A Mexican national in the United States has pleaded guilty to impersonating a US Border Patrol agent and tailing federal immigration officers in Southern California in an attempt to disrupt their enforcement operations.
Jamie Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez admitted to following a Border Patrol agent on 8 January while driving in a residential area of San Diego, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. His black Ford F-150, a model used by undercover federal officers, bore a licence plate with a frame reading 'federal truck' in small letters, though the word 'federal' was misspelled. He had also placed a Border Patrol sticker in the windscreen, fitted non-functioning radio antennae to the roof, and hung handcuffs from the rearview mirror.
The agent aborted his mission upon noticing he was being followed, mistakenly believing other agents were responding. When real agents confronted Alvarez-Gonzalez, he reportedly shouted obscenities and demanded they leave the Linda Vista neighbourhood. Three other vehicles subsequently arrived and harassed departing agents, chasing them along the highway.
Prosecutors said Alvarez-Gonzalez had made a recording in which he claimed to be actively looking for federal agents conducting immigration enforcement and had called in his 'reinforcements'. He also possessed a fake FBI badge.
He pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a federal officer and three counts of illegally possessing firearms. His public defender did not respond to a request for comment. The US Attorney's Office noted that Alvarez-Gonzalez had overstayed a tourist visa used to enter the country decades ago.
