USCG intercepts 19 migrants off Los Angeles

19 migrants were pulled from a boat that was found floating off the coast of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the US Coast Guard on Saturday.

A crippled panga-style boat was seen off the shore of Redondo Beach on Saturday morning, and a concerned citizen alerted the Los Angeles-Long Beach Coast Guard, according to a press release from the Coast Guard.

The crippled boat was eventually found by a Coast Guard helicopter rescue team approximately 18 miles west of Redondo Beach, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard reported that the rescue boat from Coast Guard Station Los Angeles successfully transported 19 persons from the capsized vessel to safety with the assistance of Baywatch Redondo.

The crippled boat was hauled to the Coast Guard’s Los Angeles-Long Beach base, where Customs and Border Protection processed the migrants.

Coast Guard Capt. Ryan Manning said in a statement that the event “highlights the inherent hazards presented to migrants trying to reach the United States by water and the dynamic nature of our operations.”

“After assuring everyone’s safety during the response to a report of a vessel in danger, the Coast Guard and our local partners turned their attention to enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.

For the protection of everyone on the sea and to stop illegal immigration, the Coast Guard often patrols the California coastline.”