The Coast Guard’s “Operation Border Trident” border security mission off the West Coast is being put to the test as Mexican Cartels increasingly turn to the sea as the US continues to close off once successful smuggling routes along the southern land border.
During the weekend of November 8-9, 2025, the Coast Guard and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers apprehended 20 illegal aliens in two separate smuggling attempts off the California Coast.
CBP Officers arrested eight illegal aliens aboard a “fishing boat” 6 miles northwest of Newport Harbor. Those aboard were found to be:
6 Mexican male adults
1 Mexican male minor
1 El Salvadorian adult
All of them were turned over to the border patrol.
During the same weekend, the Coast Guard interupted another human smuggling attempt 27 miles southwest of Mission Bay. Twelve illegal aliens were aboard that smuggling boat - a 20-foot “panga.”
The boat tried to outrun the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward, which disabled it by firing rounds of bullets into its outboard motors. All aboard were found to be Mexican citizens, except for one Salvadoran.
And last weekend, another one of these cartel human smuggling attempts turned deadly:
Another panga, with at least ten aboard, capsized off Imperial Beach. Six of those aboard made it to shore, while the Coast Guard rescued another survivor trapped underneath the overturned boat.
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A massive 17-hour search-and-rescue effort was launched in the hope of finding additional survivors. Coast Guard crews from Sector San Diego, Air Station San Diego, Maritime Safety and Security Team Honolulu, and the Cutter Petrel responded, along with lifeguards from Imperial Beach and San Diego, San Diego and Chula Vista Fire Departments, Imperial Beach Border Patrol, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Office.
No survivors were found. Four bodies were recovered. Homeland Security Investigators are looking into the deadly human smuggling run.
What more should be done to discourage smugglers from making these dangerous runs to the California Coast?
Share your thoughts in the comments to this article!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
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Jack the saddest part of this whole smuggling operation is that those being smuggled have probably paid exorbitant amounts of money to the cartels. Thank you Jack for your great information.
It is very sad for the ones being smuggled when they get ripped off by the smugglers. It is very scary having these illegal criminals out roaming around the US. and we have no idea how many are really here. Scary stuff.