Yesterday, the U.S. Coast Guard apprehended seven individuals off the coast of Sunset Cliffs, California, suspected of being undocumented aliens, after their vessel was stranded at sea for several hours. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that the 20-foot boat was 7.5 miles west of the San Diego shoreline when Coast Guard Cutter David Duren conducted the interdiction.
The incident unfolded when the San Diego Lifeguards, alerted to the disabled boat, contacted the Coast Guard at approximately 12:37 AM, prompting the deployment of the David Duren to assist. The group onboard had been stranded for what must have felt like an interminable time. Upon arrival, the Coast Guard's boarding team encountered seven individuals, including two minors; six claimed Mexican nationality, and one asserted to be from Chile, while only four of the group had identification on them.
Following the discovery, all seven boat members were taken into custody and transported to Ballast Point. Once ashore, the custody of the individuals was transferred to the Imperial Beach Border Patrol, following standard procedures for handling suspected undocumented individuals intercepted along the coastline.
