Latest news with #HunterSchnabel
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
At least 3 dead, 7 missing after small boat capsizes near San Diego
At least three people are dead and seven others, including two children, are missing after a suspected panga boat washed ashore near the San Diego area on May 5, authorities said. Four survivors rescued after the "panga"-style open fishing vessel washed ashore near Torrey Pines State Beach were transported to hospitals, and two other people found on a nearby beach were detained by authorities, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials. The two taken into custody were suspected to be smugglers, Coast Guard spokesperson Hunter Schnabel told Reuters. Earlier Coast Guard accounts put the number of people missing from the overturned craft at nine, but Schnabel said the tally of those unaccounted for was revised to seven after confirmation that two individuals had been detained. Some of the boat's occupants were apparently from India, as Indian passports "were found on the beach near where the panga washed up," according to Coast Guard spokesman Chief Petty Officer Levi Read. Shawn Gibson, a special agent in charge of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agency, said the incident was a "stark reminder of the dangers posed by maritime smuggling." "The ruthless smuggling of undocumented individuals is not only illegal, it's deadly," Gibson said of the incident, which occurred about 30 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Read said ocean conditions off the San Diego County coast were rough at the time, with 7-foot seas reported. Meanwhile, several agencies were involved in the search, including the Coast Guard and San Diego Fire Department helicopters, a Coast Guard response boat, and lifeguards in rescue boats and watercraft. Others were searching the beach on foot, authorities said. 'Upgraded this to a major medical response' A person on the panga boat, a smaller, open, outboard-motor powered craft, told rescuers there were 18 people on board, Sanchez told reporters at the scene. "So we upgraded this to a major medical response due to the number of potential victims that we had on the beach with this boat," Sanchez said. "We're just doing our due diligence by checking if there's anybody else in the waters." When asked if this was a migrant smuggling event, Sanchez also said it was unconfirmed at the time. In March 2023, at least eight people were found dead after two migrant smuggling boats, believed to be panga boats, capsized off a San Diego beach in a suspected human-smuggling operation, authorities said. A border protection spokesman said then that hundreds of maritime smuggling incidents occur every year, and the tragedy was one of the deadliest ever in the United States. Details about where the boat came from during the deadly May 5 incident were not immediately available; the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is also involved with the search. So far this fiscal year, since October 2024, the Coast Guard has tracked 277 vessels clandestinely entering U.S. waters from Mexico in the San Diego area, some of the boats being interdicted and others getting away, Read said. Those incidents resulted in 983 people being apprehended. That compares with 1,354 maritime border-crossing incidents in the same region during the previous 12 months, with 561 individuals taken into custody during that period. 'Worst maritime smuggling tragedies': At least 8 dead after migrant smuggling boats capsized off San Diego beach What is a panga boat? A panga boat is usually an open, versatile outboard-powered boat, typically 18 to 30 feet long, used for a range of activities, including small boat rides, fishing, and hauling cargo, according to Panga Sports, a boat-building business based in Woodbury, Tennessee. The panga boat has no cabin or deck, and its name comes from the panga fish, which is commonly netted. The bow of the boat resembles the machete or knife called a panga. The boats are also used for human smuggling, typically coming from Latin American countries attempting to enter the U.S., according to authorities. Panga Sports said the panga boats are "known for their reliability and efficiency on the water." The vessels are often recognized by their unique hull design, consisting of a sharp bow and a flat bottom, providing great stability and agility in a range of ocean conditions, Panga Sports said. "The panga's loading capacity can range widely depending on its sizes and designs; many of these vessels can hold multiple passengers as well as hundreds of pounds of gear or cargo," said Panga Sports' description. "They also typically have plenty of deck space, which means crew members and gear can move about with ease. Such are especially attractive for fishing operations because they significantly improve productivity with gear access and excellent mobility." (This story was updated to add new information and video.) Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Panga boat capsizes near San Diego: 3 people dead and 7 missing
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Search suspended after panga boat capsizes near San Diego; 3 dead, 7 still missing
Authorities will not continue searching for seven missing people, including two believed to be children, after a panga-style boat overturned near San Diego on May 5 and three people were found dead. The Coast Guard does not plan to continue the search unless authorities receive new information, Coast Guard spokesperson Hunter Schnabel told USA TODAY on May 6. Schnabel said the factors involved in calling off the search include the time elapsed since the incident, the likely survivability in the water and the fatigue of search crews and assets used in the search. The U.S. Coast Guard received the report of an overturned vessel at about 6:30 a.m. on May 5. Four people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, and two others found alive were detained, the Coast Guard Pacific Southwest said. The two taken into custody are suspected to be smugglers, authorities said. About 16 people are believed to have been on board the small, open-style powered boat. The Coast Guard said late the night of May 5 that it had suspended its operations searching for the missing "pending further developments." Authorities used helicopters and rescue boats in the search. "We can't speculate as to what happened to them," Schnabel said of the seven missing people, adding that they may not all be still in the water or dead. Here's what we know so far about the investigation: What happened to the boat? The boat washed ashore near Torrey Pines State Beach, about 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said. Hikers saw the boat capsize and people injured, Lt. Nick Backouris of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department told the Associated Press. Photos of the boat after it was dragged onto the beach show it had chipped blue paint and wooden planks for seats. It was found with life preservers and shoes inside. Conditions in the water were choppy at the time, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Levi Read said. Who was on board? Authorities haven't released identities of the people on the boat, but said they believe it was carrying 16 people when it capsized. Three were found dead, four were hospitalized, two were detained and another seven were still missing. The missing include two children, officials said. One of the injured was in critical condition, the city of Encinitas said. Earlier in the investigation, the Coast Guard said a survivor reported there were 18 people on board, but that number was later revised after more information was gathered from the injured. At least some of the boat's occupants are from India, officials believe because of Indian passports found on the beach, Read said. Shawn Gibson, a special agent in charge of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agency, said the incident was a "stark reminder of the dangers posed by maritime smuggling." "The ruthless smuggling of undocumented individuals is not only illegal, it's deadly," Gibson said. Schnabel said he could not confirm whether the four people hospitalized are migrants or whether the people missing are believed to be migrants. What is a panga boat? A panga boat is a open, versatile outboard-powered boat, typically 18 to 30 feet long. It can be used for fishing, small boat rides or hauling cargo, according to Panga Sports. The boats are used for human smuggling and typically carry migrants into the U.S. from Latin America, authorities have said. They have also been used to smuggle marijuana in the country, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since October, the Coast Guard has tracked 277 vessels including pangas entering U.S. waters near San Diego, leading to 983 people apprehended, Read said. Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Search suspended with 7 still missing after panga boat capsizes
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Dad in coma, son dead and 10-year-old daughter missing after migrant boat capsizes; 5 charged
Five Mexican citizens have been charged with participating in human smuggling after a small boat carrying migrants capsized off San Diego on Monday, killing four people including two children, authorities said. Tragic new details about the deadly smuggling incident came to light Tuesday. The body of a 14-year-old boy from India was among three recovered following the accident, and his 10-year-old sister remains missing at sea and is presumed dead, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The siblings' parents were rescued, but the father is now in a coma, and the mother remains hospitalized. 'The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business,' U.S. Atty. Adam Gordon said in a statement. 'We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.' The U.S. Coast Guard received a call around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday reporting that a small panga-style boat with an estimated 16 people on board had overturned just north of Torrey Pines State Beach, said Hunter Schnabel, a Coast Guard public affairs officer. Bystanders and San Diego lifeguards were able to rescue four people. Three bodies were recovered from the scene, and nine people were initially unaccounted for. Two of the smuggling suspects — Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36, and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30, both of Mexico — were arrested on the beach, prosecutors said. They have been charged with bringing in migrants resulting in death, which has a maximum penalty of death or life in prison. Although the death penalty remains legal in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a moratorium on executions, in effect halting them during his tenure. They are also charged with bringing in migrants for financial gain, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Three additional arrests were made Monday night after Border Patrol agents spotted a car, which had been seen earlier near the accident scene, some 25 miles south in Chula Vista, which is just 10 miles north of the Mexican border. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Agents continued their investigation and successfully stopped two other vehicles involved in the smuggling incident, authorities said. Inside the vehicles, they discovered eight of the nine missing migrants, with the exception of the 10-year-old girl, prosecutors said. The drivers of the vehicles — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso, 31 — were arrested and charged with the transportation of undocumented immigrants, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Rojas-Fregoso faced an additional charge for being in the country illegally after having been previously deported in December 2023, prosecutors said. This charge is punishable by up to two years in prison. "Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities," Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego, said in a statement. "Yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed." Read more: Migrants make increasingly dangerous journeys to enter California through the coast The smuggling of migrants is a persistent problem along the California coastline and one that often has deadly consequences. In 2023, at least eight people died when two migrant smuggling boats overturned off Black's Beach in San Diego County. A year earlier, a man and two women died when a panga boat crashed into rocks at the base of the cliffs of Point Loma in San Diego. Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
07-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Dad in coma, son dead and 10-year-old daughter missing after migrant boat capsizes; 5 charged
Five Mexican citizens have been charged with participating in human smuggling after a small boat carrying migrants capsized off San Diego on Monday, killing four people including two children, authorities said. Tragic new details about the deadly smuggling incident came to light Tuesday. The body of a 14-year-old boy from India was among three recovered following the accident, and his 10-year-old sister remains missing at sea and is presumed dead, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The siblings' parents were rescued, but the father is now in a coma, and the mother remains hospitalized. 'The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business,' U.S. Atty. Adam Gordon said in a statement. 'We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.' The U.S. Coast Guard received a call around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday reporting that a small panga-style boat with an estimated 16 people on board had overturned just north of Torrey Pines State Beach, said Hunter Schnabel, a Coast Guard public affairs officer. Bystanders and San Diego lifeguards were able to rescue four people. Three bodies were recovered from the scene, and nine people were initially unaccounted for. Two of the smuggling suspects — Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36, and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30, both of Mexico — were arrested on the beach, prosecutors said. They have been charged with bringing in migrants resulting in death, which has a maximum penalty of death or life in prison. Although the death penalty remains legal in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a moratorium on executions, in effect halting them during his tenure. They are also charged with bringing in migrants for financial gain, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Three additional arrests were made Monday night after Border Patrol agents spotted a car, which had been seen earlier near the accident scene, some 25 miles south in Chula Vista, which is just 10 miles north of the Mexican border. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Agents continued their investigation and successfully stopped two other vehicles involved in the smuggling incident, authorities said. Inside the vehicles, they discovered eight of the nine missing migrants, with the exception of the 10-year-old girl, prosecutors said. The drivers of the vehicles — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso, 31 — were arrested and charged with the transportation of undocumented immigrants, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Rojas-Fregoso faced an additional charge for being in the country illegally after having been previously deported in December 2023, prosecutors said. This charge is punishable by up to two years in prison. 'Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities,' Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego, said in a statement. 'Yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed.' The smuggling of migrants is a persistent problem along the California coastline and one that often has deadly consequences. In 2023, at least eight people died when two migrant smuggling boats overturned off Black's Beach in San Diego County. A year earlier, a man and two women died when a panga boat crashed into rocks at the base of the cliffs of Point Loma in San Diego. Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Search halted with seven missing after boat thought to be carrying migrants capsized off San Diego
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for seven people who went missing after a boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized off the San Diego coast, officials said Tuesday. The search effort stopped late Monday after crews combed the area via helicopter and a cutter for hours following the early-morning capsizing of the boat, which killed at least three people whose bodies were recovered and injured at least four others who were rescued and taken to a hospital, Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel told The Associated Press. Nine people were initially reported missing, but two were later found and detained, Schnabel said. He didn't know which agency detained the individuals or why. The U.S. Border Patrol did not immediately respond to an email asking if it was involved. A Del Mar lifeguard looks over a capsized boat on the beach Friday, May. 5, 2025, in at Torrey Pines State beach in San Diego, Calif. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) It isn't clear if any of the seven people who were reported missing made it to shore on their own and left the area. Schnabel said they will be considered missing or unaccounted for unless there is a new development. Petty Officer Chris Sappey said it isn't known where the boat was coming from before it flipped shortly after sunrise about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the Mexico border. He described the vessel as a panga, which is a single or twin-engine open fishing boat commonly used by smugglers. Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off California's coast. Pangas leave the Mexican coast in the dead of night. In 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog. One capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling cases in waters off the U.S. coast. A federal judge sentenced a San Diego man to 18 years in prison in 2022 for piloting a small vessel overloaded with 32 migrants that smashed apart in powerful surf off San Diego's coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen others.
