In a notable interdiction off the coast of Point Loma, the Coast Guard halted a high-speed maritime smuggling attempt, incapacitating a vessel that was suspected of trafficking individuals attempting to reach U.S. shores. The operation occurred last Saturday evening, as confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard.
According to an official press release, the Coast Guard Sector San Diego's Joint Harbor Operations Center observed the suspicious 18-foot cuddy cabin vessel traveling rapidly, northbound and approximately two miles south of Point Loma, around 5:50 p.m. Surveillance cameras aided the watchstanders in maintaining visual contact with the craft as it neared the entrance to San Diego Bay.
A nearby Coast Guard Station San Diego boat crew responded to the incident, diverting from a routine patrol to engage. The vessel’s operator, instead of heeding the Coast Guard's commands, chose to flee, prompting the Coast Guard to initiate a more forceful response. Despite verbal commands and warning shots, the operator’s attempts to evade capture led the pursuing crew to use disabling fire to stop the boat. Following four targeted shots, the vessel's engine was neutralized.
The Coast Guard then boarded and took control of the vessel, revealing its human cargo—a count of eight undocumented individuals, including five adult males, one adult female, and two juveniles. The detainees and the vessel itself were transported to Ballast Point and handed over to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security partners, signaling the end of the maritime chase and the beginning of a different kind of navigation, through the complex channels of the immigration system.
