Another drug boat was intercepted Wednesday in southern Ventura County near the county line, as authorities seized 2,500 lbs. of marijuana and arrested ten people, according to the Ventura County Star. The 27-foot “panga” boat, an open-air fishing vessel typically used by smugglers from Mexico, was spotted offshore near Deer Creek Road by a National Guard patrol. The patrol contacted Customs and Border Protection, whose agents found the boat onshore, along with 2,500 lbs. of marijuana in bales.
The agents arrested nine men and later found a tenth hiding in the rocks about a quarter mile south of where the boat landed. The arrested included both the boat crew and men who arrived to meet them. The men were taken into federal custody. About 100 gallons in gas in 5-gallon drums and two vehicles were also seized in the smuggling operation.