Border Patrol Arrests Three Romanian Nationals on I-5; One a Suspected Balkan Crime Group Member
SAN DIEGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on October 15 that Border Patrol agents in the San Diego Sector arrested three Romanian nationals illegally present in the United States last week, including one identified in a transnational organized crime alert as a suspected member of a Balkan organized-crime group.
According to CBP, San Clemente Station agents stopped a vehicle on Interstate 5 near Oceanside on October 9 and arrested all three occupants. Investigators determined the three had illegally entered the United States from Canada between ports of entry. Record checks showed one of the men was identified as a member of a Balkan organized-crime group and had an active Virginia warrant related to the alleged illicit use of credit cards. Investigators also connected the group to a reported theft of a Rolex watch from a YMCA locker room in Los Angeles County in August 2026.
Justin De La Torre, chief patrol agent for the San Diego Sector, said Border Patrol agents remain vigilant in identifying and stopping individuals who may pose a threat to communities. The three men were transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, for removal proceedings.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 边境巡逻探员在5号州际公路检查站查验车辆（CBP资料图，非本案现场）。（图：美国海关与边境保护局，公共领域）
