Last Saturday morning, a Coast Guard crew interdicted a suspected maritime smuggling operation off the coast of La Jolla, near Windansea Beach. The incident, which involved a boat carrying several individuals suspected of illegal entry into the United States, culminated in the apprehension of seven people but left six others at large. The 24-foot cabin cruiser attempted to evade the Coast Guard before making landfall.
According to a report by the U.S. Coast Guard, the vessel was first spotted unlit, around 4:40 a.m., moving northeast by the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Otter. Responding to the sighting, the Sea Otter dispatched a boat crew to pursue the suspect craft. While attempting to initiate a stop with blue lights, the cruiser fled at a high rate of speed, and eventually beached itself intentionally near Windansea Beach, leaving them with the suspects abandoned the boat and dispatching inland.
The incident precipitated a coordinated response from the Department of Homeland Security, which pursued the suspects. A statement from the Coast Guard detailed the result: "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." The remaining six individuals proved more elusive, successfully evading capture despite an extensive search of the surrounding area and are currently referred to as "getaways."
