A 30-foot Panga boat loaded with marijuana reportedly came ashore at Leo Carrillo State Beach on Monday morning, Sheriff’s deputies announced.
Deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s (LASD) Malibu/Lost Hills Station responded to beach in unincorporated Malibu at about 8 a.m. on April 7 after State Park Rangers called in a request to help search for possible occupants inside a Panga boat that had come ashore.
According to Sheriff’s deputy Kim Manatt, the Panga boat “was leaking gasoline and smelled strongly of marijuana” when it was discovered.
Manatt added one arrest was made after deputies arrived and observed the boat. During the arrest, deputies were able to determine there were two more suspects, both of whom ran from the boat, according to Manatt.
Deputies then created a containment and searched for both suspects with the help of the California Highway Patrol, the United States Coast Guard, the LASD Special Enforcement Bureau, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the multi-agency, Homeland Security Investigations-led Border Enforcement Security Taskforce, and Los Angeles County Fire personnel.
Both suspects were eventually apprehended.
A search of the boat revealed it “to be loaded with numerous bundles of marijuana,” Manatt stated.
Information of where the boat came from or its intended destination was not yet revealed.
The Border Enforcement Security Taskforce will reportedly be leading the investigation. All three suspects are in custody of the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce.
A local Homeland Security Investigations office will receive the seized marijuana to weigh and process it as evidence. The Panga boat was also being towed to be included in evidence, as well.
Manatt stated anyone with information about yesterday’s incident is encouraged to contact Virginia Kice of Homeland Security at (949) 360-3096.
Contacts who prefer to call in anonymously can do so by calling “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
Leo Carrillo State Beach is at 35000 Pacific Coast Highway.
