An already grim situation turned deadly when a human smuggling operation off the coast of San Diego resulted in several casualties.
Specifically, five illegal Mexican nationals face serious charges for the deaths of four people, including two children.
The horrific event unfolded when a panga-style boat capsized near Del Mar, California, about 20 miles north of San Diego.
Three bodies were recovered at the scene, while a fourth victim—a 10-year-old Indian girl—remains missing and is presumed dead.
Tragically, her 14-year-old brother was among those who died in the incident.
Federal authorities wasted no time in arresting those responsible. Suspects Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna were caught on the beach and charged with bringing in migrants resulting in death and for financial gain.
Three additional suspects—Melissa Jenelle Cota, Gustavo Lara, and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso—were later arrested after Border Patrol agents linked their vehicles to the smuggling operation.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that the vessel was carrying 16 people when it overturned.
Four survivors, including the parents of the dead children, were rushed to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla with respiratory issues. The father currently remains in a coma while the mother is hospitalized.
Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California stated, “The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business.”
“We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths,” he added.
Adding to the long list of charges, Sergio Rojas-Fregoso faces additional penalties for being in the United States illegally after a previous deportation.
This highlights the revolving door that America’s immigration enforcement system became under Democrat policies.
Eight of the nine initially missing migrants were found in vehicles driven by the three additional suspects, clearly showing the coordinated nature of this criminal enterprise.
Encinitas Deputy Fire Chief Jorge Sanchez classified the incident as a mass casualty event, which prompted an extensive search operation involving multiple agencies.
Air resources, lifeguards on boats and jet skis, and personnel walking the beach were all deployed in efforts to locate victims and survivors.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson said:
“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. Yesterday’s heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed.”
Multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard, are jointly conducting the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Edward Chang will prosecute the case, and charges will be brought against all five suspects related to illegal human smuggling operations.
This tragic incident serves as yet another grim reminder of the human cost of the crisis inherited from the Biden administration.
