SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The chief of the Border Patrol in San Diego says it’s no secret her sector is the “epicenter” of illegal immigration along the southern border.

Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel says if you only account for apprehensions along the border with Mexico, the San Diego Sector has been the busiest for a long time.

“It’s not something that’s new,” she said. “We’ve been the epicenter for quite a while; San Diego per square mile has usually been the busiest sector on the entire Southwest border historically.”

She said the only thing that’s new, are the figures for the month of April. “We are the busiest in sheer numbers,” she said.

McGurk-Daniel says the April apprehensions have contributed to what will likely be a record year for the San Diego Sector, which is one of nine sectors along the southern border.

“Last fiscal year we had 230,000, this year we’ve already had 200,000,” she said.

The 2024 fiscal year will end Sept. 30.

McGurk Daniel said the increased number of migrants in the San Diego area has forced some of her agents into roles that are not part of their job description, such as driving buses to transport asylum seekers.

“Unfortunately, this does take us away from Border Patrol missions which includes addressing people who are trying to get away from us, and stopping narcotic activity in San Diego.”

McGurk-Daniel also worries that more migrants are putting their lives in the hands of smugglers to get them across the border.

“One of the challenges for us is dealing with people who are not trying to get away, but turning themselves in. Unfortunately, when they do it between the ports of entry and not at a port of entry, they are putting their lives in the hands of smugglers, who are nefarious. It’s dangerous.”

McGurk-Daniel said she is proud of her agents and the work they do on a daily basis, not only working with migrants, but in their roles to fight drug smuggling into our country.