Border agents catch 13 illegal immigrants all wearing marine uniforms 'embroidered with the name Perez'



Two Americans arrested with gang

Border Patrol agents have caught 13 illegal immigrants wearing U.S. Marine uniforms at a checkpoint near San Diego.



The immigrants were in a van that was stopped along Interstate 8 on March 14.

The van had a U.S. government licence plate with an altered number, Border Patrol spokesman Michael Jimenez said.

He did not know where the group obtained the military uniforms. There are reports that each of the 13 uniforms were embroidered with the surname 'Perez'.

Under arrest: The illegal immigrants were all dressed in U.S. marines uniforms

Fake plates: The registration actually belongs to a van owned by the U.S. government

'This effort is an example of the lengths smugglers will go through to avoid detection, and the skilled and effective police work of the agents and the customs and border protection,' he said.



Two U.S. citizens who were with the immigrants were arrested on suspicion of alien smuggling.

Three of the immigrants were being held in federal custody as witnesses and the others were returned to Mexico, their country of origin, he said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Border Patrol were conducting a joint investigation of the incident.



NCIS spokesman Ed Buice said he couldn't discuss details, but 'there are several obvious questions that need to be answered.'

It is not known if the two U.S. citizens who were arrested have been in the military.

Officials believe the van entered the U.S. at Calexico. The vehicle is registered in Yucca Valley California.

The fake number plates actually belong to a van registered to the U.S. Marine Corps.



Under arrest: The uniforms were reportedly all embroidered with the name Perez



