⏱ 3 min read
Two boat captains, Jesus Ivan Rodriguez Leyva and Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, are facing the music for a deadly maritime smuggling attempt that went horribly wrong near San Diego, California. The pair, part of a Mexico-based smuggling organization, piloted a rickety 20-foot panga with 19 aliens on board, hoping to collect a hefty $13,500 per head.
On May 4, 2025, the vessel set off from Popotla, Mexico, with its human cargo. But as they approached the US shoreline near Del Mar, California, on May 5, 2025, disaster struck. The motor failed, causing the boat to capsize, throwing the migrants into the water. Many couldn’t swim.
Four migrants lost their lives, including two children. Gorgonio Placido-Diaz, Marcos Lozada-Juarez, and a 14-year-old minor, identified only as P.B.P., drowned trying to reach shore. A human foot belonging to a 10-year-old minor was later found on the beach, identified via DNA analysis.
The pleas come after a lengthy investigation by federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and ATF. The pair’s guilty pleas mark a grim end to a smuggling operation that put countless lives at risk.
Related Federal Cases
- Juan Carlos Ramirez, Human Smuggling, California 2023 · Washington
- Juan Carlos Ramirez, Human Smuggling, California 2022 · New Mexico
- Juan Hernandez, Human Smuggling, California 2022 · Mississippi
- Amanuel Ghebremichael, Human Smuggling, California 2022 · District of Columbia
- Anaelys Barrantes, Human Smuggling Conspiracy, California 2023 · Florida
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Human Trafficking
- Defendant: California
- Location: CA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Human TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman Trafficking