Place and Ocean Blvd during daylight hours, less than four miles
from downtown Long Beach
LONG BEACH - On December 15, 2020 at about 4:00 p.m., Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM) partners intercepted a small, open bowed fishing vessel from Mexico (“panga”) with 23 individuals aboard on the beach in Long Beach, CA. The subjects, 21 males and two females, including two juveniles, all claimed to be citizens and nationals of Mexico.
The Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM) is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), Office of Intelligence, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with state and local law enforcement partners. The ReCoM coordinates planning and operations to target the threat of transnational crime along the California coastal border.
including two juveniles, all claimed to be
citizens and nationals of Mexico.
In an anomalous attempt at successful human smuggling, the panga vessel made landfall on the beach near the area of 55th Place and Ocean Blvd during daylight hours, less than four miles from downtown Long Beach. OFO/CBP Officers, USBP Agents, and the HSI Los Angeles Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (LA-BEST) all arrived on scene and apprehended the undocumented aliens.
into custody without incident by ReCoM partners
for investigation by LA-BEST.
Response to the event included CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO), and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), with communications support from the Maritime Coordination Center. Baywatch, Lifeguards, and local Police helped secure the scene, and the vessel was seized by DHS. No injuries were reported, and all subjects were taken into custody without incident by ReCoM partners for investigation by LA-BEST.
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, please call the Maritime Coordination Center at 1-562-283-7820, or notify local law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1.