Coast Guard Ship Opens Fire At Migrant Ship During Chase

A Coast Guard ship opened fire at a migrant boat during a high-speed chase off the coast of San Diego, officials said.

The incident took place last Saturday, when Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Diego's Joint Harbor Operations Center spotted a boat speeding north.

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.

After verbal commands went unanswered, the boat fired a series of warning shots. A lack of compliance then led the Coast Guard to fire four shots at the boat's engine.

The crew then boarded the ship and detained all eight migrants aboard, including five adults and two teenagers.

The episode took place shortly after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of California, killing at least three people.

In a post on X , the U.S. Coast Guard Southern California said that between April 20 and 26 there were seven other illegal maritime smuggling attempts involving 41 people near the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Every attempt by sea is extremely dangerous—overloaded boats, freezing waters, and violent surf can turn deadly in seconds. Don't take to the sea," the Coast Guard warned.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she will seek the death penalty for two Mexican nationals operating the boat in question. She said in a statement that DHS will request the Department of Justice to request the death penalty "based on a thorough review of both the Immigration and Naturalization Act and the Federal Death Penalty Act."

"Their deaths were not only avoidable but were also the direct result of the greed and indifference of smugglers who exploited them. Maritime smuggling is not just illegal—it is a violent and inherently dangerous crime. Those who knowingly place human lives at grave risk in furtherance of such crimes must be held fully accountable," Noem added in her statement.