The U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security partner agencies, with support from the U.S. Navy, interdicted five suspected maritime smuggling vessels and detained 62 people during coordinated operations south of San Clemente Island on Saturday, officials said.
The operation began around 12:30 p.m., Feb. 21, when a partner agency aircraft reported three northbound boats suspected of human smuggling departing Mexican waters. The vessels were described as 20- to 25-foot cuddy-cabin boats carrying fishing gear and fuel barrels.
The Coast Guard Cutter Haddock (WPB-87347), already patrolling the area, launched a small boat to investigate a vessel about 26 miles south of San Clemente Island. Crews reported the boat was flying a U.S. flag and was compliant during a boarding. Ten people aboard, all claiming Mexican nationality, were taken into custody.
A second vessel located by a partner agency aircraft led to a pursuit. After the operator failed to comply with orders to stop, law enforcement used warning shots to compel the vessel to heave to. Ten additional people, all claiming Mexican nationality, were found aboard and transferred to the Haddock.
A Department of Homeland Security partner vessel then stopped a third suspected smuggling boat, detaining nine people who all claimed Mexican nationality and moving them to the Haddock.
Additional reports prompted a broader response that included a U.S. Navy helicopter and a small boat from the littoral combat ship USS Augusta (LCS-34), working with an embarked Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Team. That team interdicted a fourth cuddy-cabin vessel and detained 16 people — 14 who claimed Mexican nationality and two who claimed Colombian nationality — later transferring them to the Sentinel-class Coast Guard Cutter Forrest Rednour (WPC-1129).
A fifth vessel was intercepted by a DHS partner agency boat. After the operator ignored commands to stop, officers again employed warning shots to gain compliance. Seventeen people were aboard — 16 claiming Mexican nationality and one claiming Guatemalan nationality — and were taken into custody.
In total, five vessels were interdicted and 62 people detained in under 90 minutes. The Haddock and Forrest Rednour transported all detainees to Coast Guard Sector San Diego for transfer to another DHS agency for processing. Officials said one unaccompanied minor was among the group.
Authorities seized four of the five boats. The fifth, deemed unseaworthy and taking on water, was left at sea.
The Coast Guard said it routinely conducts joint patrols with interagency and military partners to detect and disrupt suspected maritime smuggling while safeguarding life at sea.
Great Job!!! Haven’t heard of any recent panga boats landing on our cost either.
well you can dislike orange man, but keeping over 60 folks out is a good thing…
SB – This was Coast Guard. They’ve been doing this LONG before Trump started beating old people and abandoning children whose parents have been here for decades working hard and contributing the the over 90 BILLION in taxes they pay each year.
Also, who knows? Maybe some of those 60 folks were doctors or engineers that could have helped our nation more than MAGAts do.
Age discrimination.
Fake liberal news. President Trump closed the borders, this didn’t happen.
Awesome work Coast Guard!
LOL @ you believing this fake news. Never happened. Trump closed the border in 2025.