US Coast Guard triples number of guardsmen protecting the border as migrant crackdown turns to the seas
The US Coast Guard has “tripled” the number of guardsmen deployed to protect the border — as the Trump administration shifts its attention to smugglers moving illegal migrants across the high seas.The show of force comes as the number of migrant boats intercepted by the agency has shown no signs of slowing, despite a dramatic drop in illegal crossings over the US-Mexico border under President Trump’s major immigration crackdown.“We’ve essentially tripled the amount of Coast Guard assets on the southern border,” Peter Nelson, Officer in Charge of Coast Guard Station San Diego, told Border Report.
“This has happened in the last two months.”The Coast Guard has stopped 260 smuggling vessels this fiscal year so far, which started on Oct.1.
The total number of boats intercepted in the 2024 fiscal year topped 561, meaning this year is on track to keep pace regardless of the clampdown.Smugglers are continuing to use “the ocean to enter,” a Border Patrol source told The Post.On Sunday, 17 Mexican migrants, including two unaccompanied little boys and three women, were found “disabled and adrift” on their 35-foot boat roughly 50 miles southwest of San Diego.The Coast Guard and Navy responded and rescued the group from danger as they waved white flags to call out for help, according to Customs and Border Protection.Border agents then took the group into custody for deportation.Meanwhile, agents working along the southern land border have seen record-low illegal crossings.In March, only roughly 7,000 migrants were encountered — the lowest number in at least 25 years.
The Coast Guard has warned against trying to sneak into the country via the sea, saying that they typically encounter “unseaworthy or overloaded vessels” that can put migrants in “deadly” situations.“Do not take to the sea.You could lose your life.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to saving lives and discouraging anyone from taking to the sea in ways that are unsafe ...