Smuggler drops boy, 4, off 30ft barrier at border as gunshots ring out
Concerning footage shows the moment a four-year-old boy was dropped from a border wall around 30ft high at the US-Mexico border.
US Customs and Border Protection Chief Raul Oritz confirmed the boy's age in footage showing an adult smuggler helping the boy down a high fence before shots rang out.
The boy then joined another young child who had already made it over the wall as he was scooped up by a smuggler.
Another adult made it over the wall and the group of four began making their way before they were intercepted by border patrol agents and emergency services.
"A four-year-old was dropped from the border barrier by an unknown subject in San Diego, Monday," said Chief Raul Oritz in a Tweet.
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"Responding Agents and EMS providing first aid to the child also reported gunshots near their position while tending to the child. Remarkably, the child is ok! Do not trust smugglers!"
The young boy sustained a light injury (Newsflash)A minor injury to the child was reported before gunshots were heard at the scene.
Mexican law enforcement believed that the shots that rang out belonged to their side of the border and a CBP Air and Marine Operations helicopter was forced to provide protection on the US side.
It is not clear if the adults present were the children's parents, where they are from or if the four were released into the US.
Shots were heard as emergency services attended (Newsflash)The US Customs and Border Protection reportedly said in a statement: "Agents reported hearing both the impact and ricochet of gunshots off of the secondary border barrier just north of their location.
“With emergency medical services, the San Diego Fire Department, and the child still on scene, agents directed everyone in the area to cover.”
Keen eyes are on the border wall after the end of 'Title 42' restrictions earlier this month.
Title 42 was a pandemic-era restriction that allowed US border officials to expel people from the country on public health grounds.
Critics of the Biden administration argue the end of Title 42 could lead to a surge of people trying to cross the border (Newsflash)It meant migrants could be turned away from the border quickly without letting them apply for asylum.
The policy led to more than 2.8million people being expelled from the US.
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Critics of the Biden administration said this would lead to a surge of people trying to cross as they may feel they have a better chance of settling in the US.
Before the end of the measures, many immigration advocates argued Title 42 actually gave migrants the incentive to try repeatedly to enter the country because there were no repercussions if people were expelled.
They said the end of Title 42 means the US goes back to a policy - decades-old legislation known as 'Title 8' - where immigrants are penalised when they are turned away.
US officials claimed last week that illegal entries along the southern border have dropped to around 4,400 a day. This number was around 10,000 before Title 42 came to an end, the source told CBS.
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