4 dead after wooden boat believed to be ferrying migrants into the US capsizes off San Diego
The wooden boat thought to be carrying immigrants to the USA capsized In the stormy seas near San DiegoAt least four people were killed and four were hospitalized, the Coast Guard said Saturday.
U.S. Border Patrol found the ship in the surf off Imperial Beach late Friday night. Just before midnight, six people were found on the beach; One of them was declared dead, while the other was rescued after being found under the boat.
About two hours later, authorities received a report of someone in the water near the Imperial Beach Pier. The Coast Guard responded and found three people in the ocean, all dead.
The Coast Guard said Saturday it was continuing to search for others who may have been on the ship.
Some of the survivors claimed to be Mexican nationals, while others were not identified, the agency said. One person was handed over to the Ministry of Internal Security.
“Our crews and partner organizations responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the serious risks posed to aliens attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels,” said Coast Guard Capt. Robert Tucker, San Diego Sector commander.
Strong storm system hit Southern California It led to warnings of flash floods and landslides over the weekend. The ship was a panga-type single or twin-engine open fishing boat, also commonly used by smugglers.
To avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off the California coast, migrants are increasingly turning to traveling by sea, the risky alternative offered by smugglers. Pangas leave Mexico at midnight, sometimes charting hundreds of miles (kilometers) to the north.
In recent years, there have been many incidents where immigrant ships capsized on their way to California.
At least three people died in May a panga turned upside down It’s off the coast, about 35 miles (56 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
in 2023 eight people were killed When two immigrant smuggling boats approached the San Diego coast in thick fog and one of them capsized in the surf. This was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling incidents in U.S. coastal waters.
A federal judge sentenced a San Diego man to 18 years in prison for piloting a small craft in 2022 Overloaded with 32 immigrants It was shattered to pieces by a strong wave off the coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen.
worldwide, Nearly 9,000 people died last year He is trying to cross borders, according to the UN migration agency. The death toll broke a record for the fifth consecutive year.
UN Missing Migrant Project It is stated that the number of deaths and missing people in the Central Mediterranean between 2014 and 2024 is over 24,506, and most of them are lost at sea. The project says the number could be higher because many deaths go unrecorded.
