Panga Boat Makes Landfall Near San Clemente Beach; Chinese, Mexican Nationals Arrested

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SAN CLEMENTE (CBSLA) - Several Chinese and Mexican nationals were taken into custody last week after arriving in a makeshift boat on the coast of Southern California.

The boat made landfall just after midnight on Nov. 1 near San Mateo Point just south of San Clemente, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Thirteen people got off the boat and ran into a nearby community, according to officials.

When the passengers made a run for it, Border Patrol agents responded and quickly detained nine of the 13 on board. Six of those detained were Chinese nationals - including one woman - and the remaining three were Mexican nationals.

(Photo via US Customs & Border Protection)

All of those detained were determined to be illegally present in the U.S., authorities said.

The group was transported to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing, where one of those detained admitted to being the captain of the boat and now faces federal human smuggling charges, according to officials.

Similar landings have occurred in recent months in Malibu - where a boat smuggling nearly 600 pounds of marijuana was discovered - and several landings in Laguna Beach.