12 people detained after human smuggling boat lands in Huntington Beach
Federal authorities detained 10 Chinese nationals who were smuggled into the U.S. on a panga-style boat that landed in the Sunset Beach section of Huntington Beach on Monday afternoon, officials said.
Two Latino men were also detained, though their role in the incident was not immediately clear, Matthew Rice of the Department of Homeland Security told reporters.
It’s unclear where the boat traveled from, but it came ashore near Pacific Coast Highway and Anderson Street shortly before 3 p.m. Nine of the Chinese nationals were men and one was a woman. The U.S. Coast Guard determined they were in good health, Rice said.
Seal Beach police helped detain several occupants of the boat, said Sgt. Mike Henderson.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com
Twitter: @AleneTchek
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