At about 1 a.m. PT on Friday, a US Coast Guard cutter detected a cluster of people drifting in the Pacific roughly 140 miles west of Ensenada.
Petty Officer Chris Sappey confirmed that the individuals were in the water with no vessel in sight, and one survivor later recalled that as many as 27 people had been aboard a small boat before it went down.
The incident comes amid a surge in maritime smuggling attempts by migrants trying to evade heavily guarded land borders along the US–Mexico frontier.
The Coast Guard, alongside Mexican authorities, deployed a helicopter, a fixed‑wing aircraft and a cutter to scour the area, while hospitals in San Diego are prepared to treat the rescued.
This is the latest in a string of deadly incidents, following a May 2025 capsizing that killed three and a 2023 surf crash that claimed eight lives.
Search operations are ongoing as officials scour the waters for the remaining survivors, with the Coast Guard pledging to mobilize additional assets if needed.