SAN DIEGO —
A suspected smuggling boat carrying 17 people was towed to shore by San Diego lifeguards after it apparently suffered engine trouble off the coast of Mission Beach early Thursday, a federal official said.
The panga was spotted around 7 a.m. by someone who notified federal agents, and lifeguards responded to the disabled craft, said Border Patrol spokesperson Eric Lavergne.
The boat was towed to the lifeguard dock at Quivera Basin and met by Border Patrol agents who took everyone on board into custody.
Agents determined all 17 were adult Mexican nationals who were in the country without proper immigration documentation, he said.
They were taken to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing. No other information was immediately available.
