A Chinese national illegally in the United States was arrested in March after sneaking onto a Marine Corps base in California and refusing to leave, according to an official from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
In a March 29 post on X, Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino confirmed that agents were called out to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California after the Chinese national entered the facility without authorization.
“Subject was confirmed to be in the country illegally,” Bovino wrote, noting that the purpose of the incursion was still under investigation.
That said, the Epoch Times has learned on background from CBP sources that the Chiense national tried to enter the base without authorization, and he was later transported to a nearby CBP station for further processing.
Twentynine Palms is the largest Marine Corps base in the country.
The breach comes amid numerous instances of Chinese nationals infiltrating US military bases over a span of several years.
For instance, two Chinese nationals were arrested for illegally entering and taking photos at a U.S. Navy base in Florida in 2020, and a recent report by The Wall Street Journal estimates that there have been more than 100 similar incidents over the past few years.
The head of the Border Patrol union recently warned about a sharp rise in the number of military-aged Chinese men crossing the U.S.–Mexico border illegally, which dovetails with CBP data. – Epoch Times
According to the report, there’s been an ‘exceptionally high’ increase in the number of Chinese nationals – ‘particularly military-aged men,’ who have illegally crossed the US-Mexico border.
Starting in February 2023, the number of single Chinese adults encountered by CBP began to rise. In February of this year, CBP agents encountered 5,455 single Chinese adults who had entered illegally – over twice the number of any other February on record.
According to the Associated Press, Chinese people were the fourth most common nationality crossing the Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama en route to the United States, after Venezuelans, Ecuadorians, and Haitians.
Gordon Chang, a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and author of “The Coming Collapse of China,” wrote in a recent op-ed in The Epoch Times that of the Chinese migrants making the dangerous trek north from points in Central and South America, “almost all are desperate, seeking a better life for themselves and their children.”
“Some, however, are coming to commit acts of sabotage,” he said.
Mr. Chang explained that many Chinese nationals fly to Ecuador, which allows them to enter visa-free. Then, they travel to the southern edge of the Darién Gap, a 66-mile stretch of jungle that separates Colombia and Panama, typically crossing on foot. Once they get to the north side, they continue their journey to the United States, often by bus, according to the China expert.
“Some migrants are almost certainly members of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA),” Mr. Chang wrote. – Epoch Times
What’s more, “These military-linked migrants, despite their affiliations, have been released into America.”
