Agents stop two boats with more than 1,270 pounds of pot and undocumented immigrants

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A team of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Homeland Security stopped one boat loaded with more than 1,270 pounds of marijuana and another boat with five undocumented immigrants.

The boats were intercepted near Ballast Point, federal authorities reported.

Authorities spotted the first of the suspected smuggling vessels, a 29-foot Amato, headed toward Dana Landing around 3:30 p.m. Monday, according to CBP spokesman Ralph DeSio.

Agents noticed an anomaly on its deck and called for drug-sniffing dogs after the boat was initially stopped for a documents check.

The dogs also tipped off agents to a second vessel that contained 321 pounds of marijuana, DeSio said.

Three people were arrested in connection with the smuggling attempts, but their names were not released by authorities.

Also, the Coast Guard made contact with the occupants of a boat, on Monday, that went aground near Ballast Point. Coast Guard personnel found four men and a woman, all Mexican citizens, and turned them over to the Border Patrol, DeSio said.