Cartels Use Dangerous Sea Routes for Smuggling Amid Border Crackdown

Maritime Smuggling Operations

• 🌊 Cartels are increasingly using sea routes to smuggle migrants and contraband into the U.S., particularly off the coast of San Diego.
• 🎯 Despite overall border enforcement, maritime smuggling numbers remain steady, indicating a shift in cartel tactics.
• ⚠️ The Coast Guard believes this shift is a direct response to increased enforcement and resources along the land border.

Coast Guard Interdiction Tactics

• 🚨 The U.S. Coast Guard is ramping up operations to deter illegal crossings and stop drug trafficking by sea.
• 🗣️ Interdiction tactics begin with verbal warnings to smugglers.
• ⚠️ If warnings are ignored, the Coast Guard may fire warning shots or deploy pepper balls.
• 💥 In some cases, the Coast Guard has had to disable smuggler boat engines to stop them.

Dangers and Desperation

• 📈 Smugglers are becoming more desperate and aggressive due to heightened enforcement.
• 💥 Incidents include smugglers taking evasive actions, ramming Coast Guard vessels, and throwing objects like heavy metal wrenches.
• 🌊 The maritime routes themselves are extremely dangerous, with severe rip currents in the San Diego area.
• 👤 Law enforcement has encountered individuals with felony drug convictions, including known gang members, attempting to cross via watercraft.

Enforcement Presence

• 🚢 Two Navy destroyers are deployed in the region, one in the Gulf and one in the Pacific off Southern California.
• 👮 The Coast Guard is actively patrolling the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, a key area for maritime smuggling.