15 Migrants Arrested in Human Smuggling Attempt on California Coast

CBP Air and Marine Operations agents assisted other law enforcement agencies in apprehending 15 migrants after a boat landing on the coast of California.

A multi-agency effort ended with the arrest of 15 migrants being smuggled in a small boat off the coast of California, according to information obtained from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

A U.S. Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft spotted a panga-style vessel that made landfall near Goleta, California. The group began to scatter once they reached the beach.

Border Patrol agents and ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents — including members of the Los Angeles Border Enforcement Security Taskforce — arrived on the scene and began a search for the fleeing migrants.

The search concluded with the successful arrest of 15 migrants. An immigration interview identified the migrants as ten adult males, one juvenile male, and four adult females. Officials reported two of the men were Venezuelan nationals. The others were all identified as Mexican nationals. All 15 had no documents for legally being present in the United States, officials stated.

The multi-agency operation included CBP Air and Marine Operations and Office of Field Operations agents and officers in addition to the agencies mentioned above. Local police officers assisted in the operation by providing perimeter security.

Border Patrol agents transported all 15 migrants to the station for processing and removal under Title 42 Coronavirus protection protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This protocol, which leads to about 90 percent of migrants being removed within about two hours remains in place during the Biden administration — so far — CBP officials told Breitbart Texas.