SAN DIEGO - Human smuggling operations in the waters off of San Diego are increasing at an alarming rate.
According to data from the Border Patrol, the Coast Guard and other federal and local agencies, more than 660 smuggling or illegal entry attempts by sea were reported in fiscal year 2022, an increase of more than 70 percent from fiscal year 2021. The data reviewed by iNewsSource shows those smuggling attempts of both people and contraband have tripled since 2019.
Smugglers have filled panga boats and other small vessels with migrants, braving harsh conditions with little food, water or safety equipment, which has resulted in deaths after some boats sank or after some migrants tried to swim ashore. Smugglers often charge migrants between $12,000 and $15,000 for getting a spot on the boats.
This comes as agents have also encountered an increasing number of migrants at the Southwestern border, encounters which are expected to increase once Title 42 is lifted.
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