Thread: 21 arrested by Border Patrol after boat comes ashore in Imperial Beach

21 arrested by Border Patrol after boat comes ashore in Imperial Beach



Karen Kucher 1 hr ago

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21 arrested by Border Patrol after boat comes ashore in Imperial Beach

Border Patrol agents arrested 21 people in Imperial Beach after a smuggling boat came ashore early Monday morning, officials said.

The panga was spotted around 3:30 a.m. at the south end of Seacoast Drive and a group of people got off and ran. Agents quickly located 13 people near the intersection of Seacoast and Encanto Avenue.

More agents responded and found eight additional people near Seacoast and Cortez Avenue.

The group included 14 men from Mexico, six woman from Mexico and one woman from Guatamala. LL 21 were taken To a Border Patrol station for processing. Two of the men arrested will face human-smuggling charges, officials said. The panga was seized.

"Smugglers often overcrowd small open bow vessels that are typically unsafe," Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said in a statement. "Sea conditions, visibility and weather are not important considerations to smugglers as they place an emphasis on profit over their victims' safety."

Border Patrol officials ask anyone who sees suspected smuggling activities to call the San Diego sector office at (619) 498-9900.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...?ocid=msedgdhp

EXPEL them all directly to Southern Mexico.

Make it difficult to come back here.

USBP Arrests 21 During Maritime Event





Release Date: October 28, 2020



IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. — San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents arrested 21 migrants Monday who landed their boat at Imperial Beach in south San Diego County.

The event began Monday morning, October 26, at approximately 3:30 a.m., when the Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC) reported a panga-style vessel made landfall at the south end of Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach. Notifying USBP, JHOC relayed that a large number of people had disembarked the vessel and ran towards Seacoast Drive.



Several others in the group ran south towards the Tijuana River Valley.








USBP agents arrived on scene quickly and located 13 people near the intersection of Seacoast Drive and Encanto Avenue. Additional agents responded to the area and located eight more people near the intersection of Seacoast Drive and Cortez Avenue.

The 21 individuals were questioned, determined to be illegally present in the U.S., and arrested. The group included 14 male Mexican nationals, six female Mexican nationals, and one female Guatemalan national. All 21 individuals were taken to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing.

Two men in the group are facing human smuggling charges. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations agents seized the beached panga.

Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke explained, “Smugglers often overcrowd small open bow vessels that are typically unsafe. Sea conditions, visibility, and weather are not important considerations to smugglers as they place an emphasis on profit over their victims’ safety.”

To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.


https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-m...maritime-event