San Diego, California — Three Mexican boat captains pleaded guilty in federal court here for their roles in two 2025 shipwrecks that killed nine migrants, including two children, during smuggling attempts along the California coast.
Jesús Iván Rodríguez Leyva and Julio César Zúñiga Luna admitted to charges of human trafficking resulting in death and for profit. Their case involved a May 5 incident when a vessel carrying 19 people capsized off Del Mar after mechanical failure and rough seas. Four people died, including two Indian siblings aged 14 and 10.
Prosecutors said the captains ordered passengers to remove life jackets to speed up disembarkation, worsening the tragedy.
In a separate November 14 incident, another boat from Rosarito capsized near Imperial Beach after engine failure, killing five people including the co-pilot. Captain David Alfonso Barrera Núñez pleaded guilty to attempted human trafficking resulting in death.
The cases drew controversy when then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sought death penalty consideration for two defendants, though that measure ultimately failed.
Sentencing is scheduled for June and July. The cases highlight the dangers of irregular sea crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border and the role of human smuggling networks in such tragedies.
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