Incidents show rising use of personal water craft by human traffickers
Two incidents this week at the U.S. border show one of the latest methods of smuggling people into this country without documentation: by personal water craft.
Before dawn Thursday, Border Patrol agents found a 32-year-old Mexican national hiding along the rocks at Imperial Beach. He’d been dropped off by a smuggler operating a personal water craft, officials said. He was taken into custody without incident.
On Sunday night, a 34-year-old man and 19-year-old woman, both Mexican nationals, were found on the beach near the Navy SEALs training area in Coronado, officials said. Each was wearing a wetsuit.
The two were arrested. The operator of the personal water craft had fled.
In many cases, the immigrants are forced to swim to shore as the smugglers flee.
Twitter:@LATsandiego
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
