SAN DIEGO — Coast Guard interdicted a panga with 14 aliens aboard approximately 20 miles off the coast of Point Loma, Tuesday night.
At approximately 4:45 p.m., U.S. Customs and Border Protection notified Coast Guard personnel at the Joint Harbor Operations Center of a panga-style vessel traveling north toward the maritime boundary line.
The Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne was diverted to the scene. The cutter launched a boarding team, and with CBP’s assistance, successfully interdicted the vessel.
The boarding teams discovered 14 individuals aboard the panga. Initial interviews revealed that all individuals claimed Mexican nationality.
The aliens were safely transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody.
The Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations (AMIO) mission provides effective law enforcement presence at-sea and achieves three main objectives: deter undocumented migrants and transnational smugglers from using maritime routes to enter the U.S.; detect and interdict undocumented migrants and smugglers far from the U.S. border; and expand Coast Guard participation in multi-agency and bi-national border security initiatives. Strong partnerships and information sharing with other agencies, such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are critical to mission success. While the Coast Guard leads the interdiction mission on the high seas, partnerships with CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are critical for successful shore-side interdiction operations.