Coast Guard Rescues Group of Migrants from Disabled Vessel off San Diego Coast

April 1, 2025 TruthUSA

While border crossings have decreased, migrants are still attempting to reach San Diego via the ocean.

On March 30, the U.S. Coast Guard came to the aid of 17 individuals illegally entering the country from a disabled boat approximately 50 miles southwest of San Diego.

Eighteen individuals were on the 35-foot vessel observed in international waters shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday, as reported by the Coast Guard.

The boat was taking on water and signaled for help, according to the Coast Guard.

A helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Air Station in San Diego, along with the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance, participated in the rescue operation.

The Spruance dispatched a 23-foot rigid hull inflatable boat crew to safely retrieve the individuals.

Subsequently, the helicopter crew transported them from the Spruance to San Diego, per the agency’s report.

In total, one American and 17 undocumented immigrants were transported to the Coast Guard’s base in San Diego through two separate flights.

All individuals were handed over to the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard emphasized in a recent news release, “Traveling by sea on unseaworthy or overcrowded boats poses significant dangers, often leading to fatal outcomes. Avoid embarking on the ocean; it could cost you your life.”

Earlier, on March 11, 15 undocumented immigrants were rescued from a drifting boat near the southern coast of California, close to San Diego.

In addition, a total of 31 undocumented immigrants were smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico across six different incidents between March 3 and March 9, the Coast Guard noted.

Local and state officials in California have reported an increase in illegal maritime crossings, which is likely a result of the Trump administration’s initiatives to curb land crossings.

A U.S. Coast Guard crew moors a boat to a pier in Bodega Bay, Calif, on Nov. 3, 2024, after searching for a group of boaters that went missing near Bodega Bay. (United States Coast Guard via AP) — A U.S. Coast Guard crew secures a boat at a pier in Bodega Bay, California, on November 3, 2024, following a search for a group of boaters reported missing in the area. United States Coast Guard via AP

The White House states that Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector now conduct around 30 to 40 arrests daily, a significant drop from over 1,200 per day at the peak of migrant entries in the region.

“The personnel of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are diligently carrying out the President’s Executive Orders aimed at securing our borders, resulting in historically low levels of border apprehensions,” noted Pete Flores, acting commissioner, in the agency’s March 12 report.

Across the country, the Border Patrol reported an average of around 330 apprehensions of illegal crossers per day in February, marking the first full month since President Donald Trump took office.

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