US EditionMan accused of captaining migrant boat that capsized, killing 4, is charged
The suspected captain faces life imprisonment or the death penalty after a capsized migrant boat killed four and left five survivors near the U.S.-Mexico maritime boundary.
- On Monday, federal officials charged David Alfonso Barrera, a 37-year-old Mexican national, with smuggling resulting in death after a boat capsized near Imperial Beach killing four.
- Survivors said the skiff had engine trouble as it headed north, and passengers urged the vessel's operator to turn back to Mexico, but he refused and pressed ahead.
- Responders found several people emerging from the water and rescued survivors; U.S. Border Patrol flipped the overturned skiff to free a trapped man, and five survivors were taken to hospital.
- Barrera is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Leshner later this week, and another man from the boat, Luis Enrique Barreto Goitia, was federally charged for illegal reentry.
- Robert Tucker, Coast Guard sector commander in San Diego, warned `Our crews and partner agencies responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the severe risks posed to aliens attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels` as data show 490 maritime smuggling events in fiscal 2025.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Three men identified after deaths in panga boat accident near Imperial Beach
The vessel that capsized off the coast of Imperial Beach, Nov. 14, 2025. The Coast Guard launched rescue crews from Sector San Diego, Air Station San Diego, Maritime Safety and Security Team Honolulu and Cutter Petrel. (File photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard) Authorities on Tuesday released the names of three of the four people who died in a panga boat accident in South County during an alleged smuggling operation. The bodies of Bartolo Bal…
Judged at the Paris Correctional Court, in particular for "involuntary homicide", after the shipwreck of his makeshift boat, the thirty-year-old "will be able to have a normal life", congratulates his lawyer.
Four Dead After Smuggling Boat Capsizes Off Coast Of California
Federal prosecutors on Monday charged a suspected smuggler after a packed migrant boat flipped in rough seas off San Diego, killing four people in yet another deadly run on America’s southern border. Officials say David Alfonso Barrera Nunes captained the doomed vessel and now faces two federal counts for bringing migrants into the country illegally for profit, resulting in death. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison — or …
Four Dead After Panga Boat Capsizes Near Imperial Beach; Two Men Charged in Fatal Smuggling Attempt – Knowhere News
Imperial Beach, CA – Four people died and several others were injured after a panga boat carrying migrants capsized in rough surf off Imperial Beach. Federal prosecutors have charged two men in connection with the deadly smuggling attempt, describing the incident as a preventable tragedy fueled by reckless decisions at sea. Authorities said the vessel overturned amid six-foot waves as it approached the coastline. Survivors told investigators the…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
