The U.S. Department of Justice has filed charges against 19 individuals accused of smuggling migrants from Mexico across the Pacific Ocean using jet skis. The defendants are alleged to have transported migrants to coastal areas such as Sunset Cliffs, Bird Rock in La Jolla, and Imperial Beach, California, often under the cover of night.

 

In a recent operation, authorities detained nine of the accused at entry ports along the California-Mexico border. The remaining ten defendants have not yet been captured. During the raids, agents seized over $100,000 and two boxes of ammunition, with operations extending from the border to Los Angeles.

 

The Justice Department detailed that the accused used jet skis for their speed and ability to quickly approach the shore, allowing them to offload migrants and evade authorities. The smuggling organization, which charged between $7,000 and $16,000 per migrant, also handled the transport of migrants within the U.S., either driving themselves or coordinating with other drivers to cities such as Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Las Vegas.

 

San Diego Border Patrol Chief Patricia McGurk-Daniel warned that the indictment "serves as a notice" to migrant smuggling organizations operating along the coastal border, noting that "it is only a matter of time before they are brought to justice."

 

The accused, now in custody, face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted, in addition to fines of up to $250,000.