The U.S. Coast Guard reported that four people were killed and four more hospitalized when a suspected migrant-smuggling boat capsized late Friday night in rough waves off San Diego.

The Coast Guard reported that in addition to eight deaths, one person has been taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol. The Coast Guard reported that a search for more survivors was conducted on Saturday near Imperial Beach in San Diego County.

Coast Guard officials said that the Border Patrol notified the Coast Guard at 11:40 pm on Friday about the capsized panga style boat. Smugglers often use panga-style boats to ferry migrants from Mexico by sea into California, sometimes in hazardous conditions and amid the Pacific waves. Coast Guard officials said that emergency responders located survivors on the beach of the incident and freed another trapped under the vessel. The Coast Guard reported that rescuers recovered three bodies from the water, but they were soon pronounced dead.

The Coast Guard reported that several of the passengers on board the vessel were Mexican citizens, but some remained unknown. Homeland Security Investigations is now in charge of the investigation into the incident.

(source: Reuters)