Coast Guard Confirms Four Dead After Smuggling Vessel Overturns Near San Diego Coast

At least four people died Friday after a boat suspected of smuggling illegal aliens into the United States capsized near Imperial Beach off the San Diego coast, according to federal and local officials, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The United States Coast Guard announced Saturday that a search remained underway for any “additional suspected aliens” connected to the incident.

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Four survivors were transported to a hospital, and one individual was “transferred to a Department of Homeland Security agency,” the Coast Guard said in its release.

The agency noted that “several of the suspected aliens claimed Mexican nationality; others remain unidentified.”

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The Coast Guard was alerted by Imperial Beach Border Patrol agents, who reported a capsized vessel and six individuals found on the beach.

Emergency responders pronounced one person dead at the scene. Another individual was discovered trapped under the overturned boat and was rescued.

Imperial Beach Fire Chief John French told KNSD-TV that Border Patrol agents had already been monitoring the vessel before it capsized.

“Patrol agents had watched the boat cross the border, then got the report it turned over, throwing people into the water,” French said.

Coast Guard Capt. Robert Tucker, commander of Sector San Diego, said the response involved multiple agencies but emphasized the dangers faced by those attempting to enter the United States by sea.

“Our crews and partner agencies responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the severe risks posed to aliens attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels,” Tucker said.

The Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station oversees six linear miles of land border stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Human smuggling attempts in the region have increasingly involved maritime routes, often using poorly equipped or overloaded boats.

A nearby homeowner, Ed Winchester, who has lived in an oceanfront property in the area for nearly two decades, told KNSD that tragedies like this reflect the behavior of drug cartels operating across the border.

“My heart goes out to those folks,” he said. “The [Mexican drug] cartels have made a lot of money transporting people across the border. This is just another example of that.”

Authorities said the investigation into Friday’s capsizing remains ongoing, with federal officials working to identify the victims and determine the full scope of the smuggling operation.

Recent incidents highlight the recurring dangers of maritime smuggling off the Southern California coast. In May, a vessel believed to be carrying illegal aliens capsized off San Diego, resulting in at least three deaths and four injuries, according to the Associated Press.

In 2023, at least eight people were killed when two suspected smuggling boats overturned off the San Diego shoreline.

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