CBP intercepts boat with illegals off San Diego coast
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations agents stopped a boat offshore of Sunset Cliffs early Wednesday morning with 17 men onboard attempting to enter the United States illegally.
The passengers were 16 Mexican nationals and one Cuban national, CBP said in a release.
“It took two warning shots before the vessel would stop,” said Tim Sutherland, Director of the San Diego Air and Marine Branch for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations. “Unfortunately, we have smuggling organizations who will risk the lives of everyone on board, which is why our agents train on our protocols to safely stop smuggling attempts like this.”
On Tuesday evening, the crew of multi-role enforcement aircraft on patrol off the coast of San Diego began tracking a suspicious vessel traveling without navigational lights with many people on board, CBP said.
The crew tracked the 24-foot panga as it traveled northbound from Mexican waters toward the U.S. coastline, handing off tracking to the crew of a second multirole enforcement aircraft. The crew of the second aircraft coordinated with the crew aboard a coastal intercept vessel, providing direction for the enforcement vessel to intercept the panga.
The two boats met about 1:30 a.m., and the crew of the intercept vessel turned on lights and sirens, directing the panga to stop. However, the panga failed to yield and instead continued to flee. The crew of the intercept fired two warning rounds, after which the panga operator stopped the vessel about 12 nautical miles west of Sunset Cliffs.
Air and Marine Operations (AMO) marine interdiction agents determined that all 17 men on board were attempting to illegally enter the United States, and brought the panga and occupants to the dock. Emergency medical services personnel met the group at the dock after one of the men appeared lethargic; they were medically cleared.
Border Patrol agents processed the group for return to their home countries; the suspected operator of the boat was held, pending federal criminal charges. AMO marine interdiction agents seized the panga.
On Sept. 9, CBP AMO agents apprehended another group of 15 people off the coast of San Diego also trying to illegally enter the United States.