Coast Guard crews on Tuesday discovered 20 illegal immigrants in waters off the coast of Southern California.
According to the Coast Guard, Cutter Haddock's crew intercepted a 30-foot Panga-style ship from a 21-mile Point Roma.
The boat was discovered by US Customs and Border Protection Airlines and Maritime Operations Patrol aircraft and was notified to the Coast Guard.
A crew of Haddock's small boat rushed over to the boat and found the immigrants.
Video footage released by the Coast Guard It shows the crew heading towards the boat under a cloak of darkness.
The boats were 17 men and three women who claimed Mexican and Chinese nationality.
The immigrants were handed over to the US Border Patrol.
As southern land borders remain safe following the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, some immigrants have been working to enter the US by entering the US via the sea via California coastal beaches. Local officials said they were about to wear the skirt.
“We've seen a huge increase in the number of pangas that have appeared on our beaches over the last month or so,” Mayor of San Clemente Steve Noblock previously told Fox News Digital. “It happens, and no one seems to notice. No one seems to be catching it. There's no stopping. It's much more frequent.”
“President Trump has done an incredible job securing San Diego's Mexican border, but we're getting people from 150 countries that appear in the water,” Knoblock added. “It's like a land invasion has been stopped, but the ocean invasion has begun.”
San Clemente is located on the border between Orange and San Diego counties.
The city is considering working with border authorities to install and monitor cameras to find boats carrying illegal immigrants, focusing on water from coastal enclaves.
