and were taken into custody by Border Patrol agents. The Expedition crammed with 25 people continued on, and a tractor-trailer struck it a short time later. Ten of the 13 killed have been identified as Mexican citizens.
