At least three people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank in the United States

At least three people were killed and more than 20 were injured when a boat used to transport undocumented migrants capsized off the coast of San Diego this Sunday., In Southern California (USA), officials said.

Eyewitnesses said the accident happened Sunday morning in San Diego, where the ship slowly capsized and everyone on board jumped 40 feet into the water.

“This is a hijacking ship,” Jeffrey Stephenson of the Office for Customs and Border Protection told reporters. Those on board were probably immigrants trying to enter the United States illegally, and “border patrol agents are with a man we believe is the operator.”.

“Kidnappers don’t care about the people they exploit,” he said.

“All they care about is profit. They did not have adequate safety equipment and apparently this boat was seriously overloaded. “

The 27 survivors were “taken to hospitals with varying degrees of injury,” said Jose Ysia, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department.

Rescue workers rescued seven people from the water and a cliffSaid the head of the rescuers San Diego, James Cortland.

The accident comes at a time when the United States is enjoying a large influx of undocumented migrants on its southern border.

Officials and immigrants say increased poverty and violence in Central America have caused some deportationAs well as the promise of President Joe Biden’s most humane immigration policy.

U.S. The Customs and Border Security Service said on Friday it would intensify patrols on the coast San Diego Weekend to disrupt expatriate trafficking routes.

“Recently there has been a dramatic increase in the number of smuggling attemptsAaron Hydeke, chief agent of the San Diego Department of the U.S. Border Patrol, said in a statement.

“All of these illegal crossings at sea are inherently dangerous, and we have seen many go from tragedy to tragedy as smugglers sacrifice the safety of those on board for profit.”

On Thursday, border officials intercepted a Panga-type vessel carrying 21 people, which was traveling 18 kilometers off Point Loma Beach without navigation lights.. The group detained 15 men and six women. According to a report released by Customs and Border Protection, they were all determined to be Mexican citizens with no legal status to enter the United States. Two of those on board will face charges of suspected hijacking.

Border patrols said Friday that law enforcement officials will step up operations to disrupt maritime smuggling off the coast of San Diego this weekend.

There is a misconception that when hot weather hits San Diego, it will make illegal crossings safer or easier.The company said in a statement.

In early March, a pickup truck full of immigrants collided with a trailer truck 200 miles east of San Diego in the farming community of Holdville, California. The crash killed 13 of the 25 people on board the 1997 Ford trip, including one of the worst border accidents in U.S. history, including driving.

With AP information

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