A boat carrying illegal immigrants landed at Newport Harbor in Newport Beach in a recent incident that authorities say points to smugglers increasingly turning to sea routes along the California coast. The vessel struck a yacht while coming ashore, and the people aboard were quickly loaded into waiting cars and driven away to undisclosed locations, according to a report from the California Post.
Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 82,000 residents known for low crime rates and high household incomes, making the daylight landing notable to residents and local officials.
Federal authorities say the incident reflects tightened security at the U.S.-Mexico land border, which they say has pushed smuggling networks toward maritime routes along the California coastline. Los Angeles County District Attorney Bill Essayli said the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have increased efforts to intercept smuggling boats before they reach shore, and that federal agencies stop most such vessels while still on the water.
The federal government has long worked with state and local authorities in Texas and Florida to counter similar seaborne smuggling attempts in those states.
California’s sanctuary laws limit cooperation between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, even in cities, including Newport Beach, that have not themselves declared sanctuary status. Under state law, local police in California are generally restricted from assisting federal immigration enforcement efforts.
The Newport Harbor incident follows other cases that have drawn attention to California’s immigration enforcement policies. In one recent case in Martinez, Calif., an illegal immigrant is alleged to have stabbed and killed a 68-year-old man in the victim’s front yard, one day after the suspect had been released from jail in a sanctuary jurisdiction.
No further details on the number of people aboard the boat, their identities, or the current status of any investigation into the Newport Harbor landing were included in available reporting.
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