SAN DIEGO – In a tragic incident, at least three migrants have lost their lives in a human smuggling event that occurred in Del Mar, California. The bodies of two of the victims, including a 14-year-old boy from India, were recovered, while his 10-year-old sister is still missing and presumed dead. The father of the victims is in a coma and the mother is hospitalized.
According to court records, on May 5, 2025, witnesses observed an overturned panga boat at a beach in Del Mar, California. Bystanders and San Diego Lifeguards participated in rescue efforts. Law enforcement officials recovered three bodies, including the boy, identified in court records as P.P.B. Four others were rescued and hospitalized, including P.P.B.’s mother and father; nine others were initially unaccounted for, including P.B.B.’s 10-year-old sister.
Two men believed to be involved in the smuggling event – Mexican nationals Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva – were arrested Monday at the beach and charged today with Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death and Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. Later Monday night, Border Patrol agents were conducting operations in Chula Vista, California where they identified a vehicle that had been observed at the scene of the maritime smuggling incident earlier that day.
The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. During the investigation, Border Patrol Agents identified two other vehicles that were involved in the smuggling event and were able to successfully stop and arrest the drivers of these load vehicles and locate eight of the nine migrants missing from the boat, with the exception of the 10-year-old sister of P.P.B.
Melissa Jenelle Cota, Gustavo Lara and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso – all Mexican nationals – were arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. Rojas-Fregoso, was identified as an alien who had previously been deported on December 19, 2023.
“The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.”
“Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “Yesterday’s heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed. The HSI along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Edward Chang.
Related Federal Cases
- Smuggling Ring Busted: Rajat Rajat, 3 Others Indicted for Human Trafficking · Washington
- Costa Rican Woman Pleads Guilty in Human Smuggling Conspiracy · Washington
- Mateo Gomez Gonzalez, Human Smuggling, Sacramento CA, 2022 · Washington
- Roderick Norseweather Jr., Human Trafficking, Albuquerque NM, 2024 · California
- Santana, Vasquez-Ramirez Lead Alien Smuggling Ring · Delaware
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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