Two suspected smuggling vessels were discovered by federal officials off the coast of San Diego late Wednesday and early Thursday, resulting in 19 people being detained, authorities said.
In the first incident, a personal watercraft carrying three people was detected around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in U.S. waters near the border and heading north. “They were tracking them up the coast,” a Coast Guard spokesperson said. By time a Coast Guard crew made contact, one of the people needed to be rescued after falling into the water, the spokesperson said.
Two men and a woman had been traveling on the personal watercraft, which was first located about 11 miles off of Point Loma. After they were brought to shore, the woman was transported to a hospital. It was unknown what kind of medical issue she was having.
In a second incident, federal agents detained 16 people early Thursday after a suspected smuggling boat was found near Mission Bay.
Members of the Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine branch were notified of a suspicious vessel in waters off Mission Bay around 5 a.m., and a half hour later, agents intercepted the vessel as it docked, a spokesperson said.
Thirteen men, one woman and two children were discovered onboard. All claimed to be Mexican nationals and were taken into custody for processing. The boat was seized.
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