() Illegal border crossings have now shifted from the southern border to the beaches of California.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says migrants are now trying to sneak into the U.S. by boat via the Pacific Ocean. Still at the center of smuggling are cartels, who are making money off the border crossings and telling people that coming by boat is the “safer” option despite many dying in dangerous conditions.
Last week, a panga boat carrying a family of four coming in from India capsized off the coast of Del Mar, California. The mother is the only one who is coherent after the capsizing. The father is in a coma and not expected to survive, their son drowned, and their daughter has not been recovered. The family was among 16 others on the boat.
The average amount Border Patrol agents say they’ve seen people pay to come across the border is around $18,000 per person. Some are paying up to $25,000 to take the route as the southern border is essentially locked down. Cartels have told people it’s the best way to come in as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration.
“We know that these human smugglers lie to people, they will guarantee them entry, they’re charging them extreme amounts of money to come into the United States illegally this way,” Border Patrol agent Justin Castrojon told .
Castrojon also said once they’ve interviewed migrants that have been arrested after coming by boat, they explain that they haven’t paid cartels yet for smuggling them into the country, signaling that it could lead to dangerous situations.
Despite the dangers, smugglers are finding success along California’s coast. In just six months, 26 smuggling vessels have landed in Los Angeles County and nearby areas. There have been 15 of them that have landed in San Clemente, about 60 miles north of the southern border.
San Clemente Mayor Steve Knoblock said he wants to put a stop to it and is now working with Border Patrol to install cameras along the city’s shoreline. The city’s council pushed back against the idea, but Knoblock said he is hopeful that with federal partnerships and funding, the plan can move forward.
“People want protection. They want to make sure that illegal people that are coming here with nefarious purposes are not allowed to come here. It’s that simple,” Knoblock said. “It’s not exotic, it’s not rocket science, it’s simple crime and safety, law and order, and people who shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be here. And unfortunately, the people that come are connected generally with cartels. They’re making big money on human trafficking, on drugs and other types of crime. And it’s problematic.”
Law enforcement has been telling people who live in San Clemente that if they see something, they should report it to Border Patrol, whether it be discarded clothing or footprints in places that normally are not there.
