Possible smuggling boat found off San Diego coast, third one recovered this week
A passerby spotted the boat on the shoreline of the beach around 5:45 a.m. Friday with 12 life jackets inside
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Just one day after one person was killed and others were injured when a boat suspected to have been used for human smuggling got trapped in rough waters off California, an empty panga boat was found abandoned on San Diego’s Mission Beach early Friday, according to local reports.
A passerby spotted the boat on the shoreline of the beach around 5:45 a.m. with 12 life jackets inside, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson and a local affiliate Fox 5 San Diego report. "Several fuel containers" were also found nearby, the spokesperson told Fox News.
Investigators scoured the area for any passengers but were unsuccessful. A CBP spokesperson told Fox News the discovery is being investigated as a possible human smuggling incident, citing the dozen life jackets found nearby. The investigation is ongoing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SMUGGLING BOAT CAPSIZES OFF CALIFORNIA COAST; 1 DEAD, 15 MIGRANTS IN CUSTODY
Pangas are a type of outboard-powered open boat favored by migrant- and drug-smugglers trying to skirt the U.S.-Mexico land border.
BORDER PATROL INTERCEPTS BOAT OFF SAN DIEGO COAST CARRYING 23 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Thursday, authorities said one person was killed and several others were injured when a boat apparently attempted to smuggle migrants ashore on San Diego’s La Jolla coast.
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On Monday, authorities took 23 people from a panga off Point Loma, and earlier this month, a cabin cruiser overloaded with 32 people foundered there, killing three people during a smuggling attempt.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.