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Smuggling Boat Discovered On South Coast Beach

A smuggling craft discovered on the Gaviota coastline Tuesday
(Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office photo)
A smuggling craft discovered on the Gaviota coastline Tuesday

Cargo believed to be people trying to get into United States

Authorities are investigating what they say appears to be a human smuggling operation on the South Coast.

A boat was spotted on the beach on the Gaviota coastline near Vista Point Tuesday morning. That’s about 27 miles west of Santa Barbara, along Highway 101.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies worked with state and federal officers to search the area. A helicopter was called in to help.

Some people have been detained, but there’s no word on how many. The South Coast has seen a number of boats coming in from Mexico in recent years as smugglers have tried to bypass the border, and move drugs and people into the United States.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.