CBP stops 18 people from illegally entering the US in a boat
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - U.S. Customs and Border (CBP) Protection says agents stopped a boat off the coast of San Diego with 18 people on board - all of them trying to illegally enter the U.S.
Agents say they spotted a boat off the San Diego coast around Wednesday 10:15 Wednesday night. CBP says a 35-foot panga was leaving Mexican territorial waters with no lights .
Agents called in law enforcement aircraft and boats to help track the vessel.
CBP agents say they intercepted the panga about 35 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego, and stopped the boat without any complications.
“The crews aboard both aircraft were critical to the initial detection and continued tracking of the vessel,” said Tim Sutherland, Director of Air and Marine Operations for CBP in San Diego.
The officers say they found 16 men and two women in the boat. All 18 adults were Mexican nationals with no legal status in the U.S. The group was turned over to U.S. Border Patrol agents for processing.
