Suspected smuggling boat found near Torrey Pines golf Course

Two men arrested when a suspected smuggler’s boat packed with 22 people was seized about 1 mile off Torrey Pines Golf Course were in federal custody today.

Some of the 16 men and six women taken from the 26-foot motorboat are expected to be allowed to stay in the United States to testify against the suspected smugglers, but most are expected to be repatriated, according to Customs and Border Protection agents.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel detected the blue-and-white boat running without navigation lights about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday and fired several warning shots at it to get the operator to stop, according to CBP.

The construction of a barrier along the border, along with stepped-up law enforcement across the Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector, has prompted some smugglers to turn to the ocean.