#06/2023
For immediate distribution Monday,
March 13, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO IN SAN DIEGO IS WORKING TO IDENTIFY MIGRANTS OF MEXICAN ORIGIN WHO DIED IN THE INCIDENT IN LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

Regarding the incident registered around 11:35 p.m. on March 11, 2023, in the ocean off “Black's Beach" in the Torrey Pines area, in La Jolla, California, the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego deeply regrets this tragedy and informs the following:

Preliminary reports indicate that two small suspected smuggling boats were discovered. One managed to reach the beach, while another had capsized. The latter is estimated to have had between 8 and 15 people on board. The Mexican Consulate is in permanent contact with the corresponding authorities to identify the victims and assist their families.

So far, the remains of eight people have been recovered. Based on the identifications that some of them carried, it is presumed that seven of them were nationals of Mexico. As soon as there is confirmation from the coroner’s office in this regard, it will be informed to their relatives.

Those people who wish to obtain information on missing relatives can call to the Consulate's emergency line: +1 619-843-6399, write to email Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo., or contact the Center for Information and Attention to Mexicans (CIAM by its acronym in Spanish) in the U.S.: +1 520-623-7874.

The Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, Carlos González Gutiérrez thanked the search and rescue efforts from U.S Coast Guard and called on migrants to avoid putting their lives at risk.

"People planning to cross the border into the United States, either by land or sea, should know that human smugglers will take advantage of their need in order to obtain illicit money, distorting reality, creating false expectations, and exposing them to high-risk conditions where they may lose their lives," he warned.

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