Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that attempted maritime border crossings through San Diego are on the rise as a result of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown along the land border.
Roberto B. Domínguez Jr., acting deputy chief of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said in a press conference this week that officers are seeing "more people on pangas."
"The metropolitan San Diego and Tijuana area is considered one of the most problematic zones due to the high number of illegal crossings," the official added. "What we are seeing, as we close down the border, build more of the wall, deploy National Guard troops, we're seeing more traffic in the maritime environment."
He went on to say the agency is deploying more military members to stop the crossings. Several have made the news over the past months. In late September, officials intercepted a sailboat carrying four migrants in San Diego.
Two others on the boat identified themselves as U.S. citizens and said they owned the vessel. All were taken into custody and the vessel was seized.
A press release added that watch standers at Coast Guard Sector San Diego received report of a suspicious sailboat on Saturday. A boarding team was then dispatched and boarded the vessel.
The four migrants identified themselves as Mexican nationals. They are three adults and an unaccompanied minor. Officials did not release the names of the detainees.
In July, the Coast Guard interdicted a boat carrying three migrants in San Diego after engaging in "disabling fire" while pursuing the vessel.
In June, over a dozen migrants were intercepted. The episode took place southwest of Point Loma. The boat was initially spotted by a military aircraft, which then gave the Coast Guard the coordinates to intercept it.
Border Report cited authorities saying the interdiction was conducted without incident. Officers saw 16 people who claimed to be Mexican nationals seeking to enter the U.S.
In May, a Coast Guard ship also opened fire at a boat during a high-speed chase. Then, officials followed the boat as it entered San Diego Bay, calling on a crew out on a routine patrol to intercept it. However, once they attempted to establish communication, the ship took off.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
