Border Patrol increases presence along coast as maritime smuggling rises
by: Salvador Rivera
Posted: May 3, 2021 / 05:33 PM GMT-0600 / Updated: May 3, 2021 / 05:33 PM GMT-0600
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Even before Sunday’s suspected maritime smuggling incident that sent 30 people to the hospital and left at least three dead, law enforcement officials were already ramping up operations to disrupt maritime smuggling off the coast of San Diego.
“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of maritime smuggling attempts recently,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke, U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego Sector. “All of these illegal crossings at sea are inherently dangerous, and we have seen too many turn from risky to tragic as smugglers sacrifice the safety of those on board for the sake of profits.”
For months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been dedicating extra resources to coastal patrols covering the “land, air, and sea.”
https://www.borderreport.com/regions/california/border-patrol-increases-presence-along-coast-as-maritime-smuggling-rises/
