Five Mexican nationals were charged after a migrant boat capsized near San Diego, killing a 14-year-old boy and at least two others. Four survivors were hospitalized, and a 10-year-old girl remains missing and presumed dead. The charges include human smuggling and bringing in aliens resulting in death.

Five individuals were charged after a boat carrying migrants capsized near San Diego on Monday, resulting in the deaths of a 14-year-old boy from India and at least two others, according to authorities. The group, consisting entirely of Mexican nationals, was charged in two federal complaints, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced in a news release on Tuesday.

The individuals have been identified as Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36; Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30; Melissa Jennelle Cota, 33; Gustavo Lara, 32; and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso, 31. Zuniga-Luna and Rodriguez-Leyva were arrested Monday on charges of bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. They were apprehended at a beach in Del Mar, where witnesses had observed the overturned panga-style boat. Cota, Lara, and Rojas-Fregoso, who were previously deported in December 2023, face charges of transporting illegal aliens.

The search effort was supported by the Coast Guard, lifeguards, and sheriff’s deputies. Three bodies, including that of the 14-year-old, were recovered by law enforcement. Four others were rescued and hospitalized, including the teen’s mother and father, the latter of whom is in a coma.

Initially, nine individuals were reported missing from the boat. However, eight of them were found Monday evening after Border Patrol agents identified a vehicle in Chula Vista, California, linked to the smuggling operation. The vehicle’s driver fled the scene, but Border Patrol agents successfully identified two other vehicles involved in the smuggling event, arresting their drivers and recovering eight of the nine missing migrants. The remaining missing person is the teen’s 10-year-old sister, who is believed to still be missing at sea and presumed dead.

The U.S. Attorney's Office expressed sorrow over the tragedy. "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."