I'm Working On A Book...

[NoBoat]

If an American were trying to sneak into the country from Mexico to the US on the Pacific Coast, how would you do it? All ideas and creativity are appreciated. The goal would be to sneak in undetected.

I'm toying around with a few ideas (you're welcome to tell me the flaws in my logic).

1. Using two boats. Sailing from Mexico and then having a local, US boat meet say 50 miles out at sea.

2. Having a Panga drop the person off along the coast. I'm not sure if day would be less obvious and easier to spot or night would be better.

3. Having a boat (Panga) drop off the person with a jetski and go into the coast during the day.

Which method do you think would be the safest? Which would be realistic? What would any caveats be?
I don't think simply catching a ride from Americans from a port (say Ensenada) back into the US would work because the boat would have to check into customs.

[zeehag]

NO.
it has all been tried before and failed. have fun

do not underestimate the power and sight capabilities of the homeless insecurity folks gonna make sure you are not smuggling folks or drugs--is known as smugglers alley and do believe it is well watched---

something about satellite surveillance.....

[NoBoat]

Yes, there certainly have been a number of busts...especially Panga boats loaded with illegal Mexicans and drugs. These are the ones that are caught, so it's only a guess how many are successful.
I guess if I were to re-word it, if YOU (the person reading this) were to do it, how WOULD you do it?

[zeehag]

knowing what i know--i would not dream of doing anyhting like that---would result in loss of home and life and lifestyle forever. no thanks. i aint stoopit.
there have been sailboats, speed boats and other than pangas caught smuggling in this smugglers alley alone--
research a lot better--1990, monsoon, a cheoy lee 64? ft motor sailor confiscated by uscg---you need to do a lot more research on confiscations before you begin this work. monsoon is only on of many sailing boats/yachts confiscated and re sold by us cg and customs, nw dhs.

[NoBoat]

I could not find the seizure you were referring to.

The closest one was a drug lord arrested.
Mexican Cartel's Leader is Seized Off Baja Coast
[FONT=georgia,'times new roman',times,serif]Mexican Cartel's Leader is Seized Off Baja Coast[/FONT]


I searched for Monsoon Seized and added coast guard.

[Charlie]

Wait for real nasty weather. Over cast, rain, maybe even thunder showers. take off in a covered Panga with an insulated cover over the outboard to hide heat signature. Get to within 4 or 5 miles of the Coronado Islands and join in with a group of kite surfers that are returning from a trip around them. It'll take some work to make everything work but you are the writer.

[Sailmonkey]

Knowing nothing about returning from Mexico on the west coast, I know that each time I have returned to Galveston I could have offloaded someone without a problem checking in.

[zeehag]

mebbe they just more obvious here.
we have all these mexican islands just sitting here hiding illegals and drugs waiting for some innocent soul to find and try to return to owner..and dhs screaming up on ye in total darkness and no lights fro a nice lil chat in total darkness on occasion--is fun

now charlies idea could be sporty..

[captain58sailin]

Don't try to sneak, immediately catches attention, join a group of vessels coming the same way. Bold as brass in broad daylight. 3 may keep a secret if 2 are dead.

[ryon]

The two times I reentered the country from Mexico by boat, I could have easily dropped off people or contraband before heading over to the customs dock. At least that's how it looked to me. No telling how closely we were watched, going past those submarine pens, etc.

[RedHerring]

> it has all been tried before and failed

With all due and well deserved respect to US Coast Guard and other security services (obviously, no slouches), on one hand you've got several hundred, maybe several thousand busts in a year; on the other hand you've got tens of millions of illegal immigrants and a brisk drugs trade across borders. Guess, how many smugglers succeed.

A smallish plastic sailboat makes an offshore passage from La Paz to some point way north of the Mexican border, goes in under sail on a cloudy night. Better yet, drops off a swimmer couple of miles before calling into her port of entry. May not work in real life, but plausible enough for a book, methinks?

[Delancey]

Live large - Narco Submarine!
Narco-submarine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[hellosailor]

The narco submarines are nothing new. Rumrunners were built with flush decks and near-zero profile above the waterline during Prohibition and the USCG routinely tried to chase'em and sink'em.

Smuggling by sea is an old profession and if the OP reads up on it, he'll find out what has worked in that area. Might also want to look at the historical weather data from the sea buoys to see what typical conditions are likely. A panga would be no fun in eight foot seas although it might make an interesting couple of pages for the poor guy in it.

[ty.gregory]

In Sana Barbara, CA they find about three pangas on the beach every month. Each panga still has its two 300 hp engines on board. Whatever these pangas brought in must have cost a lot more than their engines. They use the back side of the Channel Islands for cover and then scoot in at night.

[courageous cat]

I was thinking of writing a book, I call it, Getting CF members to help me break the law