RedState’s Teri Christoph reported earlier Monday about a panga (small fishing boat) surfing onto the beach in the ritzy California coastal town of Newport Beach over the weekend. Around a dozen suspected illegal aliens quickly disembarked and disappeared into the community, leaving the approximately 20-foot boat behind.
EXCLUSIVE: Surveillance video appears to show roughly a dozen suspected migrants getting off a panga in Newport Beach, then scattering into the neighborhood.
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) September 21, 2026
The captain-less boat was left behind and damaged a nearby yacht.
So far, no arrests have been made. pic.twitter.com/nQqChFEDOv
Turns out the Left Coast isn’t the only seaborne route would-be illegal aliens are turning to after Trump’s total shutdown of the southern border route, which former President Joe Biden had left wide open during his one disastrous term.
It went down in Florida, and although it’s hardly the Sunshine State’s first brush with illegals coming from the Caribbean, they’re not usually Chinese nationals. At least 13 were nabbed last Tuesday, though, along with nine others, as they were intercepted by the Coast Guard off the coast.
And like our Newport Beach invaders, they appear to have discriminating tastes, because they were caught in the waters off Key Largo, a quiet luxury retreat if there ever was one.
NEW: CBP confirms to @FoxNews that they found & arrested 13 Chinese illegal aliens on a human smuggling boat near Key Largo, FL, first detected by CBP aircraft on patrol. There were 22 illegal aliens on the boat in total, including 8 Hondurans and one Dominican. The human… pic.twitter.com/kg4L5zto5D
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 21, 2026
NEW: CBP confirms to @FoxNews that they found & arrested 13 Chinese illegal aliens on a human smuggling boat near Key Largo, FL, first detected by CBP aircraft on patrol. There were 22 illegal aliens on the boat in total, including 8 Hondurans and one Dominican. The human smuggler was also arrested. The arrests were made near Angelfish Creek.
It is rare to see Chinese nationals trying to get into the US through this maritime smuggling route typically used for Haitians, Cubans, and Dominicans.
Note: The CBP’s official statement describes the breakdown a little differently; they say it was eight Ecuadorian nationals, not Honduran.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Chinese nationals in the past almost always tried to illegally enter through land routes in California and Texas, but rarely used the Caribbean route because it’s “extremely dangerous” and is typically used by Haitians, Dominicans, and Cubans.
CBP says their Air and Marine Operations first spotted the 27-foot craft, and authorities stopped it and arrested the 13 Chinese nationals along with the suspected smuggler, a Cuban national, eight Ecuadorian nationals and one Dominican national. Authorities seized the boat and sent the suspected illegals to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent for processing.
The agency said in a statement that if you try the Caribbean route, you will be seen and caught. That is, if you even make it to our shores:
“Attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea is extremely dangerous and will not go undetected,” said Executive Director Andres Blanco, Southeast Region. “This interdiction demonstrates the strength of our maritime partnerships and our commitment to stopping human smuggling organizations before they can put more lives at risk. Those who attempt these dangerous voyages face arrest, prosecution, removal, and the very real possibility of losing their lives at sea.”
The attempt comes as President Trump is preparing for his high-stakes Thursday White House meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Trump should ask him, just what in the heck were your 13 nationals doing here?
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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