U.S. Border Patrol agents assisted in the arrest of 28 people during two separate incursions along the California coastline.
The first incident occurred on Sunday December 13, 2020 when agents were notified by a concerned citizen of a suspicious boat in San Diego Bay, California.
Agents made contact with the boat and determined that all 11 people on-board were unlawfully present in the U.S.
Nine of the boat’s occupants were Mexican nationals, one was a Guatemalan national, and one was a Salvadoran national. All 11 were transported to a nearby station and processed for removal. The vessel was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations agents.
The second event happened on Monday December 14, 2020 at 12:30 a.m., when the U.S. Coast Guard’s Joint Harbor Operation Center notified marine interdiction agents about a suspicious vessel off the coast of downtown San Diego.
Agents met the boat at the Shelter Island boat dock and discovered 14 people on-board who were illegally present in the U.S.
Three other people were discovered nearby with a white pickup truck and boat trailer. The three people were determined to be the pickup crew for the event. The entire group was arrested and consisted of three U.S. citizens, 12 Mexican nationals, and two Guatemalan nationals.
All 17 people were processed accordingly.
The vessel, truck, and trailer were seized. The three U.S. citizens were booked on charges of immigrant smuggling and the 14 foreign nationals were processed for removal.
