U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted a special operation near the Imperial San Dunes Recreation Area.
The second iteration of Operation Sandman resulted in the apprehension of 170 suspects during a three-week operation in April and May. Agents from the Yuma Sector's Special Operations Detachment , Yuma and El Centro Sector Intelligence Units , with the assistance of the Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Office apprehended a total of 145 foreign nationals who were being smuggled into the United States near +he off-road recreation area in eastern Imperial County. Four of the subjects caught in the operation were Chinese nationals , three were Indian nationals. Twenty-five additional suspects , many of them United States citizens , were arrested for coordinating and facilitating humans smuggling attempts. Fifteen vehicles were seized by agents and three other vehicles were returned to rental companies after the occupants were arrested.