SAN DIEGO—Working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC), and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents arrested nine people after they entered the U.S. illegally by boat on Thursday.

On December 19, 2019, at around 3:45 p.m., JHOC contacted AMO about a suspicious vessel off the coast of San Diego, Calif. AMO quickly reached the area and intercepted a 24-foot Bayliner pleasure craft.

Suspecting that the vessel was being used for smuggling, AMO agents took control of the vessel and navigated it to a dock at Ballast Point. USBP agents were contacted and responded to the dock.

Border Patrol agents questioned the nine passengers and determined they were Mexican nationals illegally present in the U.S.

Of those arrested, eight were adult men ranging from 20 to 62 in age and one 35-year-old woman. One of the men, was identified as the Bayliner’s captain. The group was transported to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing. The captain faces alien smuggling charges. The boat was seized by AMO.

Agents arrested 9 who illegally

entered the US on this Bayliner.

Since October 1, 2019, AMO agents across the country have been involved in the apprehension of 4,153 individuals through CBP and DHS components.