Coast Guard Reports Dozens of Illegal Immigrants Smuggled into the U.S. by Boat in Just One Week
According to some California lawmakers, illegal maritime crossings are increasing as the federal government strengthens restrictions on land crossings.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that dozens of illegal immigrants were smuggled into the United States from Mexico via boats in six different incidents within a week.
From March 3 to March 9, 31 illegal immigrants made their way into the county from the coast of San Diego.
Local and state representatives in California observe a noticeable uptick in illegal maritime crossings, linking this increase to the Trump administration’s effectiveness in curtailing land crossings.
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“This situation has been repeatedly observed in San Diego,” State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) shared with The Epoch Times. “Local news outlets report on it nearly every other day. Just this morning, another boat was discovered in La Jolla, another was found in Pacific Beach, and yet another in Mission Bay.”
DeMaio expressed concerns that the U.S. Coast Guard is not adequately equipped to monitor the seas for illegal crossings.
“The Coast Guard has numerous other responsibilities they need to manage, leaving them unprepared for this issue,” DeMaio stated. “This situation is like a perfect storm of vulnerability, which the cartels are well aware of, and it will likely persist until we secure additional resources and government support.”
He further pointed out that lifeguards, Harbor Police, and other state and local officials have limited options under the sanctuary state law. “A lifeguard could lose their job for contacting border patrol or ICE due to sanctuary state regulations,” he remarked. “That’s just how absurd this situation is.”
DeMaio is advocating for the Coast Guard to adopt more effective measures along the California coast to counter this trend.
“We are hopeful that headquarters can press the Coast Guard locally to adopt more robust protocols akin to those in Florida, where there appears to be a greater capacity to tackle this issue,” he noted, suggesting that the history of crossings from Cuba to Florida might contribute to that capability.
The U.S. Coast Guard had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
“We must be able to address this issue,” Desmond told the outlet last week. “Unfortunately, it’s making California and the rest of the country unsafe, since these individuals, if they land successfully, can simply walk into our neighborhoods undetected, and we have no knowledge of who they are or where they came from.”
Brad Jones, a reporter from Epoch Times, contributed to this article.
