'His Purpose Being Investigated': Chinese Migrant Arrested After Driving Onto US Military Base in California

A Chinese immigrant was arrested in the US state of California this week after entering an American Marine Corps base without permission. US border patrol agents responded to a call from the base about an illegal immigrant on Wednesday “who entered the base w/o authorisation, ignoring orders to leave,” according to Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino.

US Marine Corps officials told US media that the individual had attempted to access the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California, without a valid ID. “Despite being prompted to exit at the Condor gate by installation security, the individual proceeded onto the installation without authorization. Military law enforcement were immediately notified and detained the individual,” the US Marine Corps spokesperson was quoted as saying by the New York Post.

The base then contacted US border protection forces and he was then taken into custody. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that Border Patrol agents had responded to a report of a suspected Chinese national who had driven onto the base without authorization. The agents arrived and determined that the man was a Chinese national who was illegally present in the US. “Subject was confirmed to be in the country illegally,” Bovino said on X. “His purpose and intent behind his actions are still being investigated.”

Over 22,000 encounters of Chinese nationals at the southern border have been recorded since October 1. This is a massive increase from the 2,176 encountered in federal fiscal year 2022 and the 450 encountered in fiscal year 2021, the New York Post reported. The report said that China is one of more than 150 countries represented among migrants arriving at the southern border in the US.  Some officials and Republican lawmakers have raised concerns that single adults entering from the geopolitical foe could pose a national security threat.

“There have been numerous documented instances of Chinese nationals, at the direction of the CCP, engaging in espionage, stealing military and economic secrets,” a group of Republican senators warned last year. They said that among those crossing the border could be “individuals who could engage in espionage activities or cyber-attacks against our critical infrastructure, government agencies, or private sector entities.” Other migrants said that they are just trying to make a better life for themselves and their families in the US.