2 immigrant boats found along SoCal coast
From the Associated Press
2:07 PM PST, February 2, 2009

A boat carrying 23 suspected illegal immigrants was intercepted off the coast early today and an empty boat with 21 life vests was found later on the shoreline, federal authorities said.

A 26-foot Mexican fishing vessel with 23 people aboard was found around 4 a.m., four miles off the Torrey Pines area, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs Immigration and Enforcement.

The boat was seized and the 19 men and four women found aboard were taken to a Border Patrol station for processing.

No serious injuries were reported.

A few hours later, the life vests were found on or around a small, abandoned boat on the Torrey Pines shores. Those who had aboard also were believed to be illegal immigrants from Mexico.


U.S. authorities said heightened enforcement on land borders has led to more smuggling attempts at sea.

A 25-foot vessel with three illegal immigrants and a U.S. citizen was found in San Diego Bay early Sunday. Another boat with two suspected smugglers and two illegal immigrants aboard was stopped by the U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday, authorities said.

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