Four Killed After 40-Foot Ship Suspected of Human Smuggling Breaks Apart in SoCal Shores

Photo Source: San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero speaks at a news conference held after a boat capsized just off the San Diego coast on May 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

A 40-foot wooden cabin cruiser that capsized off the coast near Point Loma is being investigated as a possible human smuggling attempt. The incident has resulted in the death of four people. More than two dozen others were injured and sent to nearby hospitals, and one individual was critically injured.

The incident happened at around 10:30 am Sunday, May 2^nd, according to officials. Border Patrol agents have shared that the boat capsized after it hit the shoreline of the Cabrillo National Monument. A bystander on the beach recorded the ship as it broke apart into pieces in the rough, choppy waters.

The Coast Guard released a statement which read in part, ”Twenty-nine people have reportedly been accounted for, consisting of twenty-four people alive, four people declared deceased by local emergency medical services personnel and one person who was last reported to be in critical condition.”

The incident which unfolded quickly required the assistance of several agencies including the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Patrol, and on-duty lifeguards. The rescue mission which utilized sea and air supports including jet skis and helicopters lasted throughout the night as rescuers searched for any remaining individuals. It’s unclear how many people were on the boat when it capsized because there was no official record, though officials have stated that 29 individuals have been accounted for. Search and rescue efforts were conducted with just under 100 personnel.

Photo Source: Wreckage and debris from a capsized boat washes ashore at Cabrillo National Monument just off the San Diego coast. May 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) No information has been released regarding the migrants’ ages or nationalities. The individual who is believed to be the captain of the boat has been identified and is in police custody.

The San Diego Fire Department shared images of the shipwreck on Twitter Sunday afternoon. Debris from the boat as well as the migrants’ belongings can be seen strewn about the shore. Rick Romero of the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department spoke with reporters about the chaos on the shore. "Once we arrived on the scene, the boat had basically been broken apart." Romero adds, "Conditions were pretty rough: five to six feet of surf, windy, cold."

Border Patrol agents believe the boat was used to smuggle illegal immigrants into the U.S. An official with the Customs and Border Patrol Public Affairs Office, Jeffery Stephenson, shared with reporters at a press briefing, “It was a smuggling vessel.” He adds, "Smugglers don't care about the people they're exploiting. All they care about is profit. They had inadequate safety equipment and obviously, this vessel was severely overcrowded."

Stephenson also shares that there has been an increase in human smuggling and illegal immigration through the nation's waters. According to the CBP, in the fiscal year 2020, 35,795 individuals have been apprehended traveling by ship or boat.

Days before this shipwreck that turned deadly, Border Patrol agents intercepted a smaller open boat that was used for human smuggling. Agents took into custody 15 men and six women, all of whom were Mexican nationals attempting to illegally enter the states.