Twelve people were taken into custody after Border Patrol agents intercepted two panga-style boats, attempting to smuggle the people into the country.
The first boat was spotted by a camera operator for the Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC) around 2:20 a.m. Thursday just west of Belmont Park in Mission Beach. The operator notified Border Patrol agents.
When the boat landed on the beach near Ostend Court, 10 people ran ashore, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
All 10 people were taken into custody.
Just minutes later, the JHOC discovered a second boat just west of Sunset Cliffs. A Coast Guard Sector San Diego helicopter monitored the boat and Border Patrol agents were contacted.
Two people were arrested around 2:40 a.m. after the boat landed on the beach near Adair Street.
According to CBP, 11 were found to be Mexican nationals and one, a Guatemalan national, attempting to enter the country without authorization. There were seven men and five women, ranging between the ages of 19 and 43.
