Editors note: There has been a correction to the day of the week and suspected alien nationality designations.
SAN DIEGO – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Forrest Rednour (WPC 1129) interdicted 17 suspected aliens aboard a panga-style vessel approximately 10 miles west of Sunset Cliffs, Saturday.
At 1:18 a.m., Sector San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center watch standers received notification from a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento HC-130 Hercules aircrew of a vessel of interest southwest of Point Loma. The aircrew maintained surveillance of the vessel and provided continuous position updates while the Forrest Rednour crew diverted to intercept.
The Forrest Rednour launched an over-the-horizon boat crew and boarding team, which gained positive control of the vessel. The boarding team found 17 suspected aliens aboard; 10 claiming Mexican nationality, four claiming Guatemalan nationality and two claiming Salvadoran nationality and one unaccompanied minor claiming Guatemalan nationality.
All suspected aliens were embarked aboard the Forrest Rednour and later transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations personnel for transport to Ballast Point to U.S. Border Patrol custody.
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