A boat suspected in a human trafficking operation was interdicted off the coast of Malibu Monday morning November 20. The U.S. Coast Guard along with Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations officers caught the vessel while on routine patrol. The interception happened 16 miles off the Malibu coast at 4:16 a.m.
Law enforcement teams on scene say 23 undocumented non-citizens were detained. They were aboard a vessel described as a 41-foot pleasure craft. The vessel was towed to shore and those on board were charged with attempting to enter the country illegally. Cmdr. Keith Robinson, chief of law enforcement at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles – Long Beach said, “”These overloaded vessels are inherently dangerous, and our extensive partnerships in the area are essential to keeping boaters safe and enforcing the nation’s customs and immigration laws.”