Boat carrying 21 illegal immigrants is seized off La Jolla coast, U.S. officials say

A small boat carrying 21 illegal immigrants tried to flee from federal agents before being stopped Wednesday morning about 14 miles off the La Jolla coast, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said today.

The 25-foot boat had been spotted farther up the coast near Leucadia by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. A Blackhawk helicopter and a Midnight Express Interceptor vessel were dispatched to help track down the skiff-like boat, known as a panga.

The boat's driver was arrested as a suspected smuggler. The other people – 20 men and one woman, all of them Mexican citizens – were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Smugglers operating from beaches near Baja California's Rosarito Beach frequently subject illegal immigrants to dangerous and arduous journeys by sea. In this case, the suspected smuggler at least provided the immigrants with flotation devices, authorities said.

-- Richard Marosi in San Diego

Photo: A boat and its passengers seized by U.S. officials seized Wednesday off the La Jolla coast. Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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Comments

[big jim slade@gmail.com]

And they said the fence wouldn't work...

[KAREN]

Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP??

[BIG JAY Z KEE]

one boat of illegals gets popped while at the same time 100 k's of coke passes!

[Tatyana.]

I'm glad the people are alright.

[KK]

These are the 3rd class ticket to the US. The higher price gets thru easier undetected just like hitman, drugs and maybe bombs.

[skeptical citizen]

This can't be the first time something this daring is tried - is it just rare to get caught? What safeguards are there that more boats don't just come up north from Mexico? If this were a better-looking and equipped boat and not clearly overloaded, would it even have gotten noticed?

While i want these people to be caught and ANY illegals caught, how do you do that without checking the ID's of everyone, American citizens included, who come and go across the border on the seas? We want to safeguard borders without forcing us, the law-abiding citizens, to be treated like in old Communist days, where everyone's privacy is violated, searched without cause to weed our illegals or 'foreigners" or subversives.

Or if they are required to show passport now upon request or not venture across a national border without it, this article should have stated that.

[Joe Garcia]

It is a relief that the people are ok and that border patrol officers are professional and effective. I can imagine both sides of this situation being both dangerous and demanding.

[Aaron]

Big jim ur funny.

[Marley]

I guess the state will be issuing 21 U-Visas Im sure they were forced to smuggle in, it wasnt their fault, they would be prefered to stayed in Mexico.

Let Pro-illegals pay for them, and let Anti-illegals pay for everything else.... I for one dont want to harbor them nor condone their behavior.

[Rico]

Any Mexican who lives in the Southern Cal area can tell you the best people smugglers (coyotes) are the Marines. Unfortuatley they do not get paid much so allot of them here in Camp Pendelton smuggle Mexicans for extra money.The Boat is for the poor and dumb. If you can save about $500 it is a sure thing that you will make it across safely with no trouble involved.The Marines are the best at it for sure.

[Efron Herta]

They should just sink it and save everybody a bunch of trouble.

[Dan]

It is going to be a redneck party up in this comments page

[Eleanor]

Marley is correct: I sense they were forced to attempt to invade the U.S..........ha, ha, ha! If it weren't so harmful, it would be funny. What lunacy, more illegals, it disgusts people who are actually paying attention in this country. That's okay, L.A. Times, keep running stories about these "unfortunate victims" and watch as legal immigrants and those born here are squeezed to death financially from the cost of sustaining health care, e.r. costs and public programs to clothe, feed and house these people. Got taxes?

[Cristian]

Does anybody stop the inflow of illegal emigrants?I don't think so!You break the law suppose to be a punishment (but the law is apply only to American citizens) - so for entering illegal in the country suppose to be some jail time or other punishment... there is no punishment, so why they should stop come in... Why there is no law that punish such behavior? Is better to hire a illegal you pay less, is "better" to have multiple cultures in the country - you could control better the population, etc

[rob]

How many more taco benders do we need?

[dogrob1]

next they will be landing at your major airports

[observer]

I am glad they are alright now ship em back to where they came from! The next boat load will arrive tomorrow! The revolving door of the u.s. needs to have a filter, just like all the other countries that will NOT let you in just for the hell of it!

[JPS]

one boat of 20 illegals gets stopped while at the same time 100 illegals pass the desert borders unnoticed.... we needed a real conservative president such as RON PAUL to cut down jobs and benefits, so they would not even try to come (attrition vs amnesty). Shame to Bush and Obama politics.

[Dave]

This would stop real fast if you make the liberal bleeding hearts pick up the bills with a special tax only for them!!
You want them, you defend them, so pay for them!!!

[Thor H. Asgardson]

This is the face of the Mexican invasion called "La Reconquista."

These detainees are enemy combatants who should be held indefinitely, until such time as Mexico signs formal terms of surrender, in this Second Mexican War.

[Cgopat]

They probably just got lost while fishing. Fishing for US taxpayer's dollars!!