Four suspected illegal migrants drowned late Friday night when a smuggling vessel capsized in rough waters near Imperial Beach, California. The U.S. Coast Guard recovered the bodies and rescued several others after a “panga-style” boat overturned near Seacoast Drive, triggering a multi-agency search and rescue operation. Four survivors were hospitalized, and one individual was transferred to Border Patrol custody.
According to a United States Coast Guard press release, the incident began close to midnight on Friday when the Border Patrol in Imperial Beach, a city just south of downtown San Diego, notified the Coast Guard that a “panga-style” boat had capsized near Seacoast Drive. The Border Patrol reported six illegal aliens were on the beach, one suspected illegal alien was pronounced deceased by EMS, and another alleged illegal alien had been located under the capsized vessel and was rescued.
After receiving an additional report by a resident who saw a person in the water near the Imperial Beach Pier, a U.S. Coast Guard boat crew arrived at the pier and recovered three bodies from the water. An EMS crew on shore pronounced the three suspected illegal aliens deceased upon arrival.
A massive search and rescue effort was initiated to search for additional victims that included several Coast Guard vessels and aircraft, as well as lifeguards from Imperial Beach and San Diego. Further assistance was provided by the San Diego and Chula Vista Fire Departments, Imperial Beach Border Patrol, and deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident comes just days after another maritime incident involving suspected illegal alien smuggling off the San Diego coast, where a Coast Guard boat crew intercepted 12 suspected illegal aliens in a similar “panga-style” boat. In that incident, the boat operators refused to stop when encountered by the Coast Guard and attempted to flee. The Coast Guard boarding team pursued the vessel and fired disabling shots at the engine, forcing the smuggling vessel to stop.
According to the Coast Guard, there were no injuries during the incident. Eleven suspected illegal aliens claimed to be citizens of Mexico, and one claimed to be a citizen of El Salvador.
DHS Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the latest incident.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
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