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A Chinese illegal immigrant was arrested in California on Wednesday for entering a Marine Corps base without authorization and ignoring orders to leave, officials said, The New York Post reported.

US border patrol agents responded to a call from the base about a Chinese national “who entered the base w/o authorization, ignoring orders to leave”, said Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino.

“Subject was confirmed to be in the country illegally. His purpose and intent behind his actions are still being investigated, Bovino said on X.

The individual had attempted to access the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California, without valid ID, the US Marine Corps’ Training and Education Command official told US media, the New York Post reported.

“Despite being prompted to exit at the Condor gate by installation security, the individual proceeded onto the installation without authorization. Military law enforcement were immediately notified and detained the individual,” the spokesperson said.

The base then contacted Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and he was then taken into custody. CBP said that Border Patrol agents had responded to a report of a suspected Chinese national who had driven onto the base without authorization.

The agents arrived and found that the man was a Chinese national who was illegally present in the US.

Over 22,000 encounters of Chinese nationals at the southern border have been recorded since October 1. This is a massive increase from the 2,176 encountered in federal fiscal year 2022 and the 450 encountered in fiscal year 2021, the New York Post reported.

The report added that China is one of more than 150 countries represented among migrants arriving at the southern border in the US.

Some officials and Republican lawmakers have raised concerns that single adults entering from the geopolitical foe could pose a national security threat.

They said that among those crossing the border could be “individuals who could engage in espionage activities or cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure, government agencies, or private sector entities.”