A boat carrying a large group of suspected migrants arrived at Newport Harbor before those aboard reportedly dispersed through the surrounding neighborhood of waterfront mansions.
The 20-foot panga was abandoned after apparently hitting and damaging a nearby yacht, Fox 11 reported.
The vessel is believed to have been taken into Coast Guard custody. Authorities have not said how many people were on board or confirmed whether any of them have been found.
Federal and local officials have yet to release further public information about the incident.
The California Post has contacted the US Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security seeking additional details.
Surveillance footage recorded near Cypress Street on Saturday afternoon appears to show at least 12 people climbing from the panga one at a time before quickly scattering into the Newport Beach neighborhood.
Law enforcement sources are reviewing the video as investigators work to determine how the boat reached the busy harbor waterfront.
The panga, which reportedly had no captain aboard, was left behind after apparently scraping and denting a nearby yacht.
“It’s an unsafe thing, right?” Newport Beach City Council member Erik Weigand told Fox 11. “A bunch of guys coming off a boat, they’re slamming into the neighborhood here and trying to get away as fast as possible.”
One resident called the unexpected landing “pretty crazy,” while others expressed sympathy for the people who came ashore.
“I have family that are immigrants as well,” fisherman Abram Reyes told the station. “They’re just trying to get away, not go back where they come from.”
Newport Beach resident Diane Elder said she supports immigration but believes people should enter the United States through legal channels.
“I love immigrants. I’m a granddaughter of an immigrant,” Elder said. “But come here the right way. We have a right to know who’s here.”
A previous Newport Harbor incident was also captured on cellphone video, showing more than 20 suspected migrants leaving a panga and getting into waiting vans.
The Coast Guard later stopped the vessel and found 21 people aboard, including two individuals from Uzbekistan and one from Russia.
In a separate case, the Coast Guard rescued 37 suspected migrants nearly 100 miles offshore after their boat was reportedly left adrift for two days without food, water or fuel.
More recently, authorities intercepted another group of 24 suspected migrants south of Santa Barbara Island and transferred them to Newport Harbor.
