5 people charged after boat capsized near San Diego; 3 dead, including teen from India
SAN DIEGO − Federal prosecutors have charged five people in connection with a fatal human smuggling incident, in which a panga-style boat overturned near San Diego and killed at least three people.
In two complaints filed May 6 in federal court, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California said five people were charged with participating in a "human smuggling event" that resulted in the deaths of three migrants, including a 14-year-old boy from India. The boy's 10-year-old sister was missing at sea and is presumed dead, according to prosecutors.
The children's parents were among the four people rescued and taken to nearby hospitals on May 5 after the U.S. Coast Guard received a report of an overturned vessel on a beach at about 6:30 a.m. local time. The children's father was in a coma while their mother remained hospitalized, prosecutors said.
Two other people found on the beach were detained by authorities, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Prosecutors said May 6 that the two have now been charged with human smuggling resulting in death and human smuggling for financial gain. The first charge carries a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.
Border Patrol agents later arrested three others and charged them with unlawfully transporting migrants, according to prosecutors.
"The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business," U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement. "We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths."
Earlier on May 6, the Coast Guard said it had suspended its operations searching for people who were believed to still be missing, "pending further developments." Nine people were initially reported missing.
Prosecutors later said authorities were able to locate eight of the nine migrants missing from the boat, with the exception of the 10-year-old girl.
Here's what we know so far about the investigation:
What happened to the boat?
The boat washed ashore near Torrey Pines State Beach, about 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said. Hikers saw the boat capsize and people injured, Lt. Nick Backouris of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department told The Associated Press.
Photos of the boat after it was dragged onto the beach show it had chipped blue paint and wooden planks for seats. It was found with life preservers and shoes inside.
Conditions in the water were choppy at the time, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Levi Read said.
Who was on board?
Authorities said they believe the boat was carrying 16 people when it capsized. Prosecutors said bystanders and San Diego lifeguards participated in rescue efforts, in which authorities recovered three bodies, including the 14-year-old boy from India.
Earlier in the investigation, the Coast Guard said a survivor reported that 18 people were on board, but that number was revised after more information was gathered from injured passengers. At least some of the boat's occupants are from India, officials believe, because of Indian passports found on the beach, Read said.
Shawn Gibson, a special agent in charge of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agency, said the incident was a "stark reminder of the dangers posed by maritime smuggling."
"The ruthless smuggling of undocumented individuals is not only illegal, it’s deadly," Gibson said.
Schnabel said he could not confirm whether the four people hospitalized are migrants or whether the people missing are believed to be migrants.
Who was charged in connection with the boat incident?
All five people arrested and charged were identified as Mexican citizens. The two people who were arrested at the beach were identified as Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, according to prosecutors.
Following their arrests, Border Patrol agents conducted operations in Chula Vista, California, a city in San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border, and later identified a vehicle that was seen at the beach. Prosecutors said the driver of the vehicle fled the scene after the boat overturned.
Agents then identified two other vehicles that were also allegedly involved in the human smuggling incident and arrested the drivers of those "load vehicles," according to prosecutors. Eight of the nine migrants who had been missing were located during the investigation.
The drivers were identified as Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31, prosecutors said, adding that Rojas-Fregoso had previously been deported from the U.S. in December 2023.
What is a panga boat?
A panga boat is an open, versatile outboard-powered boat, typically 18 to 30 feet long. It can be used for fishing, small boat rides, or hauling cargo, according to Panga Sports.
The boats are used for human smuggling and typically carry migrants into the United States from Latin America, authorities have said. They have also been used to smuggle marijuana in the country, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Since October, the Coast Guard has tracked 277 vessels, including pangas entering U.S. waters near San Diego, leading to 983 people apprehended, Read said.
Contributing: Terry Collins, Paste BN; Reuters