14 illegal immigrants arrested aboard boat off Laguna Beach coast

More than a dozen Illegal immigrants were arrested at El Morro Beach after a panga was spotted offshore over the weekend, federal officials said.Border Patrol agents arrested 14 Mexican nationals on Saturday. They believe four fled in the vessel.

The boat was spotted off the coastline about 5 a.m., said Jerry Conlin, supervising border patrol agent.

“There was a search and they had to stop after a certain amount of time,” he told OC Now. The search was a joint effort with Laguna Beach and Newport Beach police departments.The coast along Newport and Laguna beaches has been a popular spot for illegal immigrants to try to reach the U.S. mainland.