San Diego

The Border Patrol reported Monday that its agents arrested a record number of illegal aliens in the San Diego area in January. Border Patrol spokesman Ed Pyeatt said that 53,866 aliens were deported last month, an increase of 16,459 over the same period last year. Pyeatt said that last month’s arrests represent the biggest monthly toll for any sector in Border Patrol history. About 1,000 of those arrested were from countries other than Mexico, including Yugoslavia, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and the People’s Republic of China. The 600 agents in the San Diego sector also recovered 50 stolen vehicles that were being used to smuggle aliens and seized an additional 230 vehicles used by smugglers, Pyeatt said.