Panga boat

Human smuggling attempts by the sea continue taking place at the western end of the southern border, according to Mexico's consul general in San Diego.

Speaking to Border Report, Alicia Kerber Palma said authorities are seeing "these situations almost every weekend."

"Smugglers seem to be taking advantage of the needs of the migrant community, not caring whether he leaves them in the middle of the ocean or on the shore," she added.

Kerber Palma went on to describe human smugglers as "unscrupulous" and urged migrants not to risk crossing into the U.S. that way. "They don't care about the conditions the migrants are in, whether they are children or adults."

Different attempts have made headlines over the past months. One of them took place earlier this year two Mexican nationals were charged s after a GPS mishap caused their panga to be stop functioning in the water.

The vessel was carrying nine migrants when to U.S. Coast Guard encountered it floating 12 miles due west of Point Loma, California, around midnight.

The boat had no navigation lights and was described by officials as being "dead in the water," according to Fox 5.

The passengers had been charged between $6,000 and $14,000, according to Border Report. One passenger from China was reportedly charged $50,000.

The passengers included five citizens of Romania, one from China, and three from Mexico. One of the passengers described a harrowing journey, noting that he feared the boat would capsize and thought he might die.

Boat operator Noe Gastelum Ruelas reportedly told authorities that he and the boat's copilot lost track of their destination, saying he "did not know what happened to the GPS," according to Border Report.

Moreover, over a dozen migrants were intercepted by the Coast Guard while aboard a vessel seeking to enter the U.S. through San Diego.

The episode took place southwest of Point Loma. The boat was initially spotted by a military aircraft, which then gave the Coast Guard the coordinates to intercept it.

Border Report cited authorities saying the interdiction was conducted without incident. Officers saw 16 people who claimed to be Mexican nationals seeking to enter the U.S. They were taken to Border Patrol custody.

Elsewhere, three migrants died and several more went missing in early May after a boat capsized off the coast of California. Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she will seek the death penalty for the two alleged smugglers "based on a thorough review of both the Immigration and Naturalization Act and the Federal Death Penalty Act."

Originally published on Latin Times