By SDCN Staff
San Diego, CA–The Coast Guard intercepted a suspected maritime smuggling attempt early Saturday morning after a vessel beached near Windansea Beach, resulting in multiple apprehensions.
At approximately 4:40 a.m., crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Otter reported an unlit 24-foot cabin cruiser transiting northeast off the coast of La Jolla with several suspected individuals aboard. Sea Otter launched a boat crew to investigate.
When Sea Otter’s boat activated its blue lights, the suspect vessel fled at a high rate of speed before intentionally beaching near Windansea Beach. Coast Guard crews maintained visual contact as 13 suspected passengers abandoned the boat and made landfall.
Crews from the Department of Homeland Security responded and apprehended seven individuals—five adult males from Mexico, one adult female from Cuba, and one adult female from Guatemala. Six others eluded capture and were classified as “getaways” after an extended area search.
The Coast Guard and its partner agencies routinely patrol coastal waters to detect and deter maritime smuggling attempts that endanger lives and border security.
