Latest news with #JesusJuanRodriguezLeyva
Fox News
28-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Noem calls for the death penalty following maritime human smuggling attempt that left child dead
Homeland Security Secretary Kristin Noem called for the death penalty in the wake of a disastrous maritime human smuggling operation that left one child, and at least two others, dead. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California announced charges Tuesday against five illegals in an alleged human smuggling attempt gone wrong that resulted in at least three deaths, including a 14-year-old boy from India. According to the attorney's office, witnesses observed an overturned panga boat at a beach in Del Mar, California, on Monday. The statement said bystanders and San Diego lifeguards attempted rescue efforts, and law enforcement officials recovered three bodies, including a 14-year-old boy identified in court records as "P.P.B." The boy's mother and father and two others were rescued and are hospitalized. The father is in a coma. The deceased child's 10-year-old sister is still "missing at sea" and presumed dead. Two Mexican nationals, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, were arrested at the beach and were charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. They face possible death sentences or life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the first charge and penalties of ten years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $250,000 fine for the second. Earlier in the evening Noem posted on X: "This tragic loss of life underscores the deadly reality of maritime human smuggling and why Congress authorized the death penalty when human smuggling results in a death. I am urging the Attorney General to prosecute the suspects to the fullest extent under the law." U.S. Border Patrol agents later identified two vehicles involved, apprehended the drivers and recovered eight of the remaining nine migrants missing from the boat, leaving only the 10-year-old child unaccounted for. The U.S. attorney's office charged the three Mexican nationals caught allegedly transporting the migrants — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31 — with transportation of illegal aliens. They face maximum sentences of ten years in prison and $500,000 fines. Rojas-Fregoso, identified as having previously been deported Dec. 19, 2023, is also facing an additional two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said "the drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business." Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego, said "yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed." "Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case," Gibson said. "The HSI, along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Eight migrants thought to be lost at sea after boat capsized are found alive in San Diego – but 10-year-old still missing
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Eight migrants thought to be lost at sea after a boat capsized off the coast of California on Monday were found alive, authorities announced in a news release. Witnesses spotted a panga boat overturned at a beach in Del Mar, 22 miles from San Diego. Lifeguards and bystanders participated in rescue efforts, the Justice Department said. Law enforcement officials recovered three bodies from the water, including a 14-year-old boy from India. His 10-year-old sister remains missing at sea and is presumed dead. The incident resulted in the deaths of three people. The children's father is in a coma and their mother is hospitalized. Nine others were initially unaccounted for. On Monday, officials arrested two Mexican nationals believed to be involved in the event, identified as Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva. The two were taken into custody at the beach on Monday and charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. While conducting operations that evening, Border Patrol agents in Chula Vista identified a vehicle that had been observed at the scene of the smuggling incident. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Border Patrol agents identified two other vehicles during the investigation and managed to stop and arrest the drivers of the vehicles, locating eight of nine people who had initially been reported missing. Life jackets and personal items are seen in a boat that capsized Monday (AP) In that instance, Melissa Jenelle Cota, Gustavo Lara and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, all Mexican nationals, were arrested and charged with transportation of illegal aliens. Rojas-Fregoso was in the country without authorization and had previously been deported in 2023. 'Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous,' said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego. 'Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case. 'Yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed. The HSI along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths.' Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a written statement that she will seek the death penalty against the alleged criminals. 'I will be formally requesting that the attorney general ensure that these two suspected smugglers are swiftly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' she said. 'I will also be urging the Attorney General to seek the death penalty in this case. The Department of Homeland Security will not tolerate this level of criminal depravity or reckless disregard for human life.'
The Independent
07-05-2025
- The Independent
Eight migrants thought to be lost at sea after boat capsized are found alive in San Diego – but 10-year-old still missing
Eight migrants thought to be lost at sea after a boat capsized off the coast of California on Monday were found alive, authorities announced in a news release. Witnesses spotted a panga boat overturned at a beach in Del Mar, 22 miles from San Diego. Lifeguards and bystanders participated in rescue efforts, the Justice Department said. Law enforcement officials recovered three bodies from the water, including a 14-year-old boy from India. His 10-year-old sister remains missing at sea and is presumed dead. The incident resulted in the deaths of three people. The children's father is in a coma and their mother is hospitalized. Nine others were initially unaccounted for. On Monday, officials arrested two Mexican nationals believed to be involved in the event, identified as Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva. The two were taken into custody at the beach on Monday and charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. While conducting operations that evening, Border Patrol agents in Chula Vista identified a vehicle that had been observed at the scene of the smuggling incident. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Border Patrol agents identified two other vehicles during the investigation and managed to stop and arrest the drivers of the vehicles, locating eight of nine people who had initially been reported missing. In that instance, Melissa Jenelle Cota, Gustavo Lara and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, all Mexican nationals, were arrested and charged with transportation of illegal aliens. Rojas-Fregoso was in the country without authorization and had previously been deported in 2023. ' Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous,' said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego. 'Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case. 'Yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed. The HSI along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths.' Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a written statement that she will seek the death penalty against the alleged criminals. 'I will be formally requesting that the attorney general ensure that these two suspected smugglers are swiftly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' she said. 'I will also be urging the Attorney General to seek the death penalty in this case. The Department of Homeland Security will not tolerate this level of criminal depravity or reckless disregard for human life.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
5 arrested after deadly smuggling incident off San Diego coast; girl remains missing
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Five people were arrested after a capsized panga at Torrey Pines State Beach resulted in the deaths of at least three migrants, U.S. Department of Justice officials said on Tuesday. The DOJ said the five detained were Mexican nationals. Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, were charged with Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death and Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain, and Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31 were charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. Rojas-Fregoso was also identified as an undocumented immigrant who had previously been deported in December of 2023, per officials. The boat was spotted early Monday morning near the 12000 block of North Torrey Pines Road, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. Law enforcement confirms three bodies were recovered, including a 14-year-old boy from India identified in court records as P.P.B. The boy's 10-year-old sister is still missing at sea and presumed dead, while his father is in a coma and his mother is also hospitalized, officials said. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office identified the second deceased person as 18-year-old Marcos Lozada-Juarez. The third body recovered has not been identified at this time pending notification of next of kin. On Monday, local officials said witnesses and some of those rescued from the boat said as many as 18 people were on the vessel, including alleged smugglers. The DOJ said on Tuesday that eight of the nine suspected migrants had been accounted for, with the exception of the girl. The DOJ described that after the boat capsized, a vehicle was seen by witnesses leaving the area. Later that night, Border Patrol agents in Chula Vista found the vehicle and two others and conducted a stop. 'During the investigation, Border Patrol Agents identified two other vehicles that were involved in the smuggling event and were able to successfully stop and arrest the drivers of these load vehicles and locate eight of the nine migrants missing from the boat, with the exception of the 10-year-old sister of P.P.B.,' the United States Attorney's Office Southern District of California said in the release. The Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego on Tuesday released a statement, saying that they are 'in close communication with local authorities to provide the necessary consular assistance to the victims and their families.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Fox News
07-05-2025
- Fox News
Five illegals charged in alleged maritime human smuggling attempt that left child dead
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California announced charges Tuesday against five illegals in an alleged human smuggling attempt gone wrong that resulted in at least three deaths, including a 14-year-old boy from India. According to the attorney's office, witnesses observed an overturned panga boat at a beach in Del Mar, California, on Monday. The statement said bystanders and San Diego lifeguards attempted rescue efforts, and law enforcement officials recovered three bodies, including a 14-year-old boy identified in court records as "P.P.B." The boy's mother and father and two others were rescued and are hospitalized. The father is in a coma. The deceased child's 10-year-old sister is still "missing at sea" and presumed dead. Two Mexican nationals, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, were arrested at the beach and were charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. They face possible death sentences or life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the first charge and penalties of ten years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $250,000 fine for the second. TRUMP SAYS MEXICAN PRESIDENT IS AFRAID OF CARTELS AFTER SHE REJECTED HIS OFFER TO SEND US TROOPS TO MEXICO U.S. Border Patrol agents later identified two vehicles involved, apprehended the drivers and recovered eight of the remaining nine migrants missing from the boat, leaving only the 10-year-old child unaccounted for. The U.S. attorney's office charged the three Mexican nationals caught allegedly transporting the migrants — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31 — with transportation of illegal aliens. They face maximum sentences of ten years in prison and $500,000 fines. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Rojas-Fregoso, identified as having previously been deported Dec. 19, 2023, is also facing an additional two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said "the drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business." FATHER WHOSE SON DIED FROM FENTANYL WARNS OVERDOSES 'CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE' AS STATES FIGHT DEADLY CRISIS Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego, said "yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case," Gibson said. "The HSI, along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths."
