Four Dead After Panga Boat Capsizes; Human Smugglers Now Charged

Another tragic chapter in America’s ongoing border crisis unfolded last week when a panga boat carrying illegal migrants capsized off the coast of San Diego, killing four people. Federal authorities have now charged two Mexican nationals with human smuggling resulting in death a grim reminder of the consequences of Washington’s broken immigration policies.

The overloaded vessel, designed for short fishing trips, was navigating six-foot waves off Imperial Beach when it flipped, scattering nine passengers into the surf. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents recovered five survivors and confirmed that four migrants died in the wreck. Authorities say the boat’s captain, David Alfonso Barrera Nunes, refused to turn back despite engine failure and rough conditions.

According to the Department of Justice:

• Barrera Nunes has been charged with human smuggling resulting in death, as well as bringing in aliens for financial gain.

• A second smuggler, Luis Enrique Barreto Goitia, also faces federal charges tied to the fatal operation.

• One passenger previously deported in 2012 and again just two weeks ago on Nov. 3, 2025 was also arrested for illegal reentry.

Witnesses described a harrowing scene. One survivor told agents he was trapped in the submerged cabin, surviving only because he found a pocket of air until rescuers arrived. Another said he boarded the boat reluctantly to accompany his granddaughter both nearly drowned after the captain ordered everyone to jump overboard when the engine gave out.

Prosecutors allege Barrera Nunes made no attempt to help his passengers after reaching the beach a damning detail in a tragedy rooted not just in greed, but in reckless disregard for human life.

This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a much broader, dangerous pattern:

• Since 2021, maritime smuggling attempts have surged along the Southern California coastline.

• CBP has intercepted hundreds of panga boats in the past two years, often packed with migrants and operated by cartel-linked traffickers.

• The number of illegal border crossings at sea rose by over 50% in 2024 alone, as smugglers exploit weak enforcement.

These deaths fall squarely at the feet of the Biden administration, whose lax immigration stance and open-border rhetoric have emboldened human traffickers and cartels to ramp up dangerous operations. The message has been clear for years: If you get to the U.S., you’re likely staying and smugglers are profiting off that promise.

Meanwhile, American communities continue to bear the cost in lives, resources, and national security.

This latest tragedy is yet another example of why we need a return to border security, real enforcement, and a president who will actually put American lives before political optics.

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