Coast Guard officer dies in clash with smuggling suspects

A file image of a small boat from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Halibut. A suspected smugglers' vessel struck a Coast Guard boat at high speed Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, throwing two crewmembers overboard. One sustained a fatal head injury. / KCBS

VENTURA, Calif. A smuggler's vessel rammed a small U.S. Coast Guard boat off the Southern California coast, killing one Coast Guard member and injuring another, authorities said.

CBS Station KCBS reports that the small boat was deployed by the Coast Guard cutter Halibut, which was investigating a suspected smuggling vessel detected by a Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft near the Channel Islands west of Malibu.

According to a Coast Guard statement, the smuggler's panga, which was running without lights, maneuvered at a high rate of speed directly at the Coast Guard boat, striking it before fleeing the scene.

Two members of the Coast Guard were thrown from the boat, with one sustaining a traumatic head injury.

Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, of Redondo Beach, Calif., was killed by suspected smugglers off the Channel Islands.

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Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, 34, of Redondo Beach, was pronounced dead after being brought ashore at the Port of Hueneme, Ventura County chief deputy medical examiner James Baroni said.

The second man was treated for minor injuries. His name wasn't released.

Another Coast Guard vessel stopped the fleeing panga, and detained two suspects.

"Our fallen shipmate stood the watch on the front lines protecting our nation, and we are all indebted to him for his service and sacrifice," said Admiral Robert J. Papp, Coast Guard Commandant.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also released a statement, saying, "This tragedy reminds us of the dangers our men and women in uniform face every day, and the great risks they willingly take, as they protect our nation."

Horne's neighbors told KCBS correspondent Cristy Fajardo that he was a devoted husband and family man. Horne and his wife Rachel have one daughter and a child on the way.

[malcolm-kyle]

Yet another law enforcement officer dies while attempting to uphold a failed public policy that has triggered the worst crime wave in history.

Yet another law enforcement officer dies while attempting to prevent the citizens of this 'once proud and free' nation from choosing to self-medicate with one of God's most amazing plants.

Yet another law enforcement officer dies in order that unconscionable Transnational Corporations, and their Media Enablers, can continue to abuse, addict and poison us for obscene profits.

[brwing]

The smuggler boat should have been destroyed with extreme prejudice and no survivors should have been assured. Time to stop messing around.

[morrgeo]

rest in peace, life is so short , we take chances and sometimes it bite is
back. being a retired chief boatswainmate I understand ! a hero in the service for sure.

BMC George Morrison
retired

[borismcchesny]

Let's punish the smugglers with in-state tuition.

[DAlan63]

Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III thank you for your service and RIP.

Now I hope we get those basturds.

[daddycrc-2009]

To bad the Coast guard did fill the boat full of holes, Now we have to feed an house these AH for yrs

[raboz]

I suspect you meant "didn't"... The other Coast Guard craft should have just taken them under fire with a good old "Ma Deuce". Problem solved, at least in this case.

[jnostromo]

This country needs to adjust it's policy regarding drug dealers and smugglers...They should be treated as terrorists devoid of rights...Military force should be used to eliminate them instead of attempting to arrest them...In this case, a small patrol should not have been sent, F-14's should have been dispatched to blow them out of the water and kill any survivors..these smugglers should have been turned into shark chum

[liberalmike]

American's are their drug smugglers biggest customers and the ONLY thing that will stop this madness is just de-criminalizing ALL drugs.
Drug users are never going to just quit anyways.

That will effectively put them all out of business.