A 30-foot panga boat was discovered as it arrived on Birthday Beach in Ventura County early Monday morning.
The vessel was reported to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office about 12:42 a.m. after it was initially seen floating near the coast, Capt. Hendren said.
Arriving deputies found the abandoned boat and 25 life vests on the sand close to the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Deer Creek Road, Hendren said.
Authorities detained 22 people, including 13 men and nine women, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson later said.
All of the men and eight of the women were from Mexico. One woman was from Guatemala, and no juveniles were found amid the group, the spokesperson said.
All of those apprehended will be transported for processing by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the spokesperson said.
The boat was seized by Customs and Border Protection officials.