Coast Guard Halts 2 Illegal Charter Vessels in Southern California

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne and crew returned to their home port in Los Angeles/Long Beach Nov. 7, 2023 after a 52-day patrol across the Eastern Pacific. (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

SAN PEDRO, Calif.—The U.S. Coast Guard halted two illegal vessels near Newport Beach and San Pedro earlier this week, officials said on July 19.

A Los Angeles-Long Beach Coast Guard crew responded to a 76-foot craft operating as an illegal charter in Newport Beach July 15 with 14 passengers aboard and to a 35-foot craft operating in San Pedro as an illegal charter with 7 passengers aboard July 16, according to a statement from Coast Guard officials.

The crew found the following violations for the first vessel:

• Not having a valid Certificate of Inspection.
• Failure to have a properly licensed master on an inspected small passenger vessel.

The crew found the following violations for the second vessel:

• Not having a valid Certificate of Inspection.
• Failure to have a properly licensed master on an inspected small passenger vessel.
• Failure to have a random drug testing program.

More information on the coast guard can be found at www.news.uscg.mil/.