SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - Customs and Border Protection officials said operations at the San Ysidro Port of Entry were "steady" after Thursday's readiness drill, and announced that rumors that had been circulating about an extended border crossing closure were false.
The planned exercise was scheduled at approximately 2 p.m., PST, and has since been completed. Traffic was stopped for the duration of the "large-scale operational eadiness exercise" that was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and last about 10 minutes. Officials also tweeted that 21 of 26 lanes were now open at the northbound border crossing after Thursday's drill.
News 8's Shannon Handy reported seeing an increase of armed guards at the border compared to previous days, however, officials didn't say if the training was related to the migrant caravan that began arriving in Tijuana nearly two weeks ago.
More than 4,500 migrants were estimated to be staying in Tijuana awaiting a chance to apply for asylum in the United States.
Also on Thursday, CBP tweeted that reports of a planned five-day closure at the border were incorrect, and officials will notify the public if they plan to undertake any additional security measures.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website:
CBP is continually assessing the capabilities of our facilities and have been making - and will continue to make - necessary preparations. These include participating in operational readiness exercises and the mobilization of resources as needed to ensure the facilitation of lawful trade and travel. CBP’s highest priority is the safety and security of the American people, the traveling public, CBP personnel and the communities in which we serve.
News 8 cameras caught this activity at the San Ysidro port of entry around 12:20 p.m. Thursday, November 22, 2018.
