Search Underway for Migrants Who Landed Boat in Newport Beach

Investigators are actively searching for surveillance footage to identify close to a dozen suspected illegal migrants who arrived by boat in Newport Beach over the weekend. The roughly 20-foot vessel docked in Newport Harbor on Saturday before its occupants reportedly scattered throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. The boat was later found to have struck and damaged a nearby yacht.

Newport Beach City Council member Erik Weigand stated that investigators are particularly interested in any video that may have captured the incident, as only one grainy surveillance clip of the suspected migrants fleeing the boat has surfaced so far. "Literally no regard for safety, just barreled in, and everyone bailed out and just skirmished into the community," Weigand said. "And unfortunately, you know, only thing was that camera."

The Newport Beach Police Department is collaborating with federal agents on the investigation. The city is equipped with Flock Safety cameras and other surveillance devices in public areas, and many private residences also have security cameras. "They’re trying to use other security cameras and figure out if they can bring more facial recognition and try to figure out who’s who in that situation," Weigand added.

The incident has caused concern in Newport Beach, an affluent area known for its low crime rate. The Coast Guard had apprehended a boat carrying suspected migrants in nearby waters earlier this month. According to Weigand, a 911 caller reported Saturday’s landing around 4 p.m., describing a dozen individuals of Hispanic descent aboard a motorboat that came ashore in the 400 block of Edgewater Place, near the Balboa Island Ferry.

Surveillance video from a nearby homeowner reportedly showed the individuals disembarking and heading into the community. It remains unclear if they were met by others or assisted by vehicles once ashore.

Federal sources familiar with such cases described the search as difficult, comparing it to finding a needle in a haystack, especially since the individuals may not have records in the U.S. "They’re in the wind," one official stated.

This landing is the latest in a series of migrant boat incidents along the Southern California coast. Previously, a panga boat landing near Newport Harbor was captured on video, showing more than 20 suspected migrants disembarking and entering waiting vans. In a separate event, the Coast Guard intercepted a vessel carrying 21 individuals, including two from Uzbekistan and one from Russia.

Further incidents include the Coast Guard rescuing 37 suspected migrants nearly 100 miles offshore after their vessel was reportedly adrift for two days without supplies. In another case, 24 suspected migrants were intercepted south of Santa Barbara Island and transferred to Newport Harbor.