Cross-border maritime crossings increase as San Diego officials request USCG to contain

Recently, there has been an increase in illegal border crossing activities along the coast of San Diego, and local officials are expressing the hope that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) can strengthen enforcement to curb this trend.

The Coast Guard announced on Monday (March 10) on X platform that from March 3 to 9, a total of 31 illegal immigrants crossed from the coast of San Diego to the United States. The Coast Guard issued a warning against maritime border crossing, stating that “these illegal crossings are extremely dangerous – overloaded vessels and unpredictable sea conditions often lead to tragedies.”

On March 9, the Coast Guard Los Angeles/Long Beach maritime security and safety team intercepted a 20-foot vessel about 7 miles southwest of Point Loma, San Diego, and found 9 illegal immigrants on board. These individuals were immediately detained and turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol. Just a few days earlier, the Coast Guard intercepted a 25-foot vessel with 21 illegal immigrants on board about 20 miles west of Point Loma, who were also transferred to the Border Patrol.

Local and state legislators in California have noted an increase in illegal maritime border crossing cases. They attribute this rise to the success of the Trump administration in curbing land border crossings.

California State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio from San Diego told a reporter on Monday that “we see this (maritime border crossing) situation repeatedly in San Diego.” He mentioned that local news reports on these incidents every other day, citing recent discoveries of smuggling boats in La Jolla, Pacific Beach, and Mission Bay.

DeMaio criticized the Coast Guard for not effectively patrolling against maritime illegal border crossings, stating that “they have many other missions, so they are not prepared for this.” He noted that drug traffickers are aware of this weakness and exploit it by turning to maritime smuggling, which will continue until San Diego receives the necessary resources and government support.

DeMaio also highlighted the challenges faced by lifeguards, harbor police, and other California and local government officials under sanctuary state laws. He mentioned that if lifeguards in sanctuary states call the Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), they could risk losing their jobs, calling the situation “crazy.”

DeMaio called for the Coast Guard to implement stronger measures along the California coast to curb this trend. He expressed the desire for headquarters to push the local Coast Guard more forcefully to adopt regulations and practices similar to those in Florida, which seem to be handling the issue better.

The U.S. Coast Guard had not responded to requests for comment before the publication of this article.

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond emphasized the increase in illegal maritime border crossing incidents during an interview with Fox Business Channel last week. “We must put a stop to all of this (maritime border crossing),” he stated. “Unfortunately, this makes California and other places unsafe because if these individuals successfully land, they can easily enter our communities, disappear, and we have no idea who they are or where they come from.”