Coast Guard cutter intercepts boat with 16 Mexicans off coast of California

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The Coast Guard intercepted a boat with 16 illegal aliens on board about 15 miles off the coast of Mission Bay in California on Sunday morning.

The Coast Guard said in a press release that at about 12 a.m., cutter Active notified Joint Harbor Operations Center of a 25-foot panga-style vessel with about 15-20 people on board, about a mile south of their position.

A panga boat is a narrow, high-bowed type of vessel often used by drug and human smugglers. The cutter Active and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations boat crew launched boarding teams to assess the situation.

During the investigation, the Coast Guard boarding team discovered 16 immigrants aboard the panga.

COAST GUARD INTERCEPTS BOAT CARRYING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS AS EXPULSION FLIGHT OPERATIONS BEGIN

The Coast Guard cutter Active intercepted a boat carrying 16 illegal immigrants 15 miles from Mission Bay in California on Sunday morning. (US Coast Guard)

The initial interviews with the immigrants found they all claimed to be from Mexico, the Coast Guard said.

All the immigrants were transferred into U.S. Border Patrol custody.

“The Coast Guard remains committed to protecting lives at sea while working alongside our federal partners to combat illicit maritime activities,” the Coast Guard said. “These operations highlight the coordinated efforts between agencies to secure our maritime borders.”

Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted several “alien expulsion flight operations” between California and Texas, which included intercepting a boat carrying illegal migrants that was sinking in U.S. waters.

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In a different immigration bust on Jan. 25, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted another boat carrying illegal immigrants into the U.S. off the coast of California.  (U.S. Coast Guard)

A photo shared by the military branch on X showed crews aboard the Active intercepting a vessel carrying nine illegal migrants bound for San Diego.

“The migrant vessel began to sink shortly after the Active crew stopped the voyage,” the post read. “All persons aboard the sinking vessel were safely removed and transferred to CBP.”

6 SUSPECTS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN DEADLY HUMAN SMUGGLING INCIDENTS OVER THE PAST WEEK, COAST GUARD SAYS

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan was removed from her post after President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office. (Getty Images)

Fox News Digital first reported that President Donald Trump fired the commandant of the USCG, Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, over concerns about the border, recruitment and an “erosion of trust.”

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Officials claimed Fagan failed to address border security threats, provided insufficient leadership in recruitment and retention, had an excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and covered up Operation Fouled Anchor, which was the Coast Guard’s internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.