Early yesterday morning, surfers discovered an abandoned boat on the beach at Del Mar's Sea Cliff Park, leading Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations personnel to seize the suspicious vessel believed to have been used for human smuggling.
The boat, described as a pleasure craft, was found off Coast Boulevard near 15th Street, and Del Mar lifeguards had it towed away for further inspection, as reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune. Two life preservers were discovered on the beach, providing possible evidence of human smuggling activity, and subsequently seized by federal agents, said Border Patrol spokesperson Dan Anderson.
Smugglers are known to abandon their vessels on the California coastline after bringing people ashore, and maritime smuggling tends to spike during warmer months according to FOX 5 San Diego. In fact, just three weeks prior to this incident, another abandoned panga boat was found on Mission Beach with 13 lifejackets left behind, as reported by FOX 5 San Diego.
While some may view the discovery of an abandoned pleasure craft and life preservers as evidence of a burgeoning illegal smuggling operation, others might argue that the true extent of such activities requires further investigation; for instance, it is uncertain whether the individuals who used the vessel for their journey have already safely reached their intended destination or remain stranded somewhere, waiting for help.
