In Southern California, local officials are now handing out air purifiers to residents choking on the stench of raw sewage — yes, including human waste — flowing across the border from Mexico.
Roughly 25 million gallons of untreated sewage from America’s southern neighbor reportedly spill into the Pacific Ocean each day, and in parts of San Diego County, the cross-border torrent has turned what should be crisp seaside air into the unmistakable funk of a porta-potty.
By Wednesday morning, the mess had grown loud enough to reach the White House, as President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social.
“Mexico must take care of its water and sewage problem, IMMEDIATELY. It is a true Threat to the People of Texas, California, and the United States of America!” Trump warned, attaching a local news segment as evidence of the unfolding mess.
In California, the mouth of the Tijuana River, which flows through Mexico, empties into the Pacific just north of the border near Imperial Beach.
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The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District spent the week handing out hundreds of air purifiers and replacement filters to residents in the South Bay, a cluster of communities pressed against the Mexico border. CBS 8 News reported that people living there “continue to grapple with foul odors and polluted air stemming from cross-border sewage flow.”
Last week, the situation worsened after a break in a Mexican sewer line reportedly sent 120,000 gallons of sewage into the South Bay. The ongoing pollution has already dragged down home values, closed some beaches, and affected Navy SEAL training.
Leon Benham, who has lived in the area for more than 60 years, told KGTV that raw sewage has contaminated his backyard. He is the founder of Citizens for Coast Conservancy, which has reportedly spent years advocating for solutions.
“When the offshore flow comes in, we can smell the stink, you know, we can smell it,” he said.
Residents largely viewed the air purifiers as a temporary band-aid, not a fix. Baron Parlow, the founder of Stop the Poop, told CBS 8 that local officials simply handing out filters wasn’t anywhere close to enough.
“Where [are] all the tough sanctions on the source Mexico?” he asked. “Where’s all the pressure to get Mexico to stop the poo?”
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin reacted to President Trump’s demand on social media.
“The Trump Admin has been taking important action to PERMANENTLY END the flow of disgusting raw sewage from Mexico into the United States,” he posted on X on Wednesday. “We are working very closely with our Mexican counterparts to ensure San Diego area beaches can reopen, foul odors cease, and the Tijuana River Valley gets cleaned up as quickly as humanly possible. This will also be great for our Navy SEALs who train in the area.”
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