On May 27, Coast Guard patrol off the coast of San Diego captured 13 migrants in two separate smuggling attempts as reported by the Department of Homeland Security. The first reported case happened at around 12:30 am when a Coast Guard cutter noticed a boat about six nautical miles off the coast of Mission Bay. There were four illegal immigrants on board.
The second case happened not too long after that when a response boat encountered a “panga-style” fishing boat about two hours later. The fishing boat was first noticed right off the Imperial Beach Pier. There were nine reported illegal immigrants on board, and only one of them was charged with smuggling. Both boats were confiscated by authorities.
Both of these incidents reiterate the crisis along the southern border. People are flooding into the United States, and are using many different methods in the process. The Coast Guard should not have to prioritize illegal immigration, but unfortunately, options are running low due to this severe and divisive issue not making any progress in Congress.
Republicans are hard at work to tackle this issue and secure our borders both on land and in bodies of water. The crisis at hand needs to be addressed, and Democrats don’t seem to grasp the effects of smuggling on the southern border. Whether or not they work towards change is up to them.
Photo by Josh Esh
