On May 2, a 40-foot cabin cruiser boat overturned right off the coast of San Diego, more specifically near Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma. This occurred at 10:27 am Pacific Time. The conditions consisted of 5-6 feet waves, high winds, and low temperatures with the water around 60 degrees. The boat ended up crashing on the reef and completely fell apart. 

The boat had 32 passengers aboard, three of who died during the accident. 20 additional people were sent to the hospital. By Monday, only five people remained in the hospital and only one was in critical condition. 

The boat was said to be a smuggling vehicle bringing immigrants to the states from Mexico. San Diego Mayor, Todd Gloria, stated that more and more people are attempting to enter the country by boat. Gloria adds that “it’s extremely dangerous and inconsiderate of those facilitating the trips since it puts all of them in danger. Not to mention there has been a 92% increase in the maritime apprehension of smugglers since September,” reports CNN.

Following the boat crash, 21 people from the accident were arrested on May 6th. This included 15 men and six women. They were all Mexican nationals with no legal status in the United States. The two men that are suspects of the smuggling are set to face federal charges.