SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Undocumented immigrants often get smuggled into California by boat, and Coast Guard officers are ready and able to forcibly stop smuggler boats, halting hundreds of undocumented immigrants on their journey into the U.S.
But not every incident escalates to that point. I rode along in one of Coast Guard’s search and rescue boats to see what goes into patrolling these waters.
“At this point, we’re pretty effective at identifying everything that comes across,” said Peter Nelson, the officer in charge for Coast Guard Station San Diego.
Nelson says the federal government has tripled their fleet of boats patrolling the water in the last couple months.
“It’s had a pretty positive effect as far as deterrence goes and our ability to detect as well as interdict vessels at sea,” Nelson said.
That detection starts here. Inside the search and rescue boat is a radar map. Green arrows show officers the locations of other boats in the water.
“We have multiple sensors throughout our area of responsibility: from radar cameras to the aircraft in the sky.”
Nelson says smugglers often use small panga boats, crammed with more than a dozen undocumented immigrants, each paying up to $20,000 to get on. They come between 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., Nelson says most turn away when they see Coast Guard’s blue flashing lights, and when they don't, officers continue the pursuit…
Coast guard crew members first shoot a flare gun as a warning shot near the boat. They then use a pepper ball gun to injure passengers. If that doesn't work, they'll use a shotgun or rifle to disable their engine and send a boarding crew into the smuggler boat to take undocumented immigrants in for processing at the base.
“There’s a greater focus on the maritime border at this point so that’s where we’re putting our resources.”
An elite group of officials working together to protect the coast and human life.
