Overview
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has formally requested the Department of Justice pursue the death penalty for two Mexican nationals, Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, charged with human smuggling resulting in death.
- The capsized boat, carrying 16 migrants, overturned off Del Mar Beach on May 5, killing three people, including a 14-year-old Indian boy, and leaving seven others missing.
- Federal prosecutors have charged Rodriguez-Leyva and Zuniga-Luna with bringing in aliens resulting in death, a capital offense under U.S. law, and smuggling for financial gain.
- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing migrants after recovering three deceased individuals and rescuing four survivors from the incident.
- Secretary Noem emphasized the administration's hardline stance on immigration enforcement, calling the tragedy a reminder of the dangers of maritime smuggling and vowing accountability for those responsible.