Federal immigration agents in Los Angeles arrested three dozen Chinese and Taiwanese nationals during a raid May 30 at an underground nightclub, as efforts to deport illegal immigrants ramp up in California, according to officials.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigators worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the early-morning operation.
The detainees are suspected of being illegally present in the United States, according to Homeland Security.
A video shared by the federal agents showed the 36 arrestees sitting outside the nightclub on the ground as they were processed and walked to nearby vans by investigators wearing tactical gear.
The agents were assisted by a helicopter, according to the video.
Coast Guard Intercepts Vessels
In another operation, the U.S. Coast Guard in San Diego intercepted two separate vessels traveling in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Loma over the weekend.
The Coast Guard Cutter Petrel and Coast Guard Station San Diego detained 28 illegal immigrants who all claimed Mexican nationality, the Coast Guard reported on social media on June 2.
One 25-foot sailboat intercepted about 54 miles southwest of San Diego on May 31, contained 16 illegal immigrants, according to the Coast Guard.
A photo shared by the Coast Guard showed multiple migrants crowded inside the boat.
A C-130 aircraft stationed in Sacramento was able to locate the sailboat and relay the information to the Coast Guard crews.
No use of force was used in the operation, officials reported.
In another 35-foot vessel, crews located 12 illegal immigrants about 10 miles west of Point Loma on June 1, according to the Coast Guard.
U.S. Coast Guard crews in San Diego found 16 illegal immigrants inside the cabin of a 25-foot sailboat on May 31, 2025, off the California coast. (U.S. Coast Guard)
Coast Guard crews boarded a suspicious closed-cabin vessel at about 1:30 p.m. and found the people aboard, all claiming Mexican nationality.
The detained migrants were transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody.
The waters off Southern California have seen more attempted illegal migrant traffic since the Trump administration has effectively sealed the southern border.
The administration announced on May 27 that the U.S. Border Patrol dismantled a migrant processing facility after crossings plummeted this year.
“Due to the unprecedented decrease in illegal crossings this year, the massive 1,000 person, San Diego Sector Soft Sided Facility has been dismantled,” said San Diego Sector’s acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Stalnakerin in a post on social media.
In March, San Diego’s Border Patrol office arrested 1,199 illegal aliens, with an average of 38 per day. This was a 186 percent drop compared to March 2024, according to Stalnakerin.
