U.S. authorities have intercepted 241 migrants attempting to enter the country illegally by sea so far in 2025, highlighting a sharp rise in maritime smuggling as border security tightens along the U.S.-Mexico land border.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Customs & Border Protection (CBP) have responded to 16 maritime smuggling incidents this year. On April 22, the Coast Guard Cutter David Duren intercepted 19 migrants aboard a 25-foot cabin cruiser 23 miles off Oceanside, California, just after 2 a.m.
Earlier this month, on April 9, cutters Sea Otter and David Duren intercepted 18 migrants on two vessels off Point Loma.
In one dramatic encounter on March 4, CBP agents aboard a Coastal Interceptor Vessel disabled a smuggling boat’s engine with gunfire after the vessel attempted to flee.
The increase in smuggling has prompted broader military support. The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely was deployed on March 15 to support ongoing border enforcement under the Southern Border Security Operation.
Authorities say criminal smuggling organizations, often linked to drug cartels, are adapting to land-based enforcement by expanding illegal routes via the Pacific.
