Five Charged in Deadly California Smuggling Attempt, Three Dead

Five individuals have been charged in connection with a fatal human smuggling attempt after a panga boat capsized off the San Diego coast, resulting in at least three deaths, including a 14-year-old Indian boy and two Mexican adults, and leaving a 10-year-old Indian girl missing and presumed dead. The girl’s parents were among four people hospitalized, with her father reportedly in a coma. Two Mexican nationals, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, were arrested at the scene and face charges of bringing in aliens resulting in death and for financial gain, which could result in life sentences or the death penalty. Three others—Melissa Jenelle Cota, Gustavo Lara, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, all Mexican nationals—were charged with transporting illegal aliens after being apprehended while transporting survivors. Authorities highlighted the tragedy as a stark reminder of the dangers and inhumanity of human smuggling operations. Federal officials and prosecutors have condemned the smugglers’ greed and disregard for human life, vowing to hold them accountable.