LOS ANGELES _ Border Patrol agents took 10 people into custody Thursday morning and were seeking others who may have come ashore after a panga-style boat landed in Laguna Beach.
Nine of those detained are believed to be immigrants smuggled into the country illegally, and one is suspected of assisting in the smuggling operation, said Ralph DeSio, a spokesman with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Border Patrol agents and Laguna Beach police were dispatched about 7 a.m. to West Street Beach after a citizen reported the boat's landing. Officials said they seized two "takeaway" vehicles found in the area. Three of the smuggled immigrants were Chinese nationals and six were Mexican nationals.
Officials initially said they believed two of the individuals taken into custody were smugglers who intended to transport the boat's passengers in the vehicles. Later, DeSio said just one of those apprehended, a U.S. citizen, was suspected of smuggling.
Video recorded from a nearby residence overlooking the beach showed 13 people dressed in dark clothing running from the boat. Border Patrol agents are searching for additional passengers they think were on the boat, DeSio said.
The suspected immigrants are being taken to a Border Patrol station for processing.
