Over the weekend, border officials apprehended 23 undocumented immigrants suspected of smuggling along the California coast.
The operation involved U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) air crews and Marines who intercepted a Panga-class boat on Saturday, just west of San Clemente Island near San Diego, as announced by the agency.
Upon intercepting the vessel around 1 p.m., authorities discovered 23 undocumented individuals aboard.
These individuals were handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Diego.
It seems that both men and women were among those detained.
Earlier this year, in February, the mayor of San Clemente—a beachside town just north of San Diego—expressed concern to Fox News Digital about the rising number of Panga boats that frequently land to drop off undocumented immigrants, disappearing into the inland areas afterward.
“We’ve seen a notable uptick in the number of these boats showing up on our beaches,” said Steve Knobloch at that time. “It’s happening, yet it feels like no one is paying attention. Nobody seems to be catching it. It’s difficult to prevent, and it’s happening much more frequently.”
In 2021, ICE cautioned about an increase in sightings of Panga vessels used for smuggling in Southern California. These fishing boats are utilized by smugglers for transporting migrants and illegal drugs.
At that time, around 90 immigrants were reported to have been apprehended along the coastline, spanning areas in Los Angeles County, notably the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and parts of Orange County, including San Pedro, Long Beach, Malibu, Santa Catalina Island, and Newport Beach.
