- Federal authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the United States Coast Guard, interdicted six suspected human smuggling boats and apprehended 82 migrants off the coast of California over the weekend.
- Recent Coast Guard operations also intercepted additional vessels: 14 migrants near Point Loma on March 1, and 20 migrants near Sunset Cliffs on Feb. 24, alongside five other suspected smuggling boats carrying 62 migrants.
- DHS warned that tightened land border enforcement has pushed cartels to increasingly use maritime routes to smuggle people and contraband into the United States.
- Through mid-March of fiscal year 2025, the United States Border Patrol recorded 264 maritime smuggling events resulting in 826 apprehensions, putting the year on pace to match or approach 2024 totals.
- Officials highlighted the dangers of maritime smuggling, noting vessels are often overloaded, lack safety measures and include pangas, pleasure boats and even jet skis, with many trips occurring at night under hazardous conditions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported that federal authorities interdicted six suspected human smuggling boats and apprehended 82 migrants off the coast of California over the weekend.
The United States Coast Guard reported additional interdictions in separate incidents recently.
For instance, on March 1, Coast Guard crews stopped a vessel carrying 14 suspected illegal immigrants approximately 10 miles southwest of Point Loma near San Diego. Earlier, on Feb. 24, the Coast Guard intercepted 20 suspected illegal immigrants near Sunset Cliffs in California. That same day, the service said it worked alongside DHS partner agencies and the U.S. Navy to interdict five additional suspected maritime smuggling vessels, resulting in the apprehension of 62 migrants.
Authorities have not released further details about the migrants' nationalities or potential criminal charges against suspected smugglers. However, DHS said cartels are increasingly turning to maritime routes as land border enforcement tightens.
"Since our southern border is more secure than ever before, cartels are being forced to try to smuggle through our nation's maritime waters," the department stated in a post on Feb. 27 on X, formerly known as Twitter. "This past weekend, DHS law enforcement interdicted six suspected maritime smuggling vessels and apprehended 82 migrants off the coast of California."
DHS added that enforcement efforts remain ongoing.
"Our work to keep our nation safe never ends. We stand ready to protect our Homeland from smugglers on land, air and sea."
Maritime smuggling holds steady in 2025 as land crossings plunge
Maritime smuggling, as BrightU.AI's Enoch defines, involve the illegal transport of illicit substances, such as drugs and humans, across international waters, often using cargo ships and other vessels to evade detection.
According to federal data, through mid-March of fiscal year 2025, which began Oct. 1, the United States Border Patrol (USBP) recorded 264 maritime smuggling events resulting in 826 apprehensions. Officials define maritime events as incidents in which migrants are intercepted at sea or upon reaching shore.
The figures put the current fiscal year on pace to approach 2024 totals. In fiscal year 2024, authorities documented 589 maritime incidents, leading to 1,375 apprehensions. The year before that saw 736 cases and 1,328 apprehensions.
Since President Donald Trump took office, federal agencies have expanded their presence in the air and at sea near the southwestern border. The United States Coast Guard has significantly increased deployments, diverting aircraft, cutters, boats and personnel to the region.
“We essentially tripled the amount of resources,” said Coast Guard Senior Chief Peter Nelson, the officer in charge of the station in San Diego.
Meanwhile, the sharp decline in land crossings has allowed the Border Patrol to reassign personnel to other enforcement areas, including coastal patrols. Gerardo Gutiérrez, a spokesperson for the San Diego sector, said reduced land encounters have freed up agents to expand maritime operations.
Despite the decline in land crossings, officials emphasized that maritime smuggling remains dangerous. Nelson said vessels are often overcrowded and lack basic safety equipment. Border Patrol officials identified pangas, pleasure craft and even jet skis as common methods used by smugglers.
Watch this clip from the "X22 Report" featuring Sheriff Richard Mack of the CSPOA explaining how people can help with the mass deportation plans.
This video is from the Sanivan channel on Brighteon.com.
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