Federal agents intercepted a boat carrying 14 migrants off Newport Beach, marking the latest in a series of vessels reportedly transporting people near the affluent Southern California coastal community.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations crew stopped the vessel south of Newport Beach at approximately 1:30 p.m. Friday, the agency told News Outlet.
The group consisted of 11 men, two women and an accompanied boy. All identified themselves as Mexican nationals, according to CBP.
Agents brought the boat and its passengers to a U.S. Coast Guard dock in Newport Beach. The 14 people were then turned over to Border Patrol for processing, while the vessel was seized.
Fourteen migrants are transported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after agents intercepted a vessel south of Newport Beach on Oct. 3. (Credit: KTTV)
One person was assessed for possible dehydration and seasickness. The individual was stable and cleared by emergency medical personnel, CBP said.
“Maritime migration is dangerous and can too often result in death,” CBP said. “Migrants should not embark on a dangerous journey. The United States border will remain closed to illegal migration by sea, air, and land.”
The Newport Beach interception is the latest reported migrant boat incident involving the coastal city and surrounding waters.
A sailboat cruises through Newport Harbor in Newport Harbor Thursday, March 2, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Surveillance video obtained by FOX 11 Los Angeles last month showed another boat entering Newport Harbor. At least a dozen people then got off the vessel and dispersed into the community.
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Federal authorities process people from a vessel intercepted south of Newport Beach. CBP said the 14 people aboard identified themselves as Mexican nationals. (Credit: KTTV)
During a separate incident last month, 37 migrants were rescued offshore after reportedly spending two days without food, water or fuel.
Cellphone video from another incident roughly two years ago showed more than 20 suspected migrants leaving a panga boat in Newport Harbor before rushing into waiting vans.
The repeated encounters have led Newport Beach City Councilmember Erik Weigand to advocate for surveillance cameras near the harbor entrance.
“The last Saturday, then the Saturday before, and a few Saturdays before that. These guys have been trying to unload illegal migrants into our city and then off into the community,” Weigand told FOX 11.
A vessel carrying 14 migrants is intercepted south of Newport Beach on Oct. 3. All 14 were later turned over to U.S. Border Patrol for processing. (Credit: KTTV)
Weigand is proposing the installation of two cameras using existing infrastructure near the jetties or seawall. The system would monitor boats entering and leaving the harbor around the clock.
The councilmember said expanded surveillance could provide authorities with an early warning when suspicious vessels approach and potentially give law enforcement time to respond before passengers reach shore.
“Yeah, we have to have some sort of discussion, but it would be a feature for security,” Weigand said. “I think having technology is a good thing. If we can have eyes and ears on something that looks suspicious, we could send up a drone.”
Weigand said the broader concern is that authorities may have limited information about who is aboard boats approaching the coast or what they may be carrying.
“They could be smuggling drugs, they could be simply just be looking for a better opportunity in America, or they could be up to terrorist activities,” Weigand said. “We don’t know, that’s the problem.”
News Outlet has reached out to Weigand for additional comment on the recent incidents and his concerns about suspected maritime smuggling operations targeting the area.
