Mexican immigrants detained for second time in two weeks at Crystal Cove
July 1, 2018
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say four men were taken into custody after a panga boat was found on the beach at Southern California’s Crystal Cove State Park for the second time in two weeks.
U.S. Border Patrol officials say those detained Tuesday in Laguna Beach were Mexican nationals. It wasn’t immediately known if there were more than four people on the boat originally.
The men were located after a quick search with the use of a drone and a helicopter that prompted a lockdown at a nearby elementary school.
Pangas are open boats designed for fishing but commonly used by smugglers trying to bring people or drugs north from Mexico.
An empty panga was found at Crystal Cove on June 11. Its occupants ran from the vessel and were not found.
