A boat loaded with 20 migrants from Mexico and China was intercepted on the high seas while trying to make it to the California shoreline, the US Coast Guard said in a release.
The 30-foot “panga-style” boat was about 21 miles off the coast of Point Loma near San Diego when it was spotted around 4 p.m. on Tuesday — and cut off by Coast Guard Cutter Haddock.
Photos and videos released by the guard show crews rushing to the vessel in the dark of night and taking the migrants into custody — before the passengers were taken to San Diego and turned over to the Border Patrol.
The 20 migrants — 17 men and three women — identified themselves as Mexican and Chinese nationals.
The operation is the latest in the Coast Guard’s beefed up efforts to intercept immigrants trying to enter the US in keeping with President Trump’s call for mass deportations.
Earlier this month, the maritime enforcement agency intercepted an “overloaded” 30-foot sailboat packed with 132 Haitian migrants about 50 miles off the Florida coastline.
Last month, officials said the Coast Guard was redeploying resources to target immigrants trying to get to US shores following executive orders signed by Trump within hours of returning to the White House.
“The US Coast Guard is the world’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency, vital to protecting America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard’s acting commandant, said in a statement at the time.
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