Newport Harbor investigation yields 18 arrests on suspicion of entering U.S. illegally

Federal officials were called to Newport Harbor Tuesday in response to what county harbor patrol officers said was an illegally parked boat that showed signs of possible smuggling.

Sgt. Todd Hylton said county officers received the call at about 7:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of Newport Boulevard, where an abandoned pleasure boat was apparently parked in a private dock. Hylton said the boat was empty, but showed apparent signs of smuggling. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived at around 12:15 p.m. to investigate the scene.

While studying evidence found at the abandoned boat, federal officers noticed a “heavily laden recreational vessel” speeding through Newport Harbor.

Officials called for aid from the Port of Long Beach. A statement from the agency said that a dockside investigation of that vessel revealed human smuggling occurred and arrested 18 individuals suspected of entering the United States illegally. Those individuals were then taken to the San Clemente Border Patrol Station to be processed.

Hylton said the Orange County Sheriff’s Department was not involved with the second boat seen by federal agents.

Earlier this year, federal officials also arrested nine Mexican nationals suspected of entering the country illegally by way of a pleasure craft drop-off at the Newport Dunes boat ramp.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.