Third suspected migrant smuggling boat in a month intercepted off Newport Beach, California

Right · 2US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted a fishing-type boat carrying 14 suspected migrants off Newport Beach, California, at about 1:30 p.m. on the weekend of 3 October, and brought it into Newport Harbor. 1 2 Right · 2The New York Post dates the interception to Saturday. Fox News, citing CBP, says Friday. 3 2 Right · 2The group was 11 men, two women and a boy, all identified as Mexican nationals. All 14 were handed to US Border Patrol and the boat was seized. 2 1

Right · 1One passenger with dehydration and seasickness was evaluated and cleared by emergency medical workers. 2 Right · 1The landing drew the attention of crowds at the annual Pacific Airshow. CBP bodycam footage released later shows agents with guns drawn boarding the boat as people came up from below deck. 3 1 Right · 1The Department of Justice charged Jose Miguel Castro-Duenas, 44, a previously deported Mexican national, with attempted transportation of illegal aliens and illegal reentry. He also uses the name Luis Enrique Santoyo-Orozco. He made an initial court appearance on 5 October, and his arraignment is set for 9 November. 3

Right · 1First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli called the case "a brazen assault on the rule of law and the sovereignty of the United States" and said authorities "will not tolerate repeated violations of federal law." 3 Right · 2In a statement, CBP said "Maritime migration is dangerous and can too often result in death" and that the border "will remain closed to illegal migration by sea, air, and land." 1 2 Right · 1The New York Post counts this as the third such incident in under a month, after events on 5 and 19 September. In the first, a Coast Guard cutter intercepted a 28-foot cabin boat with about two dozen suspected migrants west of Newport. In the second, a 20-foot boat landed a dozen men at a private dock, struck and damaged a nearby boat, and was abandoned. Witnesses said the men left in two waiting vehicles, and authorities are investigating. 1 3

Right · 1Fox News adds that 37 migrants were rescued offshore last month after reportedly spending two days without food, water or fuel. It also cites a cellphone video from about two years ago showing more than 20 suspected migrants leaving a panga boat in Newport Harbor. 2 Right · 2Newport Beach City Councilmember Erik Weigand called the incidents "alarming" and attributed them to a more secure land border, saying smugglers are "finding new ways to get into the country." He is pushing for surveillance cameras, two according to Fox, at the harbor entrance to give early warning of suspicious boats. He said the large volume of pleasure boats may give smugglers cover. 1 2 Right · 1Weigand told FOX 11 that authorities may not know who or what is aboard such vessels: "They could be smuggling drugs, they could be simply just be looking for a better opportunity in America, or they could be up to terrorist activities. We don't know, that's the problem." 2

Right · 1Federal officials say more traffickers have turned to the sea as border security has tightened, and that they commonly work with organized crime syndicates. They call sea routes the most expensive and riskiest route. In July, 21 migrants were found on a small smuggling boat, including a 56-year-old man who was unresponsive and later died. 1 3