23 arrested in smuggling attempt by boat

By Jose Luis Jiménez, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 5:43 p.m.

SAN ONOFRE — An attempt to smuggle 23 people into the U.S. was thwarted Wednesday morning by authorities.

The 17 males and six females were taken to the Border Patrol’s Imperial Beach Station and are expected to be deported.

Border Patrol agents on patrol spotted a small panga about 5:45 a.m. approaching a beach near the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, authorities said.

The agents saw four people exit the small boat, quickly apprehended them and called for help in stopping the boat, which returned to sea.

Vessels from Customs and Border Protection and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department closed in on the smuggling boat, which turned back to shore and the remaining 19 people tried to escape, authorities said. They were all captured on the beach, and the boat was seized.

Authorities have thwarted four smuggling attempts by sea during the past six days.

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