California – The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a 25-foot sailboat packed with 16 Mexican migrants off the coast of California on Saturday, turning them over to U.S. Border Patrol, the agency confirmed in a Sunday press release.
A Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft first spotted the crowded vessel about 54 miles off Point Loma, near San Diego. A Coast Guard cutter was then deployed to intercept the sailboat.
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The Coast Guard intercepted this sailboat about 54 miles off the coast of Point Loma, California.
Credit: USCG
The cutter Petrel reached the scene and detained the individuals on board, all of whom identified themselves as Mexican nationals, officials said.
A sailboat stopped off the California shoreline was packed with 16 Mexican immigrants, officials said.
Credit: USCG
This incident is part of a broader effort by the Coast Guard to intercept unauthorized maritime entries into the U.S., an initiative that has intensified since President Donald Trump returned to office with renewed pledges to deport undocumented immigrants.
The Saturday Coast Guard operation is the latest in a stepped-up effort to stop immigrants trying to reach the US.
Credit: USCG
The operation comes just weeks after Coast Guard teams intercepted a “panga-style” boat carrying Russian nationals and Dominican migrants roughly 3 miles off Puerto Rico.
In February, the Coast Guard stopped an “overloaded” 30-foot sailboat carrying 132 Haitian migrants, including women and children, about 50 miles from the Florida coast.
One of the largest such maritime interceptions occurred in June of last year, when over 300 migrants from Haiti were caught near the Bahamas and later returned to Haiti.
As maritime migration attempts continue, U.S. authorities are urging caution and reminding the public of the dangers of overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels used in these crossings.
