U.S. Customs and Border Patrol posted a video Monday of a patrol boat intercepting and ramming a suspected human smuggling craft off the California coast.
Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said the operation to intercept the border-crossing criminals might not have happened if not for a tip from the Mexican navy.
Banks credited Mexican military commanders with passing along information about a boat Border Patrol was unable to stop and figured it was heading for the U.S. Banks said CBP's West Coast Air and Marine Operations agents spotted the boat in open water off San Diego and ordered the operators to stop.
The boat continued at a high rate of speed. A few moves later the evasion ended. All was caught on video. Banks initially reported that two suspected human smugglers were being detained after the stop.
In a later post, Banks updated the case and reported that there were three apparent smugglers onboard who were trying to sneak 16 others on the vessel to shore.
"The smugglers now face felony charges for alien smuggling ... while the others will be prosecuted for felony illegal re-entry," Banks said. "Even in the open ocean," said the chief, "the border has a line — and we will defend it."