SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne on Sept. 14 interdicted 16 suspected undocumented migrants approximately 21 miles west of San Diego in the Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard announced.
The interdiction occurred in open ocean, reflecting the maritime dimension of southern border enforcement that operates alongside land-based operations managed by Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard said.
The Terrell Horne is a Fast Response Cutter assigned to missions including border security, search and rescue and maritime law enforcement. The vessel is based in the San Diego sector, where maritime migration interdictions have been an ongoing component of border enforcement operations.
Maritime routes off the southern California coast have been used by human smuggling organizations as an alternative to increasingly fortified land border crossings. The ocean route carries significant risks for migrants, including exposure to cold water, rough seas and vessel capsizing in overloaded boats.
No additional operational details — including the vessel type used by the migrants, their nationalities or their legal disposition following interdiction — were confirmed in the Coast Guard’s initial announcement.
The Coast Guard operates as both a military service and a federal law enforcement agency, giving it unique authority to conduct interdictions in U.S. territorial waters and on the high seas. Maritime border security operations in the San Diego sector coordinate with CBP Air and Marine Operations and other federal agencies.