SAN DIEGO - Working in coordination with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partners, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested eight people who illegally entered the U.S. by panga boat early Sunday morning.
On Sept. 23, 2018 at approximately 5:15 a.m., near La Jolla, Calif., a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) vessel observed a panga-style fishing boat illegally enter the United States. USCG relayed the entry to the Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC), activating a response by Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO).
An AMO vessel was then dispatched to intercept the single-engine panga. At approximately 6 a.m., AMO intercepted the panga at sea and took the boat and its eight passengers to a secure location for further investigation.
Border Patrol agents assigned to the San Diego Sector Coastal Border Enforcement Team (CBET) responded and determined that all eight passengers onboard were Mexican Nationals illegally present in the United States. Agents also identified two men, a 38-year-old and a 50-year-old, as suspected smugglers.
The six smuggled undocumented aliens consisted of three women and three men. Two of the three women, ages 18 and 20, claimed to be pregnant and complained of stomach pains. They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for observation. The three men are 19, 25, and 31-years-old.
DHS maritime partners reported several similar incidents earlier in September and August.
Maritime smuggling is an extremely dangerous human smuggling method. Transnational Criminal Organizations prioritize monetary gain over the wellbeing of those they attempt to smuggle. Smugglers often overcrowd small, open vessels, and in the cases where personal flotation devices are provided, these are often unsafe and insufficient. Unpredictable sea and surf conditions, visibility, and weather are not important considerations to smugglers. Smugglers place an emphasis on profits over their victim’s safety by placing them in unpredictable and unsafe conditions.
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, call 911, and you will be directed through the proper channels.