Border Patrol and Coast Guard catch 60 smugglers off California in joint operations

Smugglers Apprehended Off California Coast

In April, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed it had arrested 60 smugglers in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard along the California coast. This effort focused on intercepting vessels suspected of being involved in illegal activities.

Between April 17 and April 21, CBP’s Air and Maritime Operations Division successfully seized three boats off Southern California. On the first day of this operation, a CBP marine unit located a 24-foot boat near San Clemente Island, onboard which were 13 individuals—seven men, five women, and one young girl. These individuals were processed at the Ballast Point Naval Station.

The following day, another suspected smuggling vessel was taken into custody approximately 80 nautical miles from San Diego. The Long Beach Marine crew, in tandem with the Coast Guard cutter Florence Finch, intercepted the boat off San Nicolas Island, capturing 29 individuals from Mexico. They were then transported to the Port of Newport and handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol.

The third operation occurred on April 21, where Coast Guard Officer Terrell Horn stopped a 25-foot cabin boat with 18 Mexicans on board. Similar to the earlier cases, those apprehended were also processed by the U.S. Border Patrol.

CBP noted that many of the arrested individuals had extensive criminal backgrounds; some had charges including DUI, robbery, drug trafficking, and various forms of assault.

Hunter Robinson, the director of Southwest Air and Maritime Services, commented on the situation, stating that these operations highlight the extreme measures that criminals might take. He emphasized the risks involved, saying that their actions endanger lives and underscoring the commitment of their teams to maintain community safety by stopping these individuals before they reach the shore.

Moreover, data suggests that border crossings and apprehensions have dropped significantly during the current administration, with recent figures showing the lowest rates of border encounters in recorded history for the first half of the fiscal year.