The waters off San Diego were the scene of two Coast Guard interdictions this past Sunday, with a total of 18 individuals apprehended as they attempted to enter the United States. The operations were carried out by crews from Coast Guard Station San Diego, along with the cutters Sea Otter and David Duren, as detailed by a report from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The first interception occurred around 6:50 p.m. when Station San Diego's small boat crew came across a 25-foot cuddy cabin vessel with eight people on board some seven miles south of Point Loma. Later, at 7:27 p.m., the combined efforts of the cutters Sea Otter and David Duren led to the interdiction of a separate 18-foot cuddy cabin boat, carrying an additional ten individuals, located approximately ten miles to the west of the same landmark.
According to the Coast Guard's press release, the group apprehended in the earlier interdiction consisted of five adult males and three adult females, all claiming Mexican nationality. On the second vessel, one female claimed South Korean nationality, with four males and two females claiming to be from Mexico, alongside three males without identification.
Following their apprehension, all 18 individuals were taken into custody by the Coast Guard. They were subsequently transferred to U.S. Border Patrol personnel as the operations closed. This incident highlighted the ongoing challenges law enforcement agencies face in controlling maritime smuggling along the California coastline.
