Newly released body-camera video captures the tense moment federal agents, weapons drawn, boarded a boat suspected of carrying people involved in a human-smuggling operation off Newport Harbor.
The footage, released Saturday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shows authorities intercepting the vessel with 14 suspected migrants from Mexico. The boat was escorted into Newport Harbor, where it was seized and everyone aboard was taken into custody.
The Department of Justice said Tuesday that Jose Miguel Castro-Duenas, 44, a Mexican national who had previously been deported, faces charges of attempting to transport undocumented migrants and illegally reentering the United States.
The incident began at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, when officers aboard a CBP Interceptor Vessel spotted a suspicious fishing-style boat in the waters off the affluent Orange County coastal community.
Video shows the high-speed Interceptor closing in on the vessel, which authorities say had been made to resemble a recreational fishing boat.
“I got eight down here,” one CBP agent says in the recording while aiming a firearm toward the boat’s cabin.
“We’re going to take one out at a time, and I’m going to stay right here,” the agent says as suspected migrants begin emerging from a compartment beneath the boat’s deck.
The Interceptor later speeds into Newport Harbor while towing the seized boat. The dramatic arrival unfolded as crowds gathered for the annual Pacific Airshow, which features U.S. Air Force aircraft and attracts thousands of spectators.
Officers brought everyone ashore and placed them in custody. One person, experiencing dehydration and seasickness, was examined by emergency medical personnel and cleared.
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Castro-Duenas, who is also known as Luis Enrique Santoyo-Orozco, appeared in court for the first time on October 5. His arraignment is scheduled for November 9.
“This case reflects a brazen assault on the rule of law and the sovereignty of the United States, where a previously deported illegal alien smuggler unlawfully reentered our country and resumed smuggling operations in one of our coastal communities,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.
“We will not tolerate repeated violations of federal law or attempts to exploit our coastline as an entry point for illegal smuggling activity.”
The latest CBP interception came roughly two weeks after another suspected migrant-smuggling incident at a private harbor dock. In that case, a dozen men reportedly disembarked from a 20-foot boat, which was abandoned after hitting and damaging another vessel.
Witnesses told authorities that the men then climbed into two waiting vehicles. The incident remains under investigation.
About two weeks earlier, a Coast Guard cutter stopped a 28-foot cabin boat west of Newport carrying approximately two dozen suspected migrants. Those aboard were brought to Newport Harbor and transferred to Border Patrol agents.
Federal officials say smugglers are increasingly turning to maritime routes as enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border becomes tighter. Human-trafficking networks frequently work with organized crime groups to move migrants into the United States.
Authorities describe sea crossings as among the costliest and most dangerous methods used by smugglers. In July, agents discovered 21 suspected migrants crammed aboard a small smuggling vessel, including a 56-year-old man who was unresponsive and later died.