4 migrants die as panga boat capsizes off Imperial Beach coast
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Two alleged human smugglers have been charged after a panga boat carrying immigrants capsized off San Diego’s Imperial Beach, killing four passengers, federal prosecutors said Monday.
It was reported that the incident occurred during rough surf and an argument broke out between the captain and those on the ship.
David Alfonso Barrera Nunes, a Mexican national believed to be the boat’s captain, was arrested Saturday and charged with involvement in the deaths of four passengers, according to a Department of Justice statement.
8 PEOPLE WERE RESCUED FROM A BOAT THAT WENT LOW ON FUEL IN MIAMI’S TOUGH WATERS
Four migrants died when an overloaded panga boat capsized in 6-foot waves off Imperial Beach after engine problems led to arguments between the captain and passengers. (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service via Petty Officer 3rd Class Roberto Nieves/AP)
A second man, Luis Enrique Barreto Goitia, also a Mexican national, was charged with “importing aliens resulting in death and importing aliens for financial gain,” according to the statement.
A passenger on the boat was also charged with being an alien who had previously been deported and re-entered the United States illegally. He was last deported on November 3, 2025, and was first deported in 2012.
The incident began on November 14, when Customs and Border Protection officers were alerted to a small boat crossing the international maritime border.
HIGH SCHOOL COACH, HIS WIFE WAS REPORTED TO BE THE VICTIM KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT RELATED TO AN ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKER, WAS RELEASED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Captain David Alfonso Barrera Nunes rejected calls from passengers to return to Mexico before the panga boat capsized in rough surf, killing four people in Imperial Beach. (Google Maps)
About an hour later, the survivors emerged from the surf to find a panga capsized in 6-foot waves off Imperial Beach.
There were thought to be nine people on board; Four died and five were rescued or detained and taken to local hospitals, according to the statement.
Passengers described the boat experiencing engine problems, and an argument broke out between the captain and several passengers who begged him to return to Mexico.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER IN THE FATAL ACCIDENT IN CALIFORNIA WAS RELEASED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AFTER CROSSING THE BORDER IN 2022
People in Tijuana, Mexico, look at the U.S.-Mexico border wall at Border Field State Park in Imperial Beach, California, on August 17, 2025. (Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Barrera Nunes refused and tried to move toward shore despite having no engine power, prosecutors said, according to the complaint seen by Fox News Digital.
Panga turned and overturned under the influence of the strong wave. Barrera Nunes was allegedly the second person to reach the beach and made no attempt to help his passengers.
One survivor reportedly told patrol officers that he was trapped in the sunken cabin but found an air gap that allowed him to breathe until agents could get the ship upright.
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Another man said he reluctantly accompanied his grandson on the trip.
He said the captain ordered everyone to jump into the sea before it capsized, but as the boat rolled, he managed to save his grandson, but he himself became stranded, suffering a serious injury in his leg from a piece of metal before he was eventually rescued.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice for further comment.
