U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) sailors reportedly gunned down a Mexican vessel after the crew rammed their boat during a human smuggling bust in California this month.
The incident unfolded on Jan. 5 in San Diego, according to an arrest affidavit reviewed by Border Report.
Authorities at a federal Joint Operations Center in Imperial Beach were alerted about a suspicious fishing boat just north of Mission Bay and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents were dispatched to Dana Landing Boat Launch to investigate.
USBP encountered four illegal aliens who disembarked from the vessel and then located two male suspects hiding near a public bathroom.
When agents attempted to detain the men, they ran to the motorboat and managed to temporarily escape.
A USCG vessel intercepted the smuggling vessel approximately 20 minutes later and ordered the captain to halt.
“The Mexican boat not only failed to stop but rammed into the Coast Guard vessel. When the Coast Guard maneuvered to cut off the boat, its two remaining occupants ‘began throwing metal objects’ at members of the Coast Guard on deck,” according to Border Report.
USCG opened fire on the boat, ultimately disabling it.
When USCG sailors boarded the vessel, the suspects continued to resist and pepper spray was used to neutralize them as they were taken into custody.
The men, identified as Eduardo Audelo Rodriguez and Francisco Brado Cota, are being held under suspicion of smuggling illegal aliens into the U.S.
The illegals captured at Dana Launch reportedly told authorities they had paid between $7,000 and $16,000 to be smuggled into the U.S.
On Tuesday, USCG Southern California announced that nine smuggling busts involving 78 suspects were disrupted during the first seven days of the year.
Over the last 7 days, 9 suspected human smuggling events occurred at the Southwest border, involving 78 individuals. These human smugglers often intentionally ground vessels on dangerous shores, risking lives in cold water and treacherous conditions.#DontTakeToTheSea #SanDiego
— USCG Southern California (@USCGSoCal) January 7, 2025
InfoWars regularly reports on illegal entries and human smuggling busts in U.S. waters, many of which occur on the West Coast.