United States: Eight illegal migrants reportedly missing at sea after their boat sank near California were rescued alive when officials located them at a transit point following four fatal smuggled human crossings, as reported by Reuters.
Border Control agents discovered the eight migrants at their inland operation checkpoint, according to the San Diego district U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to the statement, the eight migrants reached the shore after their boat capsized near Del Mar before being transferred to three vehicles, which delivered them to the inland transit point.
Indian Girl Feared Dead, Family Hospitalized
Prosecutors believe an Indian 10-year-old girl lost her life at sea because she remained unlocated as a missing migrant.
Rescue teams retrieved the 14-year-old Indian boy and two others after their panga-style boat flipped over. Crew members, including both parents of the children, along with four others, received hospital treatment after medical personnel rescued them from the ocean waves. The father remained unconscious in a coma, according to the prosecutor’s accounts.
Federal prosecutors revealed through court documents filed on Tuesday that five Mexican nationals faced prosecution for border smuggling because their vessel capsized off the San Diego coastline.
Eight migrants thought to have been lost at sea off California after their boat capsized, have been found alive, ending a human smuggling drama that left four people dead, including two children from the same Indian family, US officials said https://t.co/x1pTBUxZh2
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 7, 2025
Communication problems between authorities and on-site personnel led the Coast Guard to initially report seven persons unaccounted for.
Panga-style boats represent lightweight and open watercraft that function through outboard motor power.
Border Patrol agents located two males and one female who operated the vehicles used to transport illegal migrants following their arrest. Security forces arrested two additional men shortly after the smuggling boat drifted onto the San Diego coastline.
Five Charged in Fatal Smuggling Operation
Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36, and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30, were the two accused pilots. They were charged with “bringing in aliens resulting in death,” a capital penalty, and “bringing in aliens for financial gain.”
All three accused vehicle drivers, including 33-year-old Melissa Jennelle Cota, along with Gustavo Lara at 32 and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso at 31, received charges for transportation of illegal aliens with a potential prison term of 10 years.
Homeland Security Pushes for Capital Punishment
Through a statement, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem declared she would initiate a formal request to the Justice Department so the two perpetrators of boat piloting could face capital punishment, as reported by Reuters.
“Maritime smuggling is not just illegal — it is a violent and inherently dangerous crime,” Noem said.
The Coast Guard has documented hundreds of submarine migrant attempts at sea in the San Diego area during each annual summer period in recent times.