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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.'
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Epoch Times
5 Mexican Nationals Charged After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off California, Killing at Least 3
Five Mexican nationals have been arrested for alleged human smuggling activities in San Diego that resulted in the deaths of at least three illegal immigrants, including a 14-year-old boy from India whose 10 year old sister is missing at sea and presumed dead. Their father, who is in a coma, and mother are currently hospitalized, according to a The dramatic ordeal began after a panga boat, or small open-air fishing boat, carrying the illegal immigrants overturned at sea off San Diego's Pacific coast on Monday morning. Initially, nine people were thought to be missing but search efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard lead to them being saved, including the parents of the deceased boy. '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. Attorney Adam Gordon said. After being arrested Monday at the beach, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva were charged on Tuesday, May 6, with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. Related Stories 3/19/2025 1/29/2025 In the United States, human smuggling that results in death is a crime that carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison. Melissa Jenelle Cota, Gustavo Lara, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, who were in vehicles observed at the scene of the maritime smuggling incident, were arrested and charged with transportation of illegal aliens. Rojas-Fregoso was previously deported from the United States back to Mexico on Dec. 19, 2023. 'We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths,' Gordon added. Court records show that law enforcement officials recovered the three deceased bodies after bystanders and San Diego lifeguards engaged in rescue efforts around an overturned panga boat at Del Mar beach on May 5. Among the deceased were a man and an 18-year-old boy from Mexico, according to the Mexican consulate. The boy's 16-year-old girlfriend, whose lungs had filled with water, survived and has been hospitalized. Pangas are known to depart from the Mexican coast in the middle of the night to accommodate migrants who are willing to engage in the illegal, risky pathways that smugglers offer, which involves traveling by sea since the land borders, such as the border with California, are currently heavily guarded. 'Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous,' special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Shawn Gibson said. 'Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case.' The defendants had not yet contacted Mexican authorities for legal help by press time, according to the Mexican consulate. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
New York Times
07-05-2025
- New York Times
5 Charged After Deadly Migrant Boat Incident in California
Five Mexican nationals have been arrested and charged after a boat carrying migrants capsized near San Diego and killed at least three people, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California announced on Tuesday. The dead included a 14-year-old boy from India, who was on the vessel with his parents and his sister, the authorities said. The father is in a coma, and the mother is also hospitalized, while his sister, 10, is still missing and presumed dead, according to the U.S. attorney's office. The boat, which overturned on Monday, was a panga, a type of open vessel used for carrying people or drugs. The authorities said they arrested Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36, and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30, on Monday at Torrey Pines State Beach just north of San Diego. According to the U.S. attorney's office, both have been charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death, which has a maximum penalty of death or life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and with bringing in aliens for financial gain.
