Crossings through the bombing range

For months now News 11 has been reporting on the number of illegal immigrant apprehensions in the Yuma area, including apprehensions at the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol explained that smugglers use the Barry M. Goldwater’s range not only for drug trafficking but also for human smuggling.

Agents explained that smugglers drop off illegal immigrants right by the U.S.-Mexico border.

” In the eyes of a smuggler, these people are nothing more than cattle. All they care about is getting paid, getting them to the border and getting them dropped off. So that way their job is finished and they can collect on their pay day, ” said Agent Garibay .

The range is a testing center for the military a nd can at times be very dangerous for those on it.

” The fact that this is a desert, due to the fact that not enough individuals don’t carry enough water to survive the trip as well as the fact that the military is conducting air operations out here and that causes a danger to anyone in the area, ” explained Agent Jose Garibay , Yuma Sector Border Patrol.

Agents said deaths are not common in this area.

News 11 reported about a month and a half ago one Guatemalan woman died after she was left behind by the group she was traveling with.