Border Crossing Reopens After Shooting

The world's busiest border crossing reopened early Friday following a nine-hour closure that occurred after federal authorities shot and killed the driver of a car headed for Mexico, officials said.

The shooting took place on southbound Interstate 5 around 3:30 p.m. Thursday about 50 feet north of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which links Tijuana, Mexico with San Diego. The crossing reopened around 12:40 a.m. Friday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver, who was not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds, said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. No other injuries were reported.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents began following a black sport utility vehicle after somebody reported seeing it pick up suspected illegal immigrants near the U.S. side of the Otay Mesa border crossing, said Lt. Kevin Rooney of San Diego Police Department.

As traffic backed up near the border, the vehicle stopped on the shoulder. When agents approached, the suspect "began to drive off and he veered hard to the left, trying to get back in traffic," Rooney said. Two agents then opened fire, he said.

Five passengers in the vehicle, whose identities were not released, were taken into custody and were being interrogated, Rooney said.

Anna Valderrama of Tijuana, Mexico, who was about four vehicles back when the shooting occurred, said she was stuck in her car for more than two hours.

"I was going to eat with my family," said Valderrama. "I feel desperate to go home."