Eight migrants thought lost at sea found alive in southern California

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Eight migrants thought to person been mislaid astatine oversea disconnected California aft their vessel capsized, person been recovered alive, ending a quality smuggling play that near 4 radical dead, including 2 children from the aforesaid Indian family, U.S. officials said connected Tuesday.

U.S. Border Patrol agents recovered the 8 migrants astatine an inland transit point, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office successful San Diego. The radical had been taken determination successful 3 vehicles from the formation astatine Del Mar having made it ashore erstwhile the tiny vessel overturned connected Monday morning, it said.

A ninth missing migrant, a 10-year-old miss from India, remained unaccounted for and was presumed to person died astatine sea, national prosecutors said.

Emergency teams recovered the assemblage of her 14-year-old brother, arsenic good arsenic 2 different radical who drowned, soon aft the panga-style vessel capsized. Four others, including the children's parents, were rescued from the surf and taken to hospitals. The begetter was successful a coma, prosecutors said.

The last result of the ordeal did not go wide until Tuesday erstwhile national prosecutors filed tribunal papers charging 5 Mexican nationals with taking portion successful a migrant smuggling strategy aft the vessel overturned and washed ashore adjacent San Diego.

Due to evident disorder connected the crushed and connection lapses among authorities, the Coast Guard initially reported determination were 7 radical missing.

Panga-style boats are lightweight, unfastened vessels usually powered by outboard motors.

The Border Patrol besides tracked down and arrested the 2 men and a pistillate who allegedly drove the getaway vehicles. Two different men accused of having piloted and refueled the smuggling vessel were detained soon aft the vas washed ashore.

The 2 accused pilots, identified arsenic 36-year-old Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva and 30-year-old Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, were charged with "bringing successful aliens resulting successful death," a superior offense, and "bringing successful aliens for fiscal gain."

The 3 alleged conveyance drivers - Melissa Jennelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso, 31 - were each charged with proscription of amerciable aliens, which carries a maximum condemnation of 10 years successful prison.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said successful a connection that she would inquire the Justice Department to question the decease punishment against the 2 accused of piloting the boat.

"Maritime smuggling is not conscionable amerciable — it is simply a convulsive and inherently unsafe crime," Noem said.

Hundreds of akin migrant crossing attempts person been documented by the Coast Guard astatine oversea successful the San Diego country annually successful caller years.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman successful Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld successful New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Kate Mayberry)