SAN DIEGO — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Bottoms (WPC-1132) interdicted 11 suspected aliens aboard a 26-foot cuddy cabin-style vessel approximately 23 miles west of Point Loma, California, Sunday evening.
Crew members aboard the Benjamin Bottoms detained all 11 suspected aliens at 5:40 p.m. and transferred them to a Coast Guard Station San Diego boatcrew. Station San Diego crew members then transported all 11 to another DHS agency at Ballast Point for further investigation.
At 5:20 p.m., the cutter’s boarding team detected the unidentified vessel carrying 11 adults claiming Mexican nationality.
A boarding team with the cutter attempted to stop the vessel and conduct an inspection. The vessel became noncompliant and fled the scene upon the activation of law enforcement lights. Boarding team members began pursuit and gained compliance by expending several disabling rounds to the vessel’s engine.
There were no reported injuries to the boarding team members or the suspects.
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