Federal agents thwarted a maritime human smuggling attempt off the coast of San Diego on Tuesday morning, taking 14 undocumented immigrants into custody and arresting two of them on suspicion of leading the group illegally into U.S. waters.
Personnel with the U.S. Coast Guard spotted the border-crossers' boat heading north without running lights near the international marine boundary at about midnight, according to U.S. Border Patrol public affairs.
Agents with Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations intercepted the camouflage-painted pleasure craft roughly eight miles west of Mission Bay and took the occupants — two women and 12 men — into custody.
During interviews with the detainees, the federal personnel determined that they were Mexican nationals illegally in the United States, according to USBP public affairs.
In addition to taking the migrants into custody, agents seized the boat the group had used to enter U.S. waters.
