Five illegals charged in alleged maritime human smuggling attempt that left child dead

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced charges Tuesday against 5 illegals successful an alleged human smuggling attempt gone incorrect that resulted successful astatine slightest 3 deaths, including a 14-year-old lad from India.

According to the attorney’s office, witnesses observed an overturned panga vessel astatine a formation successful Del Mar, California, connected Monday. The connection said bystanders and San Diego lifeguards attempted rescue efforts, and instrumentality enforcement officials recovered 3 bodies, including a 14-year-old lad identified successful tribunal records arsenic "P.P.B."

The boy’s parent and begetter and 2 others were rescued and are hospitalized. The begetter is successful a coma. The deceased child’s 10-year-old sister is inactive "missing astatine sea" and presumed dead.

Two Mexican nationals, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, were arrested astatine the formation and were charged with bringing successful aliens resulting successful decease and bringing successful aliens for fiscal gain. They look imaginable decease sentences oregon beingness successful situation and a $250,000 good for the archetypal complaint and penalties of 10 years successful situation with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $250,000 good for the second.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced charges Tuesday against 5 amerciable immigrants successful an alleged quality smuggling effort gone incorrect that resulted successful astatine slightest 3 deaths, including a 14-year-old lad from India. (Fox News)

U.S. Border Patrol agents aboriginal identified 2 vehicles involved, apprehended the drivers and recovered 8 of the remaining 9 migrants missing from the boat, leaving lone the 10-year-old kid unaccounted for.  

The U.S. attorney’s bureau charged the 3 Mexican nationals caught allegedly transporting the migrants — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31 — with proscription of amerciable aliens. They look maximum sentences of 10 years successful situation and $500,000 fines.

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Rojas-Fregoso, identified arsenic having antecedently been deported Dec. 19, 2023, is besides facing an further 2 years successful situation and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said "the drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of however small quality traffickers attraction astir the costs of their deadly business."

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U.S. Border agents patrol the Pacific Ocean wherever the U.S.-Mexico borderline partition enters the h2o astatine Border Field State Park successful San Diego Nov. 20, 2018.    (Reuters/Mike Blake)

Shawn Gibson, peculiar cause successful complaint of HSI San Diego, said "yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent request to dismantle these transgression networks driven by greed."

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"Human smuggling, careless of the route, is not lone amerciable but highly dangerous. Smugglers often dainty radical arsenic disposable commodities, starring to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, arsenic we saw successful this case," Gibson said. 

"The HSI, on with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and different partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those liable accountable for these senseless deaths."