Law enforcement officials stress dangers of smuggling by sea
SAN DIEGO – This holiday weekend, law enforcement and public safety agencies on the water and on land will be working in conjunction with crews in helicopters and airplanes providing aerial patrols in an effort to ensure boater safety and to deter individuals from considering dangerous attempts to illegally enter the U.S. by sea.
This fiscal year authorities have recorded 222 maritime interceptions yielding 1,319 arrests surpassing the 1,273 maritime arrests in fiscal year 20.
“Community members are some of our greatest partners in combating maritime smuggling,” said U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke. “The sooner we are alerted to maritime smuggling attempts, the sooner we can interdict them and arrest these ruthless smugglers who seek only to profit from their criminal activity. If you see something, say something.”
From Friday, July 2, through Tuesday, July 6, federal law enforcement partners will dedicate extra resources to coastal patrols covering the land, air, and sea. San Diego residents will see an increase in various law enforcement and public safety agencies all along the San Diego coastline, including at beaches and marinas, in San Diego Bay, and out along the coast. Assets on the land and on the water will be working in conjunction with crews in helicopters and airplanes providing aerial patrols. If San Diego residents see smuggling-related activity, they are encouraged to call the Joint Harbor Operations Center at 1-800-854-9834 *1 to report any suspicious or potentially unsafe activities, or 9-1-1 for any emergencies.
“Maritime smuggling is a long and dangerous journey over an unpredictable ocean in open vessels that are overladen with people who are not wearing the proper safety equipment and are sitting alongside flammable fuel containers,” said Rafael Cabrera, Director of Air and Marine Operations, San Diego Air and Marine Branch. “Smugglers have no regard for human life and are recklessly putting people’s lives at risk purely for profit.”
Through the Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM), law enforcement officials in the San Diego region routinely coordinate to: share intelligence; coordinate assets for coverage, patrols, and response; leverage resources dedicated to securing San Diego waterways; plan operations; and more. ReCoM partners, in addition to their standard patrols, perform targeted operations as conditions dictate and resources permit. Officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including Air and Marine Operations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Office of Field Operations, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, have worked with law enforcement and public safety partners to remain especially vigilant this upcoming holiday weekend, when officials typically see a large increase in legitimate recreational boating traffic. In southern California, criminal organizations often try to take advantage of recreational traffic in attempts to blend in and obscure their smuggling activities.
In a national safety bulletin, USCG reminds boaters to be safe this Fourth of July weekend.
“The Fourth of July holiday weekend can bring more boaters to the water and enforcement efforts will include checks for boating under the influence (BUI) as a part of “Operation DryWater,” said Capt. Timothy J. Barelli, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Sector San Diego.
If the general public observes unsafe boating practices, are in distress, or see smuggling-related activity, they are encouraged to call the Joint Harbor Operations Center via VHF Marine Band Channel 16 or 9-1-1 for any emergencies, or at 1-800-854-9834 *1 to report any suspicious or potentially unsafe activities.