28 Arrested From 2 Human Smuggling Attempts Near San Diego

San Diego CA

15 December, 2020

8:09 PM

Description

SAN DIEGO, CA —Border Patrol officials Tuesday announced 28 arrests made during a pair of alleged human smuggling attempts made near San Diego across a six-hour span. The arrests were made Sunday evening and early Monday morning following reports of vessels spotted in the waters off Coronado and downtown San Diego, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. The first incident happened at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, when a tip was received regarding a "suspicious vessel" in San Diego Bay, near Coronado. Agents found 11 people aboard the boat, nine of whom were Mexican nationals, along with one Guatemalan national and one Salvadorian national, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. At about 12:30 a.m. Monday, another boat was seen off the coast of downtown San Diego. The vessel was met by agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations at the Shelter Island boat dock, and 14 people on-board were arrested. Three other people were found nearby in a pickup truck and boat trailer. Border Patrol officials say those people were waiting to pick up the boat's occupants. From the second incident, 17 people were arrested, composed of three U.S. citizens, 12 Mexican nationals and two Guatemalan nationals. In the past week, CBP announced 30 additional arrests in two similar alleged smuggling incidents in the county. On Dec. 8, 21 people were arrested after a panga boat was seen dropping off 16 Mexican nationals off the coast of Del Mar. The boat's occupants got into three vehicles, one of which was stopped near the coast, while two others were stopped at a Carlsbad hotel, the Border Patrol said. On Dec. 10, nine people were arrested on a pleasure craft at the Oceanside Harbor. Of the nine people arrested, the U.S. Border Patrol said three of them face felony smuggling charges. — City News Service