Two Boats Capsize During Migrant Smuggling Operation, Resulting in Fatalities [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

• Two migrant smuggling boats capsized off the coast of San Diego, resulting in the deaths of at least eight people.
• The boats were carrying a total of 23 people, and some survivors may have escaped on land.
• Smuggling off the California coast is a risky alternative for migrants to avoid heavily guarded land borders.

At least eight people died on Saturday night when two migrant smuggling boats capsized in heavy fog and shallow surf off the coast of San Diego, California. A Spanish-speaking woman on one of the panga-style boats called 911 to report the incident, saying there were 15 people on the capsized vessel and eight on hers.

Although some survivors may have escaped on land, recovery efforts on Sunday did not locate any additional bodies. Coast Guard and San Diego Fire-Rescue crews pulled the bodies of eight adults from the water, but fog hampered the search for additional victims.

The boats were found overturned in shallow waters at Black’s Beach, an area that is known to be hazardous due to its sandbars and in-shore rip currents. Surf conditions were modest, but foggy and black.

The area is located about 15 miles north of downtown San Diego in a secluded area near the popular La Jolla Shores. Maritime smuggling operations frequently occur off California’s coast and often turn fatal.

According to the consulate in San Diego, at least some of the victims were Mexican, but the total number was unknown. Illegal crossings into the US have increased under President Joe Biden, and migrants from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have been disproportionately affected by a pandemic rule that denies them a chance to seek asylum to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This has resulted in these individuals being more likely to try to elude capture, knowing they are likely to be expelled under the public health rule.

Smuggling off the California coast has ebbed and flowed over the years but remains a risky alternative for migrants seeking to avoid heavily guarded land borders. Pangas enter from Mexico under the cover of darkness, while recreational boats try to mix in unnoticed with fishing and pleasure vessels during the day.

South of the US border, there are many secluded, private beaches with gated entrances between high-rises with magnificent ocean views, some only partially built because funds dried up during construction.

Popotla, a fishing hamlet with narrow streets lined with vendors selling a wide variety of local catch, is favored among smugglers for its large, sandy beach and relatively gentle waves.

Source: apnews.com