MISSION BEACH
Border Patrol agents members of a newly formed marine unit stopped a sports fishing boat off Mission Beach Saturday night and detained 16 unauthorized immigrants, officials said Tuesday.
Agents patrolling the shoreline saw the 25-foot vessel enter the Mission Bay channel about 7:45 p.m. and noticed the boat appeared heavy in the water, with several people on board, Border Patrol Agent Juan Torres Jr. said.
The agents stopped the boat and questioned two operators and three passengers on deck. When the agents inspected the vessel, they found another 11 passengers inside the cabin, Torres said.
The agents determined that no one in the group, including an unaccompanied 15-year-old passenger, was legally authorized to be in the U.S. The group was taken to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing.