LOG NEWS SERVICE — The Coast Guard says it intercepted an overloaded boat with 22 suspected illegal immigrants just northwest of the U.S./Mexico border off San Diego March 2.
The Coast Guard said at about 2:15 a.m., the Corona del Mar-based Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal noticed a small boat that was being piloted without lights, traveling at varying speeds about 10 miles south of the border and 20 miles west of Los Coronados islands.
The crew of the 87-foot cutter launched a small boat to investigate, discovering the 25-foot boat with 22 suspected illegal immigrants on board.
The passengers, all Mexican citizens, were taken aboard Narwhal and transported to Ballast Point ,where they were turned over to Customs and Border Protection agents, the Coast Guard reported.
U.S. authorities say they have witnessed a major spike in sea smuggling along the Southern California coast over the last two years.
-- This story includes information from the Associated Press
This article first appeared in the March 2009 issue of The Log Newspaper. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
