Six suspected human smuggling incidents along the southwest border last week involved approximately 60 individuals and resulted in a tragic loss of life, according to the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
The events occurred between December 23 and 29, as reported by USCG Southern California on Monday via X (formerly Twitter). While the exact number of fatalities was not disclosed, officials emphasized the human cost of these dangerous smuggling operations.
“Tragically, this endeavor has claimed many lives. Taking to the ocean in unseaworthy vessels with unlicensed captains in cold, unforgiving waters is deadly,” the military branch said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) defines human smuggling as providing services—such as transportation or fraudulent documentation—to individuals voluntarily seeking illegal entry into a foreign country.
The incidents highlight the grave risks associated with human smuggling operations, which often exploit vulnerable individuals and involve perilous conditions. Authorities are continuing their efforts to combat such illegal activities and prevent further tragedies at the border.
Earlier this month, three U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, were charged in a human smuggling case involving illegal immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
The soldiers, Emilio Mendoza Lopez, Angel Palma, and Enrique Jauregui, face federal charges of “bringing in and harboring aliens,” with Palma and Jauregui also charged with assaulting a federal agent.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office identified Jauregui as the “recruiter and facilitator of the human smuggling conspiracy.”
The arrests occurred on November 27 when U.S. Border Patrol stopped a car in Presidio, Texas, driven by Palma.
The vehicle contained three illegal immigrants and Mendoza Lopez. When the suspects fled, their vehicle collided with a Border Patrol vehicle, injuring an agent, according to a criminal complaint.
