San Diego - U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested three male Mexican nationals yesterday attempting to smuggle more than 750 pounds of marijuana inside a cuddy cabin style boat that came ashore near Torrey Pines State Beach.
At about 6:15 a.m., agents spotted a boat travelling north along the coastline in the waters off La Jolla. Approximately one hour later, agents monitored the boat as it came ashore near Torrey Pines State Beach with two individuals aboard. Agents subsequently arrested two Mexican nationals, ages 34 and 30, who were illegally present in the country. Agents also discovered the boat contained 32 bundles of marijuana with a total weight of 758 pounds and an estimated street value of $454,800.
Soon after, agents questioned the driver of a white van, a 37-year-old male Mexican national, who was waiting near the area of the boat landing. The driver of the van was subsequently arrested for being illegally present in the United States and for his involvement with the drug smuggling attempt. The three suspected smugglers, the vessel, the van, and the drugs were transported to a local Border Patrol station for processing. Agents later turned over custody of the men, drugs, boat and vehicle to the San Diego Air and Marine Task Force for further investigation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintains a strong enforcement posture along the coastal borders to detect, apprehend, and deter smugglers of humans, drugs and other contraband and is a member agency of the Maritime Unified Command (MUC). The MUC is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, CBP Office of Air & Marine, CBP Office of Field Operations, CBP U.S. Border Patrol, ICE, as well as state and local law enforcement partners operating in the San Diego and Orange County maritime domain. The MUC utilizes the fusion of intelligence, planning and operations to target the threat of transnational crime along the southern California coastal border.