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The Coast Guard rescued 12 migrants from a disabled cabin cruiser off the coast of Huntington Beach Tuesday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach received a call at 5 p.m. from Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division reporting a disabled vessel off the coast of Huntington Beach.
Coast Guard watchstanders diverted a small boat rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Los Angeles-Long Beach operating in the area to investigate and conduct a boarding of the disabled vessel.
Upon arriving on scene and boarding the vessel, the Coast Guard boarding team determined there were 12 undocumented individuals onboard the vessel and that the vessel was disabled and in need of assistance. With the assistance of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division, the Coast Guard small boat put the disabled vessel in tow and took it to the Huntington Harbor launch ramp and transferred custody of the individuals to Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations agents. Agents from CBP’s Air and Marine Operations took custody of the vessel.
“This was an excellent example of the seamless coordination between federal and local agencies to ensure the safety of everyone out on the water,” said Lt. Cmdr. Keith Robinson, the law enforcement division chief for Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. “Situations like this highlight the dangers of attempting to cross the nation’s borders by sea.”
