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The jet skiers were apprehended after attempting to flee up a staircase at Sunset Cliffs.

San Diego County locals are growing increasingly concerned as more migrants come using unconventional transportation. This includes jet skis, UTVs, vans with FedEx stickers, construction vehicles, SUVs with unauthorized Border Patrol decals, and even a Jeep that scaled a border wall ramp. Recently, supposedly a new and alarming vehicle of choice emerged: a school bus loaded with children.

On August 28, parents in the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District were shocked to learn that migrants had approached their children’s school buses on Highway 94. In an email to families, Superintendent Liz Bystedt informed them that a group of migrants had tried to board one of the buses. "Good morning, Route A and Route B Families," the email read in part. "It just came to my attention that this morning, a group of migrants tried to board Route B at one of the stops on the way back towards school." 

Smugglers used a vehicle resembling a Border Patrol SUV with official-looking stickers.

Bystedt then added that Route A encountered a similar situation the previous afternoon in the same area. Border Patrol, the sheriff's office, and the CHP were notified, and the incidents were under investigation.

Jamul school grounds

Jeremy, a firefighter and long-time Jamul resident, saw the screenshot post circulating on Facebook but was surprised he hadn’t received the email despite his child attending school in the same district. Jamul is located about 20 miles east of downtown San Diego and 24 miles northwest of Tecate, Mexico. "I saw the screenshot online and wondered why we never got notified," said Jeremy. Jeremy shared the email screenshot on his social media and sent it to his friend, Mario Escovedo, at CBS 8 News in San Diego. 

Superintendent Bystedt email

The story quickly gained attention across the U.S. and beyond. Only then did Jeremy receive the district's official email about the bus incident.

While most online reactions were alarmed by the migrants’ actions, some commenters empathized. One user, joseperezsr420, remarked, "They confused the school bus with the big white bus the feds use to transport them away from the border."

Jeremy noted, "Twenty years ago, you’d rarely see them, but now they walk the streets without much concern and get picked up by waiting cars just a few miles away."

This surge of migrant crossings isn’t isolated to Jamul, nor is it new. During our interview, Jeremy and I saw screenshots of online posts showing a Jeep stuck on a ramp after scaling the border wall and another vehicle resembling a Border Patrol SUV with official-looking stickers. He added, "I’ve also seen videos of them coming in on boats and jet skis."

911 Video News reported on September 4 that U.S. Customs Maritime Patrol agents tracked a jet ski entering U.S. waters illegally from Baja. The jet ski headed toward Point Loma, where law enforcement was waiting. Three individuals were apprehended after attempting to flee up a staircase at Sunset Cliffs.

Migrants have also arrived by other means, including pangas, pontoons, regular boats, and sailboats. On August 29, a sailboat carrying five undocumented individuals landed at North Island near two docked aircraft carriers, reported 911 Video News. 

Back in Jamul, the sheriff's office explained that after speaking with witnesses, there was no evidence that the migrants intended to forcefully stop or enter the school buses. "At no point did anyone other than the students attempt to board the bus or even come close to it," the statement read. The sheriff’s office noted that it’s common for volunteers and charitable organizations to operate in the area, some using vehicles that resemble school buses.

Reflecting on the situation, Jeremy told his 8-year-old son: "Some people come here for a better life, bringing their families with them. But others, like young men from the military or gangs, may have different intentions."