In response to a growing shift in migrant smuggling tactics, federal agencies are dramatically increasing their presence off the coast of San Diego. With a reported 95% decrease in land border crossings, law enforcement is now focusing efforts on stopping the surge in human smuggling via the Pacific Ocean. Hundreds of migrants have been apprehended in recent months during attempts to reach the U.S. by sea, including 93 individuals intercepted in just the final two weeks of March.
The U.S. Coast Guard has tripled its personnel and assets along the southern maritime border, a move officials say is necessary to combat a rising trend in organized ocean-based smuggling operations. Peter Nelson, Officer in Charge of Coast Guard Station San Diego, confirms that enhanced maritime patrols are now in full effect to address the new threat landscape. So far in fiscal year 2025, 260 smuggling boats have been intercepted, keeping pace with last year’s total of 561.
Adding to these efforts, the U.S. Navy has deployed the USS Spruance, a guided-missile destroyer, to assist with border security operations. The Spruance now works in coordination with other naval and Coast Guard vessels to monitor, deter, and intercept illegal maritime entries. The ship’s mission, as outlined by Defense Department officials, is to help “restore territorial integrity” and bolster U.S. sovereignty in the region.
Maritime smuggling is proving to be more complex and dangerous than traditional land routes. Captain Jason Hagen of the California Coast Guard says recent interceptions reveal a more diverse array of nationalities aboard smuggling vessels, including migrants from China, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. These developments suggest an expanding international network and raise concerns about potential national security implications.
One recent example occurred on February 20, 2025, when the Coast Guard intercepted a 30-foot panga-style boat about 21 miles off Point Loma, carrying 20 migrants from Mexico and China. They were taken into custody and handed over to Border Patrol. Another high-profile incident happened on April 13, 2024, when a boat packed with migrants made a high-speed landing on a crowded Carlsbad beach, narrowly missing surfers. The scene, captured on video, sparked renewed calls for increased federal enforcement.
Local officials are sounding alarms. San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond has called for additional federal resources, including Coast Guard and National Guard reinforcements, to confront what he calls an increasingly dangerous and adaptable smuggling network. With organized criminal elements shifting their routes from deserts to coastlines, experts say this pivot in strategy requires a long-term, coordinated response from federal, state, and local agencies.
As land crossings dwindle and sea smuggling escalates, San Diego is quickly becoming a focal point in the evolving U.S. immigration enforcement strategy. Officials emphasize that while enforcement has scaled up significantly, continued investment and real-time intelligence are necessary to stem the tide of maritime human trafficking.
Source Links:
https://nypost.com/2025/04/04/us-news/us-coast-guard-triples-number-of-guardsmen-protecting-the-border
https://nypost.com/2025/03/23/us-news/navy-deploys-destroyer-uss-spruance-to-southern-border-to-curb-illegal-immigration
https://nypost.com/2025/03/03/us-news/california-coast-guard-captain-sounds-alarm-as-migrants-inundate-pacific-waters
https://nypost.com/2025/02/20/us-news/boat-packed-with-mexican-chinese-immigrants-cut-off-while-trying-to-get-to-california-coast-guard
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/migrant-boat-evades-surfers-high-speed-landing-california-beach-2024-04-16
https://youtu.be/VSA2ogASa3M
