Four dead after suspected migrant boat capsizes near San Diego, Coast Guard says

By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Four people died and four others were hospitalized after a suspected migrant smuggling vessel capsized in rough surf Friday evening off the coast of San Diego, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

In addition to the eight victims, one person was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol, the Coast Guard said. According to the Coast Guard, the search for “additional survivors” continued Saturday off the coast of Imperial Beach in San Diego County.

The ‍Border Patrol notified the Coast Guard of the capsize of a panga-style boat Friday at 11:40 p.m., the Coast Guard said. Panga-style boats are frequently used by smugglers attempting to transport migrants from Mexico to California by sea, often in dangerous conditions amid Pacific waves.

Rescue workers found survivors of Friday’s incident on the beach and rescued another trapped under the vessel, according to a Coast Guard statement. Rescuers then rescued three people from the water who were pronounced dead a short time later, the coast guard said.

Several of the people on the ship claimed Mexican citizenship, although some were not identified, the Coast Guard said.

Homeland Security Investigations has taken control of the investigation into the incident.

(Reporting by Mike ‌Stone in Washington; editing by Sergio Non,‌ editing by Franklin Paul)