SAN DIEGO BAY, CA - MARCH 8: Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents of the Marine Interdiction Unit search the horizon for Mexican smuggling boats at the opening of the San Diego harbor on March 8, 2006 in San Diego, California. The CBP boat is roughly 8 miles from the U.S.-Mexican border with Tijuana on the Pacific Ocean. CBP agents patrol 91 coastal miles along the southern California coast to the Mexican border. Smugglers moving north are often interdicted at sea carrying marijuana along with their human cargo. Mexicans can pay 1200-1300 USD for a passage depending on where they are dropped off. The 25 foot CBP boat uses a variety of radar inputs from the U.S Navy fleet stationed at San Diego and from the US Coast Guard patrolling the area off of Point Loma, California. It is estimated that some 6.3 million illegal Mexican immigrants live in the US and some 485,000 undocumented Mexican immigrants enter the US annually. The US government estimates 11 million illegal immigrants reside in the US In 2005, San Diego and Imperial counties of southern California deported 40,335 Mexican and Central American immigrants. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
San Diego, California – The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a small boat carrying 11 suspected migrants off the coast of San Diego this week, officials said Friday.
According to Coast Guard officials, the incident unfolded around 8 a.m. Thursday, when the Cutter Forrest Rednour stopped an 18-foot panga — a small open fishing-style boat — roughly 13 miles northwest of Mission Bay. The vessel was headed toward U.S. waters when it was intercepted by a boarding team from the cutter.
Authorities said the 11 people on board claimed Mexican nationality. They were transported to a Coast Guard facility at Ballast Point for further processing by federal immigration officials. No injuries were reported, and officials did not say whether anyone aboard the boat would face smuggling-related charges.
The Coast Guard said patrols like this one have become routine in the waters off Southern California, where maritime smuggling attempts continue despite frequent interceptions and rough winter seas.
Pangas like the one stopped Thursday are common in illicit crossings along the Pacific coast. The boats, usually low to the water and powered by outboard motors, are favored by smugglers for their speed and simplicity. But they’re also dangerous — often overloaded, poorly equipped, and sent into open ocean waters that can turn deadly fast.
Maritime smuggling routes have seen a sharp uptick in activity in recent years as land border enforcement has tightened. Federal data show that dozens of migrants die every year attempting ocean crossings between Baja California and San Diego County. The region’s steep cliffs, unpredictable surf, and heavy boat traffic make it one of the most treacherous stretches of coastline in the country.
In 2023, the Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a rise in maritime apprehensions compared to previous years. Smugglers often attempt to evade patrols by moving under the cover of darkness, taking advantage of the region’s hundreds of miles of coastline and limited radar coverage.
The 11 individuals taken into custody are expected to be turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for further processing. The Coast Guard said the investigation into the boat’s origin and possible smuggling ties remains ongoing.
