Latest news with #ShawnGibson
Business Mayor
07-05-2025
- Business Mayor
Search suspended with 10-year-old still missing after boat capsizes off San Diego coast
A 10-year-old Indian girl remains missing at sea after a boat carrying migrants capsized outside of San Diego on Monday morning. One of the bodies recovered is the girl's 14-year-old brother. According to the Department of Justice, the family's mother is hospitalized while their father remains in a coma. The US Coast Guard announced it had stopped its search on Monday evening. The justice department stated that of the original nine people reported missing, all except for the 10-year-old girl had been found. Two Mexican nationals were killed in the boat's capsizing as well. The vessel, a blue 'panga'-style boat, a type of boat historically used for fishing, was more than 20ft long, and had a damaged engine. The boat washed up on San Diego's Torrey Pines beach, and was spotted by local hikers at about 6.30am on Monday morning. Shawn Gibson, a special agent in charge of the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) 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 US-Mexico border. Read said ocean conditions off the San Diego county coast were rough at the time, with 7ft seas reported. skip past newsletter promotion Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion According to the justice department, border patrol agents located eight of the originally nine missing migrants after stopping two vehicles tied to the boat incident. The justice department has charged five Mexican nationals in relation to the event. Two were arrested at the beach on charges of 'Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death' and 'Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain', while three were arrested later with charges of 'Transportation of Illegal Aliens'. Smuggling off the California coast has long been a risky alternative for migrants to avoid heavily guarded land borders. In 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach amid heavy fog. One boat capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling cases in waters off the US coast. Human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Amnesty International have stated that strict border policies drive people around the world to riskier routes, resulting in increased death and human rights abuses.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Coast Guard suspends search for missing people in deadly panga incident
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the seven people who went missing after a panga with more than a dozen people on board overturned off the coast of Del Mar earlier this week. The agency, in tandem with local authorities, scoured more than 520 square miles around Torrey Pines State Beach for hours to find the unaccounted-for passengers of the boat following the deadly incident. According to Coast Guard officials, the decision to call off the search was made late Monday night. It is unclear whether the missing people will be presumed dead by local authorities. Carmel Valley residents push back against budget cuts The panga was first discovered beached on the shore of Torrey Pines State Beach around 6 a.m. Monday. Surviving passengers of the boat said 18 people were on board when it flipped, prompting a 'major medical response' from first responders. Encinitas city officials said eighteen life jackets were also recovered at the beach, supporting the estimated total number of people on board. At least three people were declared dead Monday, while four others were found at the scene in need of medical attention for injuries ranging from 'minor to critical.' The condition of the injured passengers is unknown at this time. First responders took to air, land and sea to find the missing people, deploying the Air Station San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, Station San Diego 45-foot response boat-medium, Air Station Sacramento C-27 Spartan aircraft and the Cutter Sea Otter, among other resources. U.S. Homeland Security Investigations officials have vowed to 'diligently' investigate the incident, which authorities believe was a smuggling attempt, to identify and hold to account whoever is responsible. 'This tragic maritime incident off the coast of San Diego is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by maritime smuggling,' Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations said in a statement. 'This loss of life underscores why such criminal activity will never be tolerated.' 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.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Dangerous' drug trafficking ring shut down in Southern California
(FOX 5/KUSI) — 16 people from Southern California are facing charges related to the distribution of drugs coordinated by a group based out of Escondido. A news release from the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday states that two federal indictments were unsealed, which detail part of how the suspects allegedly ran the operation. According to the DOJ, more than 150 agents from federal, state and local agencies served search warrants in Escondido, San Diego, Orange County and Roanoke, Virginia on Tuesday morning. 'This case is a direct hit against a dangerous drug trafficking network that has been flooding our communities with deadly narcotics,' reads part of a statement from Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego Shawn Gibson. Multiple Teslas found vandalized at Southern California dealership The release states that during the 16-month investigation, officials seized more than 4 lbs. of fentanyl, more than 116 lbs. of methamphetamine, amounts of cocaine and Adderall, nine firearms and ammunition, and body armor. According to the DOJ, two of the defendants allegedly had 'leadership roles' in the trafficking operation and coordinated the distribution of meth and fentanyl. On two separate occasions in January and February of 2024, an undercover agent reportedly purchased meth and fentanyl from one of the defendants — the first time for $10,000 and the second for $20,000. Proposed La Jolla split from city of San Diego hits setback In both instances, the agent was allegedly directed to drop off the money at another defendant's mailbox, and then one of the leaders of the operation allegedly mailed a package to the agent that contained the drugs, which totaled nearly 10 lbs. of meth and nearly 2 lbs. of fentanyl. The alleged provider of the drugs had a tracking device placed on their vehicle, which they later located and removed before relying on others to distribute drugs, the DOJ release said. Fourteen of the suspects, ranging in age from 20 to 51 and who reside in San Diego County and Orange County, face charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Two other suspects, aged 25 and 34, face a charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
